The climate change impact on the water balance of the Curonian Lagoon

The Curonian Lagoon is the biggest fresh water basin in Lithuania influenced by the exchange of the fresh Nemunas and other smaller rivers’ water and saline water of the Baltic Sea. The lagoon ecosystem is influenced by fresh, brackish and brackish water masses. A long-term water balance of the Curonian Lagoon was calculated for the period of 1960–2009. The sum river inflow is 21.784 km3/year, precipitation—1.199 km3/year, evaporation—1.007 km3/year, inflow of brackish water from the Baltic Sea to the Curonian Lagoon—6.171 km3/year, and fresh water runoff from the Curonian Lagoon to the Baltic Sea—27.642 km3/year. The lagoon water balance elements have been influenced by climate change. The water balance forecasting has been performed for the period of 2011–2100.