The article presents the results of analysis of the use of hydrological resources through the construction of special structures known in the literature as watermills. The aim of this research is to examine the utilisation by the Russian population of the Trans-Urals of watermills in their economy. It has been hypothesized that the watermills were not only structures for processing grain, but also hydraulic engineering facilities. The research methods included landscape analysis based on a digital elevation model, reconstruction of catchment areas at the watermill locations, and the survey of regulatory and administrative documents evidencing the mutual influence of landscape systems and hydraulic structures. The landscape analysis in GIS and the analysis of historical sources confirmed the hypothesis. Patterns were identified that demonstrate the profound expertise of the Russian population in Siberia in the construction of complex engineering structures, as well as significant spontaneous and deliberate changes in floodplain-type landscape systems. It has been therefore concluded that watermills had a multifunctional purpose, and that this tradition was widely distributed both chronologically and geographically.

Keywords: watermills, hydraulic engineering, modeling, landscape, GIS, Russian population of the Trans-Urals.

 

Funding. The study was supported by the Russian Science Foundation grant № 24-28-00936, https://rscf.ru/project/24-28-00936/.

 

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Accepted: 09.06.2025

Article is published: 15.09.2025