The paper deals with monitoring results of nitrate nitrogen (NO3 --N) run-off in three small agricultural catchments in Latvia (Berze, Mellupite, and Vienziemite) during the period of 1995 - 2007. Continuous flow measurements and water sampling were carried out in two scales - catchment and drainage field. Water quality data was analyzed statistically to identify outliers at various intensity agricultural production systems. The results indicated that with increase of agriculture intensity outlying values are higher and scattered from the rest of the data set thereby the risk of NO3 --N leaching is higher. It can be explained by application of different rates of organic and inorganic fertilization. To analyze water discharge data, cumulative distribution was used. The results show that main part of the water discharge is observed from late autumn to spring, whereas in summer period it is low and stable. The dependence of NO3 --N concentrations on the discharge is expressed by Spearman's correlation coefficient - at catchment scale it is 0.37 in Vienziemite site, 0.39 - in Berze, and 0.44 in Mellupite. Calculated correlation coefficients are statistically reliable.

Due to the recently increasing frequency of extreme changes in river runoff regime, scientific literature deals with the characteristics of runoff formation. Works are carried out in analyzing climate changes and a lot of attention falls on land–use structures. Following thorough analysis of the lithological structure of river basins in separate costal zones, this article aims at evaluating river runoff formation characteristics. The basin lithological factor was calculated based on Quaternary map of Lithuania M 1:200000 and Lithuanian river map M 1:50000 using ArcGis software. In order to carry out more thorough analysis of the influence of lithology in given territories, sections of 0–20 m, 50–200 m, 200–500 m, 500–800 m, 800–1000 m and is greater than 1000 m were established, calculating the distance in meters from the riverbank. Eight river basins of typical lithological structure (sandy, loamy, argillaceous) were selected and examined. The period of the years 1960–2007 was analyzed as this period saw the greatest amount of precipitation (up to 33% probability), and relation between the runoff and precipitation was established as well as that with the lithological structure, established following the derivation of a hydromodule.

Global warming undoubtedly influences the flow of rivers. It is essential to observe the climate changes, trace, analyse and forecast how they could influence the environment and, especially, how it can influence the flow of rivers. In this article two maximum flows of basins of two different rivers are analyzed: the river Venta (above Papile) and the river Krazante (above Pluskiai) during the period 1968–2008. Climatic parameters, such as the precipitation and the average air temperature, observed in the weather stations of Siauliai and Laukuva, influence the changes in flows the most. The correlation between the precipitation and maximum change of the flow was estimated though it was not strong: the ratio of correlation in the river Venta was 0.66, in the river Krazante the same ratio was 0.72. Significant negative trends of the both analyzed rivers during the spring period and significant negative trends of the river Venta during the period of winter have been established by the use of statistical analysis of the results obtained from a non-parametric Mann-Kendall test and linear regression test. This specific analysis is performed by using TREND programme. The collected data which were obtained to show that the most watery decade of the rivers Venta and Krazante were during the period 1978–1987, which formed 36% flow in the river of Venta and 35% in the river of Krazante for the whole period of forty years.

Civilization has historically flourished around rivers. There exists invisible and visible social activity system in the river landscape. With the world's economical, technological and social development, a focus on meeting human needs is vital. There is a need of a reinterpretation of landscapes' functions and revision of archetypes. The proposed approach is search for design of lifestyle versus design for territory. The research is based on the Lielupe river case study. The aim of the on-going research is search for approach to solve individuals' role of the river landscape. The task of this paper is to identify types of individuals' use of river landscape. Data collection was performed both from individuals' prospectus of use of landscape and from the functional use of river as a landscape object supplementing data both ways. I investigated it by analyzing intuitive images, making of an observation of people's habits, behaviours and occupations, and by cartographic analysis. At this stage of research there were observed seventeen groups of functions in the landscape of the Lielupe river valley, characterized by wide range of actions, described by landscape elements, and organised in social groups. These data are assessed by grading of their influence on landscape and its participants. Sixteen marginal grades were detected. This highlights a high potential for development of river landscape with an individual's participation in it. The further investigation is to develop ergonomic and functional planning principles for each type of interest group to compromise the individuals' needs.

The pollution of the river water with organic matter deteriorates the chemical, biological and microbiological quality of the water and has a negative effect upon the biological variety of the water environment. The paper analyses the study period (1996-2000) seasonal change of organic matter in the upper reaches of the River Nevezis (study sites upstream and downstream Panevezys). The highest amount of organic matter (according to chemical oxygen demand and biochemical oxygen demand) got into the river under the influence of concentrated pollution, the fewer amount - under the influence of agricultural pollution and in the course of natural processes. The concentration of organic substances in the river water had a seasonal character: rivers with a better ecological state (the Juosta) were more polluted with organic matter in spring, when water temperature was below 10 deg C, but rivers with a worse ecological state (the Nevezis upstream and downstream Panevezys) – in summer (water temperature was higher than 10 deg C). This may be related with fresh pollution; in the former case organic matter might have come from the environment together with the runoff, in the latter case - due to decomposition of water vegetation and fauna residues in the river itself. In all rivers water temperature was by 0.1-4.4 deg C higher in 1996-2000 in comparison to that in 1986-1989, a significant temperature increases were observed in winter and autumn. The water temperature arose mostly below the town.

The research was conducted during the period of 2007-2011 in the fields fertilized by manure of pig breeding complex. According to the fertilization value of manure, the following total nitrogen levels reached the fields each year: 2007 – 169, 2008 – 167, 2009 - 168, 2010 - 168, 2011 – 168 kg haE-1. Ptotal reached the fertilized fields accordingly: 2007 – 9.4, 2008 – 18.9, 2009 – 12.0, 2010 – 10.8, 2011 – 13.5 kg haE-1. The aim of the research was to explore the impact of manure fertilized fields of a pig breeding complex on the water quality of streams. Streams, flowing through fields fertilized with manure, are usually polluted with nitrogen. The increase in Ntotal concentrations in streams’ water below fertilized fields was affected by precipitation (r = -0.31), fertilization rate (r = 0.41) as well as mineral nitrogen reserves in the soil (r = 0.20). Phosphorus concentrations in streams’ water were low and corresponded to a very good streams’ water ecological condition, except in times, when the water inflowing into the fertilized fields was already contaminated with this element. It was determined that an extremely high impact on streams’ water quality below fertilized fields comes from Ptotal concentration in streams’ water above fertilized fields (r = 0.91) as well as from the drainage water inflowing from fertilized fields into the streams (r = 0.71). Neither Ntotal, nor Ptotal pollution was observed in drainage water, because the highest concentrations during the research period were lower than the maximum allowable concentrations by 1.1 and 6.5 times respectively.

Most of the regulated rivers are situated in the middle part of Lithuania. Approximately 90% of all agricultural lands are drained in the Basin of Nevezis River, which is one of the most sensitive basins in Lithuania due to the lack of water and potential anthropogenic pollution. The goal of the research is to assess the impact of drainage on Nevezis River flow. Following the data series of 62 years, it was determined that water balance of Nevezis Basin is characterized by negative water balance during May-September due to higher evapotranspiration than average precipitation amount of the same period. It was stated that the average annual flow coefficient of the whole 10th hydrologic region of Lithuania was 0.3 till reclamation. It decreased to 0.28 during the period of intensive reclamation; however, the average annual flow was 0.35 from the year 1980, i.e., it increased in comparison with the period till reclamation. The average flow coefficient of warm period was 0.10 till reclamation, and remained the same during the period of 1956-1980, while the data of 1981-1995 show that the average flow coefficient increased – 0.11. After assessing the meteorological conditions and soil water balance of the Basin of Nevezis River it might be stated that the primary reason of water lack in the basin is climatic conditions. Drainage systems can hardly have a significant impact on wateriness of Nevezis River.

The negative impact of agricultural pollution with biogenic materials on surface water bodies is a relevant problem. This problem is addressed by limiting or prohibiting certain activities in so called buffer areas. The biogenic materials are carried by surface or groundwater runoff. Water infiltration is influenced by the lithological composition of sediments. Its structure is determined by analyzing geological and geomorphological maps and by drilling boreholes in the selected area. With the help of boreholes the level of groundwater and chemical composition of the infiltrate can be assessed. An installed system of lysimeters and piezometers in the borehole allows monitoring the change of water quality and groundwater level in vertical level of sediments over time. The set of lysimeter boreholes allows to capture and mapping the spatial change of these parameters. This article presents the systematic and practical methodology of drilling the lysimetric boreholes of original construction and using long-term monitoring equipment for water quality.

Eutrophication caused by water pollution with nutrients (nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P)) is one of the main environmental problems nowadays. Poor water quality might be caused by many natural and anthropogenic factors. The most common anthropogenic factors are water pollution caused by intensive agriculture (e. g. intensive fertilizer use, high density of livestock) and discharges from municipal waste water treatment plants (WWTP). In this study, nutrient load from WWTP to the River Berze basin in time period from the year 2005 to the year 2015 was described. In total, 23 WWTPs of the study area were analysed using descriptive statistics to calculate average values of nutrient amount and concentrations discharged to River Berze basin. From 2005 to 2015 average N and P load from WWTP to the River Berze basin have been reduced, but concentration of N and P in treated wastewater (WW) have increased. The largest WWTP of the study area – Krigeri (WWTP of city Dobele) is subject to the regulations of treated WW quality set by Republic of Latvia Cabinet Regulation No. 34. The WWTP Krigeri meets the regulations, but overall situation in the study area suggests that strict control of smaller WWTP should be made.

Small rivers are important in terms of water quantity and quality as these rivers collect and deliver water to medium and large rivers downstream. Due to low water flow and high connectivity to adjacent land, small rivers are highly vulnerable to changes caused by natural and anthropogenic factors. This paper aims to assess the chemical and ecological quality of two small rivers including the Slocene and Age as related to dominant land use cover in the contributing area of these water bodies. The effects of land-use patterns and concentrations of chemical substances TN, NO3**- -N, NH4**+ -N, TP and PO4**2- -P in river waters will be determined. The highest concentration of total nitrogen (TN) as measured in the Slocene River was 21 mg LE−1 in spring, while the lowest concentration of TN was 0.86 mg LE−1 in autumn. The highest concentration of total phosphorus (TP) in the Slocene River was 0.14 mg LE−1 in late summer, the lowest was 0.03 mg LE−1 in late autumn. Similarly, in the Age River, the highest concentration of TN was 4.90 mg LE−1 in spring, while TN the lowest concentration of TN was 0.51 mg LE−1 in late autumn. The highest concentration of TP in the Age River was 0.3 mg LE−1 in summer, while the lowest 0.05 mg LE−1 in autumn.