Sediment budget of the Vistula Lagoon: The equilibrium or evolution?

The suspended sediment budget for the Vistula Lagoon and general tendency in evolution of the bottom topography were analyzed as related to artificial changes of the hydrological regime of the lagoon in the beginning of 19^th century. The quantitative estimation of components of the sediment budget evidences the existence of “deficit” of sediment gain compensated by bottom erosion. The mechanisms of this process were discussed. It was concluded that the Vistula Lagoon exhibits at present the unusual for estuarine inland waters tendency of general deepening and is in the transition to a new equilibrium in its sediment budget.