Potential Dam-barrier objects for removal to support wild salmonid populations in Baltic Sea Region rivers – Preliminary Summary report August 2020
Foreword
CCB started in 2019 a Project ”Return salmonids to small Baltic Rivers”, with support from Baltic Sea Conservation Fund (BaltCF) and EC LIFE NGO-programme.
The goal is to launch restoration of Baltic salmonid populations in small Baltic Sea rivers, by collecting knowledge on migration barriers’ mitigation methods and cases. By means of identifying rivers with valuable wild salmonid populations (salmon and sea-trout) where barriers and dams limit spawning possibilities, proposals for mitigation and removal of dams and barriers will be presented. Such studies have been made in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Belarus, Poland’s Pomeranian coast and in Russian Gulf of Finland.
This report is a Preliminary version. The final report will be published in autumn 2020.
The report has been produced by project leaders Lennart Gladh and Gunnar Norén (CCB secretariat), and national coordinators Tatiana Ivanova (Russia), Martin Kesler (Estonia), Aldis Auzins and Andris Urtans (Latvia), Robertas Staponkas and Antanas Kontautas (Lithuania), Nina Palutskaya (Belarus) and Artur Furdyna (Poland).
Background
Hydropower and the effects on river ecosystems Hydropower is a renewable climate friendly source for energy but with several negative, devastating effects on rivers and the freshwater ecosystems and could never be accepted as “green” without mitigation measures to reduce the negative effects. Water temperature in rivers will be raised with dams and sedimentation will change, which could cause erosion problems and new sedimentation problems. Bottoms with gravel and stones will be covered with sediments that will cover important spawning and feeding grounds for fish. The shores with vegetation adapted to changes of the water levels will change to more stable riparian forest with negative effects for the wildlife and flora. The transport of nutrients and minerals downstream to the sea will change effecting not only the river as such but also the coast and the sea. For instance less silica will reach the sea but end up in dams instead which reduces the silica spring algae blooming in spring and leaving more nutrients for summer algae blooming. Water living organisms up and downstream of dam will have a total different ecosystem as river connectivity is broken and flora and fauna will change. Sustainable hydropower must have modern environmental time-limited(max years before renewed) permits. Measures needed, if dam removal not is possible, are bypasses/adapted fishways, and environmental flows .As all river systems are unique measures must be based on and adapted to local conditions. WFD and Good Water Status The European Union Water Framework Directive (WFD) was adopted in 2000. The WFD takes an integrated approach of water management and the overall objective is to achieve "good water status" for all waters in Europe. For the Baltic Sea Region(BSR) the WFD is a very important tool to reach ” good status“ not only for the rivers and lakes in EU countries the catchment but also of importance to reach the goals of the Marine Framework Strategy Directive and the HELCOM objectives. Not only when it comes to landbased pollution and eutrophication but also when it comes to salmonid and other migrating fish species. As the WFD is based on the ecological status of watercourses it should be based not only on chemical and physical water dat but also biota(plants,fish etc) as well as morphological status (dams;weirs)when deciding the status. A main problem is that salmonids and other migrating fish species cannot reach their spawning areas. In fact several local populations are extinct and others have decreasing populations. Helcom member countries have several times agreed on the need to improve the situation but not much have happen and there are no proposals for new initiatives to improve the situation for salmonids in the updated BSAP from member states. In fact the initiatives to open up rivers (via dam removals or fishways) is not a priority for the EU member states in HELCOM. In the Action programmes (updated River basin management plans) submitted to EU there are not proposed measures enough to improve the situation for salmonids in the Baltic region. This is true not only for the EU countries in the CCB project but also for Sweden and Finland . Innovative financing of dam removal and mitigation
When it comes to funding of dam removal fishways and other ways to open up rivers this has very often been project based with national funding and/or EU funding, e.g. via European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF). But to live up to the WFD and the proposed but not implemented HELCOM proposal for salmonid protection funding must be included in budgets for responsible national agencies or ministries.The large scaled Sindi dam removal 2019, in Pärnu river, Estonia was possible according to the Estonian Environmental Investment Centre (the relevant state funding body) home page the overall cost was 15 214 008,00 € and the EU Cohesion Fund contribution 12 931 906,80 € (85% of the cost).
HELCOM decisions on protection of Baltic Sea salmonids
When BSAP was adopted in 2007 Baltic ministers agreed to develop
- the classification and inventorying of rivers with historic and existing migratory fish species (e.g. salmon, eel, sea trout and sturgeon), no later than by 2012;
- the development of restoration plans (including restoration of spawning sites and migration routes) in suitable rivers to reinstate migratory fish species, by 2010;
- the active conservation of at least ten endangered/threatened wild salmon river populations in the Baltic Sea region as well as the reintroduction of native Baltic Sea salmon in at least four potential salmon rivers, by 2009
These were the most concrete actions for fish biodiversity in BSAP.
Inventory and classification of Baltic region salmonid rivers were implemtented until 2011 with a very good comprehensive report (SALAR project), but the active conservation of at least ten endangered/threatened wild salmon river populations in the Baltic Sea region as well as the reintroduction of native Baltic Sea salmon in at least four potential salmon rivers, and development of restoration plans (including restoration of spawning sites and migration routes) have never been implemented/reported in a comprehensive way to HELCOM.
Helcom Recommendation 32-33/1, June 2011: CONSERVATION OF BALTIC SALMON (SALMO SALAR) AND SEA TROUT (SALMO TRUTTA) POPULATIONS BY THE RESTORATION OF THEIR RIVER HABITATS AND MANAGEMENT OF RIVER FISHERIES, spells
”To make assessments of man-made migration hindrances for salmon or sea trout. The assessments should be made for the historical distribution areas of salmon and sea trout in the river systems and cover the feasibility of removing the hindrances, providing fishways and/or transporting fish over them or of enhancing the functioning of current fishways. Passage through the rivers for salmon and sea trout should be provided where the results of the assessment justifies it”
HELCOM ministerial declaration 2013 reads:
WE AGREE to prioritise and intensify implementation of HELCOM BSAP (2007) conservation goals for the Baltic salmon and sea trout to be met by 2015, based on HELCOM Recommendation 32-33/1 “Conservation of Baltic Salmon (Salmo salar) and Sea Trout (Salmo trutta) populations by the restoration of their river habitats and management of river fisheries”
The implementation of Helcom decisions are still halting.
List of national priority dams - preliminary
CCB has made an inventory study of salmonid river systems in Russian Gulf of Finland area, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Belarus and Poland to identify migration barriers that prevent salmonid migration upstreams. The identified rivers have potential spawning areas upstreams of importance for wild salmonid populations and with potential for a raised production. Removal/mitigation of listed barriers/dams will support migration not only for salmonids but for all kind of migratory fish and aquatic life, giving support for natural flows and processes.
To make recommendations for dam removal/mitigation you need knowledge on gravel/sand river bottoms, suitable salmonid spawning bottoms in river systems. Such information is not public available in some Baltic countries, which make it impossible, for others than the institutions gathering such information, to present a systematic study to evaluate barriers that prevent salmonid migration (this is the situation e.g. in Latvia, where BIOR ask for payment to present such information). The only information available in such cases come from anglers and local citizens knowledge.
Removal or mitigation of the listed barriers/dams would give an important support for the genetic variability of wild salmonid populations in the Baltic Sea Region, which will improve both river and marine biodiversity.
This CCB report will also give support for implementation of HELCOM decisions mentioned above.
Proposal for river barriers/dams for removal/mitigation
Russia - Gulf of Finland area
*Seleznevka, 2 Former hydropower dams
*Buslovka , Former Hydropower dam
*Yascheva Former Hydropower dam
*Tarhanovka , Former hydropower dam
*Roschinka, Former hydropower dam
Link to preliminary National report:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/co0ajyrcs8tw602/Russia%20Prel%20list%20dam%20removal%20Aug20 .pdf?dl=0
Estonia
* Kunda river, lower hydroelectric power station
*Kunda river, second hydroelectric power station
*Kunda river, Old Kunda manor mill
*Jägala river, Linnamäe hydroelectric power station
*Udria brook barrier
*Häädameeste river, Kopli dam
*Jägala river, Linnamäe dam
*Purtse river, Püssi dam
*River Vasalemma, Ruila dam
*Altja brook, Oandu dam
Link to preliminary National report: https://www.dropbox.com/s/i3kjreihsn0pfwl/Estonia%20Prel%20list%20dam%20removal%20Aug20. pdf?dl=0
Latvia
*Salaca river, Staicele dam
*Liela Jugla river, Ropazi dam
*Maza Jugla river, Dobelnieki hydro power dam
* Vaive river, Vaive mill dam
Link to preliminary National report: https://www.dropbox.com/s/zlko9b40tovlf9v/Latvia%20Prel%20list%20dam%20removal%20Aug20. pdf?dl=0
Lithuania
Priority dams:
*Sventoji river, Anykščiai dam
*Jura river basin, Balskai dam
*Voke river, Vokė cascade of dams (Grigiškių (1), Mūrinė Vokės (2), Vaidotų (3)) *Salantas river, Minija basin, Tuzai dam
Other dams:
*Neris sub-basin, Verzuva dam complex Veržuva dam complex (Nemunas Basin, Neris sub-basin) * Šventoji sub-basin, Virkščiai dam *Minija sub-basin, Pagraumena dam
Link to preliminary National report: https://www.dropbox.com/s/zistgcxzoce585j/Lithuania%20Prel%20list%20dam%20removal%20Aug2 0.pdf?dl=0
Belarus
All rivers mentioned are tributaries in Vilia River (Neman’s tributary)
*Stracha river, Olkhovka dam,
*Biala river dam
*Senkanka river, Varona dam,
*Losha river, Gerviaty dam,
*Oshmianka river, Rachunskaya dam,
Link to preliminary National report: https://www.dropbox.com/s/ksntk2c0t2qsz9u/Belarus%20Prel%20list%20dam%20removal%20Aug2 0.pdf?dl=0
Poland
*Dreweca Weirs system
*Vistula Multifunctional dam
*Polnica Weirs
*Ina Weirs
*Slawecinka Weirs
*Wiselka Weirs
*Rega Restoration of Fishway
*Wieprza Weirs *Grabowa Weirs
*Gowiencia Weirs
*Bobra Dam
*Kaczava Weirs
Link to preliminary National report: https://www.dropbox.com/s/sps6mlrm0tcnoc1/Poland%20Prel%20list%20dam%20removal%20Aug2 0.pdf?dl=0