Environmental impact on karstic aquifers in Istria in Western Croatia

On the Istria Peninsula in Western Croatia karstic aquifers are developed that are suitable for study of sustainable development on one side of this touristically developed area, and on the other side of inland that has important agricultural potential The area has high needs for water-supply in summer/dry season. Geological framework, morphology of terrain, high level of precipitation in hinterland together with high level of karstification of it, enable deep circulation of underground waters and important migrations of watersheds of individual springs. The study of quality of underground water and monitoring of it during the low - water season becomes especially important for monitoring of environmental impact on underground waters in real conditions. The most realistic data will be probably obtained only in the overpumping conditions. Favorable conditions for this procedure exist because of intensive communication of springs with caverns that reach the depth of approximately 50 m below the sea-level.