Catchment Storage and its Influence on Summer Low Flows in Central European Mountainous Catchments

The objective of this study was to determine the role of spring catchment water storage on the evolution of low flows in central European mountainous catchments. The study analysed 58 catchments for which catchment storage, represented by snow, soil water and groundwater storages, was determined by the HBV hydrological model over a 35-year period. The spring catchment storage was related to several streamflow indices describing low flow periods using the mutual information criterion. The mean runoff in the summer and autumn periods was mostly related to rainfall sums from the respective season. The median relative contribution of rainfall to the total mutual information value was 48.4% in summer, and 44.2% in autumn period, respectively. The relative contribution of soil water and groundwater storages was approximately 25% for each of the components. In contrast, the minimum runoff, its duration and deficit runoff volume, were equally related to both catchment storage and seasonal rainfall, especially in the autumn period.