Seepage water balance of the mixed tailings site IAA Dresden-Coschuetz/Gittersee by means of the two-dimensional model BOWAHALD

Uranium mill tailings were deposited in a section of the Kaitzbach valley which was closed by tow dams. The Kaitzbach creek was cased in the area. After the uranium ore processing was finish the dump was used as a municipal waste deposit. The water balance of the IAA Dresden-Coschuetz/Gittersee was only estimated in former works. In this case a modeling of the water balance is very useful in regard to a process orientated quantification of the contaminant transport within the dump as well as into the underground. Simplified and rough estimating methods such as the runoff coefficient concept or rating curves are less suited because of the complexity of the processes. That's why we tried to get a runoff and seepage water balance by means of a two-dimensional water balance model for waste heaps called BOWAHALD. The tailings site IAA Dresden-Coschuetz/Gittersee was divited into several hydrotopes (areas with similar hydrological characteristics). Different exposition and slopes as well as different soils and vegetation were taken into account. The parameter verification is possible due to comparison with available data such hydrochemical and isotopic analysis of seepage water and groundwater. (orig.)