Evaluation of flood effects on farming conditions in the Nemunas delta

Abstract

Delta on the right bank of the river Nemunas covers an area from the outlet of the tributary Jūra to the Curonian Lagoon in Klaipėda district. In fact, the area of about 52.4 thousand ha is inundated during the spring floods annually, which results in damages for agriculture, road dams and other hydraulic structures. Destructive spring floods affect farming conditions and human property of 3.2 thousand inhabitants in 46 villages in Rusnė and Panemunė towns.To determine flood-related damage and benefit the detailed analysis of economical data as well as the costs of the maintenance of summer type polders was made. As the study results have shown grass yield losses depend on the distribution of water levels and flood duration. Relative damages for agriculture are insignificant and make up only 10-15 % of total amount of damages in the Nemunas delta.