- CBC Programme 2014-2020

Water Management of the River: harmonization and sustention NarvaWatMan • Project duration – 32 months (March 2019 – November 2021)

• Lead partner - University of Technology • Partners - FSBI “State Hydrological Institute”, SC "Mineral“ – Saint-Petersburg, Russia • Associated partners - Narva City Government, Administration of municipal formation «City municipal district of Leningrad Region»

Main goal

Improve the quality of shared water resources by creating harmonized tools for reliable assessment of the quantity, quality and nutrient loads of water from the Narva River Basin to the .

Problems to be solved

To achieve the unaffected by eutrophication accelerated due to input of phosphorous and nitrogen from anthropogenic sources, HELCOM (Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission) developed and updated in 2013 country allocated reduction targets for each of Baltic Sea country.

Estonia and Russia use their own, significantly different measured data and calculation methods for estimation the total nutrient load to the Gulf of Finland transported by the Narva river. Due to particular boundary position along the river middle course, measurements for whole cross- section of the Narva river currently are impossible. Discharge values in the Narva river mouth from Russian side are calculated by the volume of electricity generated at Narva hydroelectric power station (HPP), while Estonian data are based on water level/discharge relation only on the Estonian side of the river. Nutrients concentration data can also vary due to different sampling time and methods that hampers accurate assessment of water quality for the whole river cross- section. Besides that, the evaluation and assessment criteria for water quality are not harmonized. These are the main bottlenecks for the environmental cooperation. Main outputs:

• Developed harmonized methods for measuring water discharges, estimation of the river Narva runoff and the total nutrient load to the Gulf of Finland.

• Complex index (criteria ) obtained for harmonized water quality assessment.

• Increasing of environmental awareness.

Main activities:

• Common database creation.

• In-situ measurements (water discharges, nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations).

• Analysis of the contribution of various type of pollution (anthropogenic point and diffuse, natural diffuse) to the formation of nutrient load and development of the harmonized methods for calculating the annual nutrient load with Narva river.

• Developing common criteria, based on the common understanding, together with the reliable assessment of pollution loads flowing into the sea.

• Increasing environment awareness for end users and the wider community through a link to the project's website, organized communication campaigns, eco-events and workshops. . Working Package 1 (WP1) – Narva river water runoff estimation

- Narva river water discharge data collection

- Analysis of Estonian and Russian methods for water runoff estimation

- Preparations for water discharge measurements - Include arrangements with Russian and Estonian Border Services and Narva Hydropower plant (HEPS). Procurement and placement of the information indicator-panel is planned during this period in Narva city. Installation of water level recorder at the Russian side for the period of measurements

- Water discharge measurements - A series of in situ measurements of water discharge will be held in the mouth of Narva river in all hydrological seasons from both sides of the river in the discharge section line of Estonian hydrological station. To estimate the probability of more accurate measurements of water discharge in conditions of backwater effect from the sea some measurements will be made upstream of the Estonian hydrological monitoring station between two castles. To estimate the reliability of discharge data from Narva HEPS a series of water discharge measurements in the derivation channel will be held on the Russian side in different hydrological seasons. Working Package 1 (WP1) – Narva river water runoff estimation

- Comparison of water discharge measurements data and data delivered from Narva HEPS - Data on daily water discharges at Narva HEPS during the period of in situ measurements (July 2019 – July 2020) will be compared to the results of measurements. Differences will be estimated.

- Development of harmonized method for Narva river water runoff estimation - On the results of series of measurements method for Narva river water runoff estimation based on Estonian and Russian monitoring observations will be developed. At the end of activity period a one-day workshop for experts from both countries in the field of water runoff will be held in Saint- Petersburg, Russia to discuss the approaches used in this method. The revised method harmonized between Estonian and Russian experts will be prepared. The previous data of Narva river runoff from both sides will be recalculated.

- Development of recommendations for improving the accuracy of observations and Narva river water runoff estimation - Observations on both sides are made in rather difficult conditions - on Estonian monitoring station the effect of backwater from the sea is rather strong especially in winter; on Russian side data on discharge from Narva HPP are received through technical parameters. Recommendations will improve the accuracy of observations.

WP2 – Nutrient load from Narva river basin

- Evaluation of methods and results of chemical analysis from both sides

- Analysis of irregularity in nutrients distribution – a set of in situ measurements for nutrients concentrations in cross-sections of Narva river will be hold. Sampling of water will be made on 3 depths (surface, bottom and middle) on 3 verticals in two cross-sections that cover 3 existing monitoring points on both sides.

- Preparation of proposals for harmonization of Estonian and Russian assessments of nutrient concentrations - Depending on peculiar features of N and P distribution in different cross- sections some proposals will be prepared for each country how to get more appropriate values of nutrients (and other chemical substances) from each side. They will concern depth and width of sampling and also the location of sampling stations along the Narva river on both sides.

- Development of joint method for annual nutrients load evaluation - It will be based on the values of annual Narva river runoff delivered by using harmonized method from the WP1. Taking into account proposals from the previous stage nutrient concentrations will be chosen.

- Development of recommendations for preparing information on nutrients load to HELCOM WP3 – Water quality estimation classificatory

- Assessment of water quality indicators in Estonia and Russia - Experts from both countries create a database, investigate the methodological approach for water quality indicators assessment, find similarities and differences and agree the main aspects for elaboration of common indicators.

- Elaboration of harmonized water quality standards for different chemical substances - With the questioning and discussion with experts in water chemistry a set of water quality standards for different chemical substances including organic substances will be prepared. Workshop to discuss results of questionnaire will be held on January 2020, in Estonia.

- Establishment of common indicators for water quality assessment - Analysis of the indicators value in countries and finding of the consensus for the common indicators, describing the same water conditions in both countries

- Creation of Joint complex index for water quality assessment – The method for complex index equation will be created as a result of cooperation of experts from both countries at the joint workshop. Map of water quality in Narva river basin will be drawn. WP4 – Est-Rus contribution in nutrients load

- Analysis of existing approaches to determine each country contribution to the formation of the nutrient loading with transboundary (boundary) rivers, including an analysis of previous nutrient loads modeling results for the Narva catchment.

- Collecting data for source appointment in the Narva river catchment area (anthropogenic and natural background sources, diffuse and point sources).

- Quantification the share of waterborne nutrient inputs sources (anthropogenic and natural) from both sides in nutrient input to inland waters (Narva river ) and to the sea, including application of mathematical models.

- Preparing proposals for developing a joint methodology determining the share of contributions from Estonian and Russian territory in the total nutrient load coming with Narva river to the Gulf of Finland

- Recommendations for planning nutrient reduction measures in the Narva river catchment area aiming at fulfillment of HELCOM ceilings for Gulf of Finland Olga Zadonskaya, senior researcher, State Hydrological Institute, S.-Petersburg, Russia [email protected]