The Tuxertal (Tux Valley) is located in the Eastern Alps in Tyrol, Austria and is drained by the Tuxbach (Tux Creek). The catchment area comprises 135 km², with the Olperer (3,476 m) as the highest elevation point and the confluence of the Tuxbach into the Zemmbach at Gstan (645 m) as lowest point. Geologically, the Tuxertal belongs to the north-western edge of the Tauern Window and therefore exhibits a complex petrographic and tectonic structure.
In the Tuxertal, small cooperatives or private owners organise the drinking water supply and operate nearby springs. These springs are mostly fed by small catchment areas. Due to the complex geology groundwater quality can differ on a small scale. The crystalline rocks can cause an exceedance of critical values defined in Austria’s drinking water ordinance (BMSG 2001), especially with respect to heavy metal concentrations. Another challenge for drinking water supply is to find springs with sufficient discharge rates, resilient to modifications induced by climate change. A regional overview of the groundwater quality and quantity is crucial to identify the most suitable springs and to replace springs with elevated metal concentrations or insufficient discharge. A reference-date measurement, covering the whole Tuxertal, served to compile hydrochemical data and to provide decision-makers with adequate information to ensure a reliable drinking water supply. During 21 and 31 August 2018 a total number of 147 springs and 6 creeks were sampled. With this publication we provide the results of the reference-date measurement as .xlsx and .csv file.V1.
