Flood Hazard and Risk Maps
Weather Warnings
Buzau-Ialomita Watershed Area
Buzau-Ialomita Watershed Area is located in the South-Eastern part of the country, bordering to the North-West on Olt River Basin, to the North-East on Siret River Basin, to the West and South-West on Arges River Basin, to the East on Dobrogea-Litoral Watershed Area, to the South on the Danube River (which forms the border between Romania and Bulgaria over a distance of 75 km).
Where is it located?
From the perspective of development regions, Buzau-Ialomita Watershed Area includes territories belonging to four regions: 26.8 % of the South-East Region, 41.4 % of the South Region, 2.4 % of the Center Region and 30.1 % of Bucharest-Ilfov Region, and in administrative terms, Buzau-Ialomita Watershed Area comprises territories belonging to 9 counties, namely: Calarasi, Dambovita, Prahova, Ilfov, Ialomita, Brasov, Covasna, Buzau and Braila. The total population identified in 2019 is of about 2,331,938 inhabitants, the population density being of 88.10 inhabitants/km². The main urban agglomerations are: Calarasi, Targoviste, Fieni, Pucioasa, Ploiesti, Campina, Slobozia, Urziceni, Tandarei, Buzau and Braila.
Relief of the river basin
Buzau-Ialomita Watershed Area is characterized by three main stages of relief: mountains, Sub-Carpathian hills and plain. The Carpathian mountainous area is located to the North-West of Buzau-Ialomita Watershed Areas which includes Leaota and Bucegi Massifs, belonging to the Southern Carpathians, Baiului, Ciucasului, Siriului, Podu Calului, Penteleu and Vrancei Mountains, belonging to the Curvature Carpathians.
These landforms are located at altitudes ranging between 800-1,000 m and suddenly, sometimes slowly, decrease up to 200-300 m. The plain area covers around 40% of the territory and is includes Targovistei Plain, Ploiestilor Plain, Gherghitei Plain, Buzaului and Ramnicului Plain, with altitudes varying between 100-150 m up to 10 m.
Climate of the river basin
Buzau-Ialomita Watershed Area has a temperate continental climate, with differentiations between the North-Western part (low temperatures, many precipitations) and the South-Eastern part (high temperatures, few precipitations). Temperatures vary as follows: the average annual temperature is of -3ºC to the mountains and reaches +12ºC to the plain; the maximum absolute temperature is of 44.5ºC and the minimum one is of -29.6ºC.
In terms of precipitations, they are heavier in the higher section (the mountain area), as compared to the middle and low section of Ialomitei and Buzaului river basins. Mostistea, Calmatui river basins are characterized by an arid climate. Average annual precipitations vary between 400 mm/year and 1,200 mm/year.
Total water resources
The surface water resources of the watershed area managed by Buzau-Ialomita RBA include water resources from the 5 river basins: Ialomita, Buzau, Mostistea, Calmatui and Berza plus the water resources from the Danube River. The total length of the hydrographic network related to the watershed area managed by Buzau-Ialomita RBA is of 5,373 km.
Buzau – Ialomita River Basin is, at its turn, made up of the following basins:
Ialomita River Basin
Ialomita River has its glacial springs on the Southern slope of Bucegi Massive, around the altitude of 2,390 m, from beneath Piatra Obarsiei. It is 417 km long, with an area of the river basin of 10,350 km² and receives 142 tributaries.
Buzau River Basin
Buzau River is one of the major tributaries of Siret and is formed in the curvature area of the Carpathians. It is 308 km long, with an area of the river basin of 5,264 km² and receives 102 coded tributaries.
Mostistea River Basin
Mostistea River springs from the proximity of Moara Saraca commune, near Caldarusani Lake. It is 98 km long, with an area of the river basin of 1,758 km² and receives 13 coded tributaries
Calmatui River Basin
Calmatui comes from the Southern part of Buzau city, in the proximity of Balta Plopului. It is 152 km long and has an area of the river basin of 1,668 km². Raul Calmatui receives 4 coded tributaries.
At the level of Buzau-Ialomita watershed area, there are both natural lakes and reservoirs. There are 20 natural lakes with over 0.5 km², some used for fishery (Strachina, Iezer Slobozia Noua, etc.) and others for therapeutic use (Amara, Fundata, etc.). There are 13 reservoirs with over 0.5 km² : Bolboci, Pucioasa, Dridu, Paltinu, Maneciu, Tancabesti, Gheorghe Doja, Fundulea, Gurbanesti, Frasinet, Iezer, Siriu and Candesti.
In Buzau – Ialomita watershed area, arable lands are dominant, representing 70% of the total land area. Then, there are forested areas (coniferous forests being dominant) covering 20% and perennial crops with 3%. The other categories occupy much smaller areas: urban areas have a ratio of 3%, industrial areas also 3%, and the total agricultural area is of about 1.10 mil. ha.
Flood records
The major floods recorded on Buzau river during the previous years – 1969, 1971, 1975,1980, 1984, 1991, 2005 occurred either in May or in July.
The flooding from May 2005 has affected the lower section of the basin (downstream Magura), respectively in the proximity of Intorsura Buzaului. The upstream area of the basin (the plateau from the springs all the way to Crasna) records regular local floods at the end of winter, especially when the snowmelt causes pieces of ices to break away and to block the bridges with logs.
Magura gauge station recorded the most severe floods (1948, 1975 – peak discharge of 2100 m3/s, 1971, 1969, 1980, 1984) occurred before Siriu Dam was built (1994). But the dam does not protect the downstream area against floods caused by tributaries of Buzau river, as it was the case in July 2004 in Nehoiu, where the lower part of the locality was flooded by the tributaries of Buzaului river.
in Ialomita basin, the most sever flash floods (for instance in 2001, 2005) were recorded on Ialomita river, Prahova river and Teleajen river, as well as on the tributaries of these rivers. Values of the peak discharge increase from upstream towards downstream, the highest values being recorded after Ialomita gets Prahova as well as Teleajen, namely in the area Dridu – Cosereni. Here, heavy rainfalls were recorded, causing increases in the discharges on water courses, reaching and exceeding the rates of protection on certain rivers.
On Siret river, in Braila county, in 2005, there were precipitations varying between 22-130.7 l/sqm and the flooding was caused by damages to the protection infrastructure.
Buzau – Ialomita watershed area has a complex system of hydro-technical works with a role in the quantitative management of water resources, including reservoirs, riverbed regularizations, protections for banks, bottom thresholds, embankment etc. As main flood protection works in Buzau – Ialomita watershed area, there are 12 permanent reservoirs, 600 km of dikes on the major water courses, 330 km of riverbed regularizations, 8 diversions and 261 km riverbed and bank reinforcement works.
Contact Buzau – Ialomita RBA
Address: Buzău, Strada Bucegi, nr. 20 bis 120208
Phone: 0238 / 725446, 725447, 725448
Fax: 0238 / 427237
E-mail: dispecer@daib.rowater.ro
Website: ABA Buzău-Ialomița
