Geomatics and Environmental Engineering, vol. 20, no. 4

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Vol. 20 No. 4 (2026): Geomatics and Environmental Engineering

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Submitted
Jan 15, 2026
Accepted
Mar 21, 2026
Published
May 12, 2026
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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Topographic Differencing for Determining Reservoir Sedimentation Using Archival Cartographic Materials and Modern Measurement Methods

https://doi.org/10.7494/geom.2026.20.4.5
Beata Baziak
Cracow University of Technology, Faculty of Environmental Engineering and Energy, Krakow, Poland; Cracow University of Technology, Interdisciplinary Center for Circular Economy, Krakow, Poland
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6118-5470
Marek Bodziony
Cracow University of Technology, Faculty of Environmental Engineering and Energy, Krakow, Poland; Cracow University of Technology, Interdisciplinary Center for Circular Economy, Krakow, Poland
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7535-4685
Cezary Toś
Cracow University of Technology, Faculty of Environmental Engineering and Energy, Krakow, Poland
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2880-1822
Anna Szafarczyk
Cracow University of Technology, Faculty of Environmental Engineering and Energy, Krakow, Poland
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6130-2529

Corresponding Author(s) : Anna Szafarczyk

Anna.Szafarczyk@pk.edu.pl

Geomatics and Environmental Engineering, Vol. 20 No. 4 (2026): Geomatics and Environmental Engineering

Abstract

The aim of the study was to assess the sedimentation of the Klimkówka reservoir using topographic differencing (TD) analysis of digital elevation models (DEMs) created for two periods: before the reservoir was filled and after
30 years of operation. The archival model was developed from a scanned and calibrated analogue large-scale (1:5,000) topographic map with contour lines and elevation points. The current model was obtained by integrating unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) photogrammetry and bathymetric measurements with a GNSS-positioned dual-frequency echo sounder. The accuracy of both models was analysed in detail, taking into account cartographic errors, map shrinkage, the scanning and calibration process, and the heterogeneous accuracy of the archival elevation data. Based on the DEM difference, the estimated sedimentation volume was considered unreliable. A detailed analysis of selected cross-sections revealed local accumulation processes in the backwater zone and slope erosion, but did not permit a reliable assessment of the siltation of the entire reservoir. The authors conclude that the reliable application of the TD method requires comparing two models produced with similarly high accuracy (e.g. UAV + bathymetry), while analogue cartographic materials from the 1970s do not meet current accuracy requirements for this type of analysis.

Keywords

reservoir basin dam bathymetry digital elevation model (DEM) UAV photogrammetry archival cartographic data measurement errors alluvial accumulation sedimentation
Baziak, B., Bodziony, M., Toś, C., & Szafarczyk, A. (2026). Topographic Differencing for Determining Reservoir Sedimentation Using Archival Cartographic Materials and Modern Measurement Methods. Geomatics and Environmental Engineering, 20(4), 5–32. https://doi.org/10.7494/geom.2026.20.4.5
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