Water objects ecological condition influence on urban territories' recreational potential l

A city is a complicated system; natural, technogenic and social components of this system interact. Lakes of the urban territories and their basins are influenced by various factors created by human therefore it is an example of interaction of the natural and human component of the urbanized environment. City lakes exert considerable influence on the development of a city's territory: basins form the microclimate and the environment of the nearby areas, they affect building processes, and attract urban population wanting rest, etc. Intensive human activity changes the hydrological, hydro-chemical and hydrobiological processes in water ecosystems; it leads to chemical and thermal pollution of reservoirs and increases scales and rates of growth; it breaks the ecological equilibrium and self-regulation processes. Thus the aesthetic value of water objects is lost, and the recreational potential of an urban territory is reduced. Therefore studying lakes located within an urbanized territory is a very important problem of today. This problem is also significant for Tomsk. The provision of townspeople with places for rest is low and it is less than the standard prescribed by legislation. In this connection, the purpose of the conducted research is to study the ecological condition of the water complexes because it is one of the main restrictive factors in the recreational use of lakesides and water areas. Twelve lakes of natural and anthropogenic origin on the territory of Tomsk were chosen for research as they have greatest potential attractiveness for recreation due to their size and geographical position. In the process of the research of lakes' water characteristics the organoleptic, hydro-chemical and microbiological properties were studied. During the landscape analysis the territorial distribution and the specific structure of water vegetation were characterized, modern human impact on basins was studied. In the result of the research a conclusion was drawn about unfavourable ecological conditions of Tomsk lakes. However, landscape researches showed that lakeside territories possess considerable recreational potential and can be used for many kinds of rest. Provided that a complex of clearing actions is carried out (dumps on lakesides will be liquidated, lakesides will be equipped with modern amenities, the quality of water in the lakes will be improved to the sanitary standard) then Tomsk lakes can play a paramount role in the organization of short-term rest for the population. The maintenance of favourable ecological state of lakes will increase their attractiveness; it will also ensure stable existence and functioning of basins over a long period of time, which will improve human environment.

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