The problems of modern geological ecology associated with the study of pollution of sediments of water bodies by heavy metals are considered. The Volga River basin is quite heterogeneous, both in geomorphological and hydrological terms, and in thechnogenical development and usage. A fourrank taxonomy is presented for the selection of sites for monitoring, based on a combination of natural, landscape, climatic and thechnogenical factors. To the largest – the highest taxon – sites of the Ist category – bowls of reservoirs with the slopes and the urban zones, industrial and agricultural structures located within them are carried. Within these areas are allocated to smaller taxa, areas category IInd are the industrial and urban zones, areas category IIIrd are the small rivers without significant contamination and areas category IVth to conduct special observations. The examples of special observations in the study of the annual migration of heavy metals in the system «bottom sediments – water column» on the Ivankovo reservoir are highlighted. The investigations were carried out under the conditions of the standard flow rate for this reservoir and in the conditions of slow water exchange.
