Igor Fefelov: The composition of the water will change

The possible consequences of the construction of the hydroelectric power station in the Selengi basin on the territory of Mongolia are told by the Deputy Director for the Science of the Research Institute of Biology of Irkutsk State University, Doctor of Biological Sciences and Ornithologist Igor Fefelov.

“The construction of the hydroelectric power station on the Selenga makes it possible to regulate the selenga in the case of the floods, which will lead to less damage to a person downstream of selenga. It should be noted that the achievement of a positive effect is possible only with the operational decision -making of water passage, which requires clear coordination of different departments, both inside Mongolia and between Mongolia and Russia. On the other hand, periodic large summer floods, although they bring the ecosystem delta selenes a short -term negative effect (the death of small mammals, nests and chicks of waterfowl, etc.), are necessary for the delta ecosystems in the long term. Moving inorganic and organic compounds along the territory of the river and deltas, they increase the average productivity of ecosystems deltas and create new habitats of animals. This, in particular, is shown by unusually prolonged low water selenes in 1997-2015: after the onset of this period, the number of nesting waterfowl in the delta and in the Kaban reserve for several years remains at a low level. Therefore, the problem of floods is complex, ambiguous and multilateral.

The creation of the reservoir will lead to a change in the composition and structure of the hydrobiological community of the river, both in reservoirs and below their flow

The construction of the hydroelectric power station on Selenges involves reduced water content of the river below the hydroelectric power station during the period of filling the reservoir. In low -water climatic periods in the Selenga basin, this will negatively affect the productivity of the ecosystems of the river delta. The presence of dams on the selenga will cause a decrease in the receipt of suspended substances (soluble substances and compounds, inorganic suspensions) into the river. On the one hand, this can lead to some improvement in the consumer qualities of water for humans. On the other hand, this, on the contrary, will definitely lead to a decrease in the receipt of the substances necessary for the nutrition of vegetation and the animal world of delta. As a result, the potential productivity of the biological communities of the Selenga delta will decrease, and, accordingly, the biomass of plants (including the productivity of meadow pastures), the number of invertebrates and vertebrates. It will also slow down the formation of new birds of birds in the delta - a maneupe of new shores and islands. The latter will negatively affect some species of birds, in particular, on river ducks, Chegrava and, possibly, an Asian backsome vilient (the last two species are included in the Red Books of the Russian Federation and Buryatia).

The creation of the reservoir will lead to a change in the composition and structure of the hydrobiological community of the river, both in reservoirs and below their flow. As one of the factors, an increase in water temperature will take place. The restructuring of the community of water organisms will undoubtedly entail changes both for fish spawning (including the Selenginsky herd of the Baikal Omul) and the development of their larvae, and for the nutrition of various organisms in the Selenga delta. Although preliminary forecasts were made back in 1977, a more accurate assessment of the expected effects is low in today. ”

The opinion was provided by the leadership of the Baikal State Natural Biosphere Reserve