UNDP/GEF project "Development and Implementation of the Lake Peipsi / Chudskoe Basin Management Programme"
Lake Peipsi/Chudskoe Basin Water Management Programme
Contents Preface...... 3 Abstraction...... 5 1 Description of drainage basin ...... 10 1.1 General overview...... 10 1.2 Water bodies and water resources...... 11 1.3 State of waterbodies...... 12 1.4 State of groundwater...... 14 2 Transboundary human impacts to water...... 15 2.1 Eutrophication of Lake Peipsi...... 15 2.2 Fishing in Lake Peipsi...... 15 2.3 Groundwater resources management in the Narva River region...... 16 2.4 Other transboundary impacts ...... 18 3 Wildlife ...... 19 3.1 Rare species ...... 19 3.2 Ramsar sites ...... 19 3.3 NATURA areas...... 20 4 Description of monitoring network...... 21 4.1 Surface water ...... 21 4.2 Groundwater ...... 21 5 Water management ...... 23 5.1 Transboundary Diagnostic Analysis (TDA) ...... 24 5.2 Viru and Peipsi Sub-basins Management Plan (VP-CAMP)...... 26 5.3 Water resources Management Plan of the Russian part of River Narva and Lake Chudskoe Basin ...... 26 6 Transboundary environmental objectives...... 28 6.1 Objectives for surface waters...... 28 6.2 Objectives for groundwater...... 31 6.3 Objectives of wildlife...... 31 6.4 Economic objectives ...... 32 7 Programme of Measures ...... 33 7.1 Water quality sub-programme ...... 33 7.2 Sustainable water use subprogramme...... 36 7.3 Lake Peipsi/Chudskoe fishery management subprogramme ...... 37 7.4 Transboundary sub-programme of wildlife conservation...... 38 7.5 Programme management ...... 39 Only CD Version: Annex 1 Rare species Documents: 1. Transboundary Diagnostic Analysis, defining environmental objectives and a strategy for the transboundary Lake Peipsi/Chudskoe Basin Management Program (TDA). 12.2004. 2. VIRU-PEIPSI CAMP EU LIFE program supported Viru – Peipsi CAMP (website www.envir.ee/viru.peipsi) project that assist implementation of the EU WFD in the Viru River Basin and Lake Peipsi/Chudskoe basin. 11.2005. 3. EU TACIS CBC Baltic Line 2000 program will support a project "Environmental Management of Lake Chudskoe" that will be implemented in Russia. Draft 03.2005. 4. ИНФОРМАЦИОННЫЙ ОТЧЕТ «Состояние, использование и управление водными ресурсами и охрана водного бассейна реки Нарвы, включая бассейн Чудско- Псковского озера». ООО ИНЦ «Гидроресурсы» 2004.
2 Preface Lake Peipsi belongs to the Republic of Estonia and the Russian Federation. In 1991 River Narva and LAKE Peipsi drainage basin acquired international status. Boundary waters have large social and economic importance for the development of border regions. Sustainable use and protection of resources of transboundary waters is possible only via targeted and agreed measures undertaken by all countries within the drainage basin. Russia and Estonia have joined several international conventions for the protection of environment. In the present context the most significant are UN Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes (Water Convention, Helsinki 1992) and the Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Baltic Sea (Helsinki 1992). According to these conventions, the parties shall take all appropriate measures to prevent, control and reduce any adverse effect on the environment resulting from a change in the conditions of transboundary waters caused by a human activity. The Contracting Parties bordering the same transboundary waters shall cooperate, in particular through bilateral and multilateral agreements, in order to develop harmonised policies, programmes and strategies covering the relevant basin areas, aimed at the prevention, control and reduction of transboundary impact and aimed at the protection of the environment of transboundary waters. Estonia, as a member state of the EU, must implement the Water Framework Directive. According the Directive, within a river basin where use of water may have transboundary effects, the requirements for the achievement of the environmental objectives established under that Directive, and in particular all programmes of measures, should be coordinated for the entire Narva river basin. For river basins extending beyond the boundaries of the Community, Member States should endeavour to ensure the appropriate coordination with the relevant non-member States. In accordance with the Russian legislation on water protection governmental programmes on planning and implementation of sustainable usage, reproduction and protection of waterbodies, incl. water basins, are elaborated. Transboundary River Basin programmes are elaborated in accordance with the international agreements of Russian Federation. Cooperation between the Republic of Estonia and Russian Federation is conducted on the basis of the intergovernmental agreement on the protection and sustainable use of transboundary water bodies between the Republic of Estonia and the Russian Federation (1997). In the same year Joint Estonian-Russian Transboundary Water Commission was formed. The joint commission organises work between the governments of these two countries in the international level, organises exchange of the results of ecological monitoring and intercalibration of the measuring methods, broadens the possibilities for cooperation of scientific and public organisations of both sides, and also keeps up public discussion on problems of transboundary waterbodies. There is an urgent need to develop a priority list of common environmental objectives for the whole transboundary Lake Peipsi basin that should coordinate national environmental objectives and develop a common denominator acceptable by the two
3 governments that is to be addressed by cooperative efforts of the governments of Estonia and Russia with coordination provided by the Estonian – Russian joint transboundary water commission. Both parties are concerned of the existence and threats of adverse effects of changes in the conditions of these waterbodies on the environment, economics and well being of both countries. Referring to these issues, the parties agree the following Lake Peipsi/Chudskoe Transboundary Management Programme.
The programme incorporates major transboundary outcomes of the following documents: • Transboundary Diagnostic Analysis, defining environmental objectives and a strategy for the transboundary Lake Peipsi/Chudskoe Basin Management Programme (TDA). 12.2004. • VIRU-PEIPSI CAMP project (website www.envir.ee/viru.peipsi) supported by the EU LIFE programme that assists the implementation of the EU WFD in the Viru River sub-basin and Lake Peipsi/Chudskoe sub-basin in Estonia. 11.2005. • EU TACIS CBC Baltic Line 2000 programme support a project "Environmental Management of Lake Chudskoe" that will be implemented only in Russia. Draft 03.2005. • ИНФОРМАЦИОННЫЙ ОТЧЕТ «Состояние, использование и управление водными ресурсами и охрана водного бассейна реки Нарвы, включая бассейн Чудско-Псковского озера». ООО ИНЦ «Гидроресурсы» 2004. These documents (or their drafts) stand at websites www.envir.ee/viru.peipsi and www.peipsi.org/gef as well as annexed in the programme CD version. The main task of the transboundary Lake Peipsi/Chudskoe Basin (incl. the River Narva Basin) Water Management Programme is deciding the common objectives and joint or co-ordinated measures for sustainable use of transboundary waterbodies and groundwater aquifers. This Water Management Programme is the basic document for follow-up activities in different levels. The temporal scope of this programme is 2006-2015. However, some long-term measures might continue later. This paper defines Lake Peipsi/Chudskoe as the system of lakes consisting of Lake Peipsi (a large northern part of the lake), Lake Lämmijärv/Teploe and Lake Pihkva/Pskov.
4 Abstraction The national border between Estonia and Russia runs along the River Narva, Lake Peipsi/Chudskoe and Narva Reservoir. Lake Peipsi exceeds other European lakes in its productivity of fishery. The entire River Narva basin is an important fishing area. The status of water bodies in the drainage basin is mostly good or moderate. Water quality of Lake Peipsi is moderate. The quality of water in River Narva is in good status but the dam of the hydroelectric power station hinders migration of fish. The status of transboundary groundwater aquifers is generally good, excluding some polluted industrial regions both sides of the border. The Lake basin's major transboundary environmental problems are eutrophication and reduced fish stocks. Transboundary environmental issues are also decreasing of biodiversity in the basin and use of groundwater aquifers north from Lake Peipsi. The prime objective of this programme is to achieve good status of the Lake Peipsi. The target of the programme is to ensure sustainable use and protection of transboundary water resources, including: 1. Maintenance and improvement of the quality of the transboundary waterbodies to bring them towards natural status; 2. Sustainable use of transboundary waters; 3. Sustainable use of fish resources; 4. Lake Peipsi wildlife protection; 5. Common management transboundary waters in river basin principle. The temporal scope of the programme is 2006 – 2015. For the achievement of these objectives it is necessary to adopt and implement the following measures. 1. Maintenance and improvement of water quality Eutrophication is the most serious environmental problem of Lake Peipsi/Chudskoe. Blue-green algal blooms have reappeared in the lake in recent years causing summer fish-kills. As phosphorus is the main substance responsible for eutrophication, the priority objective is to reduce Ptot concentration in Lake Peipsi. Very important issue is to control transboundary emissions of hazardous substances. 1.1. Nutrient load reduction plan Municipal wastewater. Sewage water from settlements over 10000 population equivalent (PE) discharged into Lake Peipsi, River Narva and Narva Reservoir have to be biologically treated by 2015, from settlements over 2000 (PE) by 2015. By 2015 the target pollutant concentrations in wastewater effluents of large settlements such as Pskov, Slantsõ, Tartu and Narva are following: BOD – 15 mg /l; Ntot – 10 mg/l; Ptot – 1.5 mg/l. By 2015 the target concentration of Ptot for these settlements is 1 mg/l or at least 80% removal from wastewater entering the treatment plant. Discharge of untreated sewage water into other waterbodies of the drainage basin will be prohibited by 2015.
5 The first priority is to complete the renovation of Pskov town sewage water treatment plant with possible phosphorus reduction 30 t per year. Animal husbandry. Manure storages and silos will be better isolated to avoid leakage. Prohibit application of manure into frozen ground. Ecological restrictions and financial support schemes will be used to avoid concentration of livestock on a limited territory. Best Available Techniques (BAT) will be promoted. Plant production. In the perspective, the programme strategy will focus on the prevention of nutrient pollution from plant production. The strategy works with encouraging best agricultural practices and management of nutrient losses. Application of mineral fertilizers to snow cover and frozen land will be prohibited. The use of herbicides and arboricides for ditch maintenance of drainage systems will be prohibited. The application, transport and storage of mineral fertilizers and pesticides will be controlled. Low fertilizer and pesticide application rates will be promoted. Support BAT in agriculture and develop eco-farming. The impact of internal loading of nutrients accumulated to waterbodies (i.e. Lake Pskov, Narva Reservoir) will be investigated. Relevant studies will be conducted in both countries in near future exchanging regularly information about the results. 1.2. Hazardous substances emissions control Oil shale and phosphorite mining, oil processing and power stations will be applied environmental management systems to reduce environmental impact to Lake Peipsi and River Narva. Information on the results of the control of emissions of hazardous substances will be exchanged. Transboundary impacts of hazardous substances (phenols, oil products, heavy metals) to water bodies and fish will be investigated in cooperation of Estonia and Russia. Information exchange and common trainings of those issues are mandatory. Transboundary impacts of pesticides use will be investigated in bilateral cooperation. Information exchange and common trainings of those issues are mandatory. Transboundary impact of hazardous waste landfills will be commonly analyzed. The storages with high risk to environment must be closed or restored according to internationally accepted norms. Common inspections will be jointly organized. The priority of both countries is to prevent of groundwater pollution in their own territory, excluding thus transboundary movement of pollutants through groundwater. Information on the negative effects of oil shale and phosphorite mines to groundwater will be exchanged. Relevant protection measures will be worked out if it would be necessary. Illegal wastewater discharges from vessels. Necessary measures will be applied to eliminate those discharges on Lake Peipsi/Chudskoe and River Narva. Systems for avoiding oil pollution in harbours. Systems, accepting bilge water and handling waste will be introduced and developed in harbours.
6 2. Sustainable use of transboundary waters In the border region, north from Lake Peipsi/Chudskoe, people share joint water resources. Long-term needs for drinking and industrial water in that region require ensuring stabile water levels and good chemical quality of transboundary groundwater aquifers. In the same time, sustainable and safe power generation needs to be maintained in River Narva and Lake Peipsi drainage basin. 2.1. Protection of groundwater resources Sustainable abstraction limits for transboundary groundwater resources. Cambrian-Vendian Voronka and Ordovician-Cambrian transboundary groundwater resources will be jointly modelled to determine their sustainable abstraction limits. These abstraction rates will be followed by use of approved groundwater resources and water permits. Groundwater quality. Boreholes of monitoring network in Cambrian-Vendian Voronka, Ordovician-Cambrian and Ordovician carbonate groundwater layers will be determined for transboundary cooperation and for the control of the state of these groundwater layers. Seawater intrusion. Information on groundwater monitoring and abstraction regarding transboundary aquifers will be communicated to the water specialists of both countries. Long-term variation of chloride and other characteristic components of seawater between the coast and the main well fields supplying the area will be monitored. 2.2. Use of River Narva and Narva Reservoir water resourses Technical regulation of the use of water resources the Narva Reservoir. The use of water resources of the reservoir will be organized according to the new regulation. The minimum water level (24.55 m) in Narva Reservoir, which is sufficient for cooling of the thermal power plants, should be agreed between Russia and Estonia. Planning of new water energy installations. The new installations for the production of electricity at River Narva and other border areas will be built with bilateral agreements only. 3. Sustainable use of fish resources The increasing number of fishermen requires measures to regulate the use and protection of fish resources in the basin. Fishing regulation. Minimum landing size of pikeperch will be set higher. New ways to increase the total value of the catch will be sought. There are now rather substantial catches taken by poachers. The extent of poaching will be decreased. Spawning areas protection. Spawning areas of commercially valuable fish, including Vendace, will be mapped, preserved and restored. Solution will be found for diversion of water to the spawning areas of salmon in the bed of River Narva, which now is partly dry. Fish migration. Today Narva Hydroelectric Power Plant hinders the escapement of eels back to the spawning areas in the Atlantic Ocean. Potential stocking of eels and feasibility of a fish ladder will be jointly assessed. Russia will construct a fish path and will guarantee sufficient flow in the bed of River Narva to enable the migration of eels between Lake Peipsi and the Gulf of Finland.
7 Economic programmes. Fishing industry will be reformed to solve socioeconomic problems causing augmentation of poaching. Alternative business activities will be developed in coastal villages. 4. Wildlife protection at Lake Peipsi area Peipsi/Chudskoe areas have valuable resource of biodiversity. The most important endangered bird species are White-tailed Eagle, Osprey, Lesser Spotted Eagle, Golden Eagle and Black-tailed Godwit. The most import fish requiring protection is Catfish. In addition, several rare botanical, amphibian and other species require protection. The aim of the sub-programme is to maintain favourable living conditions and protect the habitats of these species. Rare species habitats areas will be mapped and negative environmental impacts in their natural state will be prevented. Lake Peipsi/Chudskoe Transfrontier Ramsar Site will be established covering a part of Lake Peipsi/Chudskoe area and some neighbouring wetland areas. That Ramsar site will protect rare species and their habitats in that area. Joint conservation management plan will be worked out. Joint monitoring programmes will be elaborated. Information will be shared; data will be jointly managed (including GIS). Protected species will be jointly listed. Activities and other information will be jointly reported in international level. Visiting areas. To improve the awareness and knowledge related to biodiversity, special visiting areas will be created. Joint biological monitoring will compose the inventory of Lake Peipsi flora and fauna every five years. Introduction of alien species to Lake Peipsi/Chudskoe will be prohibited, measures against invaders will be promoted. 5. Common management of transboundary waters Estonian Ministry of Environment is responsible for the implementation of the tasks of Estonia within this programme. Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) of the Russian Federation is responsible for Russian activities within the programme. The Estonian-Russian Joint Commission for Protection and Sustainable Use of Trans- boundary Waters will analyze the implementation of programme every year. For the implementation of the programme following organisational, inspectional, monitoring and dissemination as well as study measures will be recommended. Coordinate activities within the whole drainage basin in both sides according to international requirements will be promoted. Coordination of international activities and exchange of information will be conducted in different levels. Improvement of Coordination and information exchange between the Commission of Protection and Sustainable Usage of Transboundary Waters and Commission of Fishing will be improved. Environmental monitoring of transboundary water bodies and groundwater aquifers will focus on the criteria of the objectives of this programme. Monitoring parameters as well as their norms and analyze methods will be harmonized. Information exchange. Data reporting and their exchange routines will be carried out. Reports of the ecological status of Lake Peipsi and Narva River and Reservoir will be published periodically. In two-year interval for the common description of the
8 state of groundwater bodies, professional groundwater seminars will be organized for the formulation of the state of groundwater and publication of that in annual reports. Information on fish catch, poaching and other fisheries-related information shared. Information on the state of biodiversity will be continuously shared Inspection. Regular joint visits will be organised to the objects, which have significant transboundary environmental impact. Environmental information about these objects including their compliance with the ecological requirements will be exchanged. Surveillance over the fishing organisations and amateur fishers will be strengthened. Poaching will be combated. Russia will start measuring the content of total phosphorus in wastewater effluents and P removal efficiency. Public participation. Public will be informed about management problems and decision drafts related to Lake Peipsi and its drainage basin. Opinions of different stakeholders will be collected. Different interest groups, research organisations and other active citizens will be involved into the decision process regarding policy and management of Lake Peipsi. Programme financing. Reducing the transboundary environmental impacts in Narva River Basin (including Peipsi Basin) takes approximately 500 Mio €. Programme measures will be financed by Estonian and Russian state budget as well as from the resources of local governments and organisations. For the implementation of the programme, financial and other support will be jointly applied from national and international funds and organisations, interested in development of cooperation of the current basin. The environmental, technical and economical efficiency of implemented measures will be periodically analysed by harmonized methodology. Accompanying studies. Lake Peipsi ecosystem will be investigated in order to identify the roles of factors causing fish death to identify the options for their removal. Optimal fish catch rates as well as corresponding economic and other instruments will be jointly worked out. Fish-farming potential and feasibility in River Narva and Narva Reservoir will be jointly assessed. The impact of the dewatering of oil-shale mines to the Lake Peipsi, Narva River and Narva Reservoir should be jointly analyzed. Hydrometry of the source of the River Narva, sediment transport by Narva River, Narva Reservoir hydrometry and water management data will be jointly investigated.
9 1 Description of drainage basin
1.1 General overview River Narva drainage basin (56 200 km2), situating in the central part of southeast coast of the Baltic Sea, consists of two major parts: Lake Peipsi/Chudskoe basin (47 814 km2) and River Narva partial basin (8438 km2, Figure 1). This programme aims at solving transboundary environmental problems of the entire River Narva basin. However, the biggest attention is paid on Lake Peipsi/Chudskoe. Surface area of approximately 3550 km2 makes Lake Peipsi one of the largest European lakes. The lake and its basin drain via River Narva to the Gulf of Finland, which is a part of the Baltic Sea. The lake is shallow with a maximum depth as 15 m.
Figure 1. River Narva drainage basin consists of Lake Peipsi/Chudskoe basin and partial River Narva basin. 10 Land cover. Forests and semi-natural areas (Figure 2) dominate in the Lake Peipsi/ Chudskoe drainage basin. Agricultural areas cover around 14% of the basin. Of Estonian part of the basin, arable land covers 365 000 ha, in Russian side 270 000 ha. Arable land in Lake Peipsi/Chudskoe drainage basin forms in total 635 000 ha. Forests and semi-natural areas constitute most of the Russian part of the basin. Wetlands, although scattering the entire basin, locate in a relatively large portion near the shore of Lake Peipsi/Chudskoe. Population. The total population of the basin provides ca 1 100 000 inhabitants. Of point sources the two largest cities, Pskov (Russia) and Tartu (Estonia), with 206 000 and 100 000 inhabitants, respectively, pollute the Lake Peipsi the most. Elevation profile. The drainage basin is flat, with a highest point of 338 m above sea level and an average elevation of 163 m. This is Figure 2. Landcover in River Narva and Lake typical North-European lowland area Peipsi/Chudskoe drainage basin of glacial origin bases on Palaeozoic bedrock, covered by unconsolidated glacial materials.
1.2 Water bodies and water resources Lake Peipsi/Chudskoe strikes within European waterbodies. Other large lakes in the region, Lake Ladoga and Lake Onega, reach incomparably deeper. Large lakes in Sweden – Lake Vänern, Lake Vättern etc – differ highly in catchment geology and ionic composition. Water of Lake Peipsi/Chudskoe – 25 km3 – resides 2 years. The lake consists of three unequal parts: the biggest northern Lake Peipsi s.s. (2,603 km2, maximum depth 12,9 at water level 30 m above sea level, water capacity 22 km3), the southern part Lake Pskov (710 km2, 5,3 m, 2,7 km3) and the narrow strait-like Lake Lämmijärv/ Teploe connecting them (240 km2, 15 m, 0,6 km3).
1.2.1 Hydrography River Narva commences in the northeast part of Lake Peipsi and flows into the Gulf of Finland. The length of the River Narva is 77 km. The average discharge of the River Narva in the embouchure is 400 m3/s, during a year through the River Narva about 12.5 km3 of water flows to the Gulf of Finland. River Narva is the second biggest river flowing into the Gulf of Finland after the River Neva, the average annual discharge of which is almost 80 km3. At the same time River Narva is one of the biggest rivers flowing into the Baltic Sea from the east (in addition to River Neva,
11 bigger rivers than the River Narva are only River Daugava and the River Nemunas, the average annual outlet of which is 21 km3). Lake Peipsi/Chudskoe drainage basin, 44,725 km2, exceeds in size the lake surface 12 times. The basin parts between Russia (59%), Estonia (33 %), Latvia (8 %) and Belarus (0.3%). The largest sub-basin is the Velikaya River basin, draining approximately 58 % (25,765 km2 mean discharge: 195 m3/s) of the whole Lake Peipsi drainage basin. The second largest sub-basin, Emajõgi river basin, covers approximately 20% (8745 km2, mean discharge 68 m3/s) of the total basin. The Emajõgi sub-catchment holds the largest lake in the basin, Lake Võrtsjärv, with a surface area of around 270 km2.
1.2.2 Water use Narva town (75 000 inhabitants) extracts its public water from River Narva. The lake may potentially supply water to 175 000 inhabitants in future. Russia produces hydropower from its water while Estonia uses water of Narva Reservoir for cooling in the production of thermal power. Most of the settlements in the lake basin use groundwater resources.
1.2.3 Fishing and recreation Total annual catch of fish in Lake Peipsi/Chudskoe amounts between 8000 and 11 000 tons. Approximately half of this is caught of Russian fishermen. The Estonian part of Lake Peipsi/Chudskoe constitutes 89% of surface fresh waters catch and gives 90% of the inland fishery of Estonia. The Lake has also great importance in the aspect of recreation. Boating and yachting are popular activities. The recreational potential of the Lake is about 27,000 persons per year, of which 16,000 stay at the northern part of the lake.
1.2.4 Floods In the Lake Peipsi/Chudskoe region the danger of floods with high water level appears approximately once a century. Last catastrophic flood took place in the year 1924. As a result of global climatic changes the possibility of extreme weather conditions increases, which also increases the risk of flood. These nature phenomena might have a significant negative impact on economy and human safety. The places, more apt to the danger, are in the inhabited coasts of Lake Peipsi/Chudskoe.
1.3 State of waterbodies
1.3.1 Rivers River Narva. River Narva is in good status although BOD sometimes shows high values (Figure 3). Secondary pollution derived from intensive phytoplankton bloom in Lake Peipsi explains high variability of BOD content in River Narva. Estonian rivers. Continuous improvement of water quality has monitored in Estonian rivers. BOD has shown higher levels in River Emajõgi but instead of direct pollution it indicates secondary pollution derived from intensive phytoplankton bloom in Lake Võrtsjärv. Phosphorus generally limits primary production in Estonian surface waters. Lower content than the highest permissible value of total phosphorus, 0.08 mg P/l, prevents
12 eutrophication. Mean content of total phosphorus and phosphates in reference rivers with no significant human impacts in 1992-1999 was correspondingly 0.05 mg P/l and 0.025 mg P/l. Increased content of phosphorus appears in rivers that receive municipal wastewaters (River Võhandu, River Tarvastu, River Emajõgi, River Ahja, River Narva). Despite of impact of wastewaters, content of total phosphorus has remained below 0.15 mg P/l. Reference rivers contained total nitrogen in average 1.1 mg Ntot/l.
Measured time- 4 series 3.5 Two-year average
3 Standard
2.5
2
BOD (mg/l) 1.5
1
0.5
0 07.2003 09.2003 11.2003 01.2004 03.2004 05.2004 07.2004 09.2004 9.01.2003 8.05.2003 20.03.2003 17. 18. 20. 21. 24. 19. 14. 15.
Figure 3. Concentration of BOD7 in River Narva at Narva in 2003-2004 Russian rivers. “SEK-VODA” system has provided, based on the monitoring results of Rosgidromet, the state of waters in Russian part of the drainage basin. According to nutrient concentrations and BOD, Russian rivers have mostly qualified to good or very good class. Ecosystems function well in most part of the Russian side. Biodiversity is stabile.
River Velikaya. Concentration of Ntot in River Velikaya varied between 0.35 and 0.66 mg/l, BOD5 has been 1.1 – 1.7 mg/l and Ptot 0.01 – 0.2 mg/l. BOD, ammonium and phosphates indicate good or very good water quality (downstream from the city of Pskov, phosphates indicate moderate status).
1.3.2 State of Lake Peipsi/Chudskoe After the reduction of nitrogen loading in 1980s, blue-green algal blooms have reappeared in recent years and caused summer fish-kills. Algal blooms appear most seriously and extensively in warm and windless periods. High phosphorus concentration affects mostly the water quality in the lakes as well as in the rivers of the basin. The southern and shallower part of the lake, Lake Pihkva/Pskov suffers from higher anthropogenic pressure than the northern part, Lake Peipsi s.s. According to the Water Framework Directive, hydrochemical and phytoplankton data indicate mainly moderate ecological quality in Lake
13 Peipsi/Chudskoe. The medium value of Ptot in the northern part of the Lake remains 0.044 mg/l while in southern part it reaches 0.07 mg/l. According to the macrophyte and fish indices the ecological status falls between good and moderate while zooplankton and benthic macro invertebrates indicate good status.
1.4 State of groundwater The quality of surface- and groundwater used for domestic supply generally meets the requirements but water from the deep aquifers contains much chloride, affecting the taste of water. The deep groundwater of the Gdov aquifer exceeds norms of chloride contents. Continuation of the present abstraction from that aquifer could potentially cause the intrusion of seawater
1.4.1 Estonian resources River Narva drainage basin contains all Estonian groundwater layers and 20 groundwater bodies. The present groundwater abstraction forms half of the approved reserve and will decrease to one third by year 2015 as a result of the reduction of water losses. It enables to reduce abstraction from the Cambrian-Vendian aquifers (lower risk of seawater and other water intrusion). Two of identified Estonian groundwater bodies cross the national border: Cambrian- Vendian Voronka and Ordovician-Cambrian bodies. The state of Ordovician Ida-Viru oil-shale basin groundwater body has been estimated as ‘bad’ due to dewatering of oil shale mines and open cast quarries and residual pollution from chemical and energy industry. The state of that body depends directly on human activities, is permanently bad, and impossible to improve significantly within the next couple of decades.
1.4.2 Russian resources Russian side uses groundwater of Ordovician-Cambrian limestones and Sub- Ordovician carbonate rocks in one well simultaneously while Cambrian-Vendian Gdov layers remain disused. Especially the high natural content of iron, manganese, barium and radionuclide caused problems for water use. The higher nitrate content detected nearby pollution sources is only identified as a result of direct human impact. State of water quality of Russian areas of transboundary groundwater aquifers has been estimated as good. Ivangorod-Kingissepp-Slantsõ area, falling under the direct pressures, requires still further assessment.
14 2 Transboundary human impacts to water The following major transboundary issues are identified: • Eutrophication of Lake Peipsi (including riverine loads) • Fishery management • Groundwater resources management in the Narva River region The main water-related environmental issue of concern in the transboundary Lake Peipsi/Chudskoe is eutrophication. Eutrophication has influenced the biogeochemical cycles leading to undesirable states of nutrient concentrations in the Lake and secondary impacts upon fish stocks and rare species.
2.1 Eutrophication of Lake Peipsi Nowadays Lake Peipsi receives ca 830 - 900 tons of phosphorus and 16 000 – 17 000 tons of nitrogen annually. These values fluctuate much depending mostly of the water runoff. In wet years the nutrients load is greater while in dry years less. These two nutrients cause eutrophication. After the collapse of agriculture in the early 1990s, the loading of nitrogen has sharply decreased while phosphorus continued loading at the same rate. Such phenomena could result from the sharp decrease of the application of mineral fertilizers and the reduction of arable land, which reduced N loads also. In the same time, worsened wastewater treatment and manure management as well as residual pollution eliminated P reduction from the halved number of animals. The N/P ratio in loadings and in the Lake has thus decreased. In rivers the ratio dropped from 80-100 in 1987 to 12-15 in 1991. The lowest Ntot : Ptot ratio in the Lake (about 11-13) was registered in 1995-1996 (Figure 4). The decrease in the N/P loading ratios has caused blue-green algal (cyanobacterial) blooms in the Lake in recent years. As the main proportion of phosphorus comes through the two major rivers Velikaya (63%) and Emajõgi (17%), the main attention should be paid to the reduction of P load from these rivers.
Figure 4. Long-term dynamics of N/P concentration ratio in Lake Peipsi/Chudskoe
2.2 Fishing in Lake Peipsi Due to eutrophication and weak fishery management the total fish catch in Lake has declined in the 1990s more than twice compared to the catches taken a century ago. However, the current fishery rate has reached the limit when stocks of not only valuable fish species, but also other fish species find utilization quite intensively or
15 even over-intensively. Lake suffers from growth over-fishing, especially in pikeperch fishery. Fi s h are harvested younger than the growth optimum that would produce the maximum yield per recruit. The total yield from the fishery remains therefore smaller than it could be. Better fishery management could bring higher total revenues. The number of professional fishermen exceeds the optimum. In 2003 the approximate number of fishermen in Estonia and Russia reached ca 600 and 900, respectively. During the Soviet period (end of the 1980s) the numbers remained approximately 200 and 300 respectively. Since during the last decade the fish price of the home and western market has increased slower than averages salaries in Estonia and Russia, the relative income of fishermen has steadily decreased. This has caused social problems. Thus, even if Lake Peipsi fishery remains important for employment in future, the number of the fishermen must decrease gradually, following the trend of Western Europe. Fishing industry must be transformed in such a way that the social-economic problems that generate poaching will be solved. Refusing fishing approach needs support and development of alternative activities in nearby villages. In a European context Lake Peipsi “fish productivity” is very good. The prevalence of the 'grazing food chain' and modest 'microbial loop' cause that, especially production of predatory fish. The higher the ratio of predatory to non-predatory fish is, the less phytoplankton and better water quality could be assumed. Thus, effective protection measures of predatory fish, like pikeperch, perch and pike, could improve water quality that in a second stage would result in higher fisheries revenue.
2.3 Groundwater resources management in the Narva River region Cambrian-Vendian Voronka and the Ordovician-Cambrian groundwater bodies cross the national border. Groundwater bodies in the Ordovician limestone aquifers suffer no significant transboundary impact. In Estonian side transboundary groundwater bodies are quite well protected against pollution and therefore the human impacts appears only through water abstraction. In Russian basin area the Ordovician-Cambrian aquifer is less protected than it is in Estonia. In Estonia human activities impact mainly the Cambrian-Vendian Voronka aquifer but less the Ordovician-Cambrian ones, and vice versa in the Russian side. No significant transboundary impact has been detected in any of the groundwater aquifers. Contaminated areas leak pollutants very significantly to the Ordovician Ida-Viru oil shale basin groundwater body and significantly to the Ordovician Ida-Viru groundwater body. In Russian basin area, the pressures to groundwater quality relate to oil shale chemistry, phosphorite production (located outside Narva basin but impacts could still appear), ene r gy industry, and also large-scale groundwater contamination incidents due to accidents with oil products. Landfills leak pollutants significantly to groundwater body of the Ordovician Ida- Viru oil-shale basin and less significantly to the Ordovician Ida-Viru groundwater body.
16 Of 20 Russian landfills in the basin area only one is protected against groundwater pollution (Palkiinskii rayon). Energy and oil shale chemistry waste landfills contaminate the most. Approximately 312 tons collected out-of-use pesticides in different temporary storages in Russian basin area could have a potential risk of groundwater contamination. Leakages from the infrastructures of oil industry production have a significant pressure to the Ordovician Ida-Viru oil shale basin groundwater body and a less significant pressure to the Ordovician Ida-Viru groundwater body. Russian basin area falls under leakages from energy and oil shale chemistry enterprises. Agriculture is a significant pressure to the Ordovician Ida-Viru groundwater body and Ordovician Ida-Viru oil shale basin groundwater body. Due to low intensity and exhaustion of soils (soil nutrient balance is strongly negative) Russian agricultural pollution remains insignificant. Mining areas have significant pressure to Ordovician Ida-Viru oil shale basin groundwater body. In Russian basin area the pressures to groundwater quality relate to Slantsevski oil shale mine and Kingissepski phosphorite quarry. The production of phosphorite remains outside Narva basin but its impacts may still reach Narva basin, including groundwater intake at Ivangorod. Abstraction for municipal water supply is a significant pressure to Cambrian- Vendian Voronka and Gdov and Ordovician-Cambrian groundwater bodies, particularly in the Ida-Viru County towns Sillamäe, Kohtla-Järve, Jõhvi, Kiviõli and their suburbs, also in Ivangorod in Russia. Abstraction s by industry form a significant pressure to the Cambrian-Vendian Voronka and the Gdov groundwater bodies at Kohtla-Järve, Sillamäe, Kiviõli and Jõhvi towns; Ivangorod and Slantsy from the Russian Federation side. In Russian basin area municipal water supply and industry abstracted groundwater in total 55342 m3/d in year 2002, compared to 69006 m3/d in year 2003 in the Estonian basin area. Dewatering and drainage for mining (mine water) is a very significant pressure to the Ordovician Ida-Viru oil shale basin groundwater body. The Russian mines (including open-cast quarries and underground mines) pumped out in total 72876 m3/d of water in year 2002 (excluding Kingissepp phosphorite quarry with 13 000 m3/d), while Estonian mines pumped 556 139 m3/d in 2003. Due to large areas of Estonian mines, the pumped water originates mainly from precipitation, which would have been flown into rivers anyway. In addition, a significant portion of mine water flows back to the mines. Approximately 25% of the total amount of pumped out water counts as groundwater abstraction. Seawater intrusion is a significant pressure to Cambrian-Vendian Voronka and Gdov groundwater bodies in Estonian seashore areas. In Russian basin area seawater intrusion is a risk for Cambrian-Vendian Voronka aquifer. Saline water intrusion from bedrock is a significant pressure to Cambrian-Vendian Voronka and Gdov groundwater bodies. Saline water has intruded to crystalline bedrock in the substratum of the Cambrian-Vendian Gdov groundwater body. In case of missing aquifuge, in areas of intensive groundwater consumption, more saline water could potentially endanger the current quality of the groundwater body. As the
17 salinity of the Cambrian-Vendian Gdov groundwater body exceeds the salinity of the Cambrian-Vendian Voronka groundwater body, the groundwater of Gdov aquifer could harm the qualitative status of the Voronka groundwater body. (The groundwater level in Voronka aquifer is lower than in the Gdov aquifer due intensive abstraction).
2.4 Other transboundary impacts Other transboundary human impacts to water resources of the drainage basin comprise pollution of surface waters from mining activities, damage of biodiversity, thermal pollution of Narva Reservoir and physical modification of River Narva. Mining. Oil-shale mining and related industry in Northeast Estonia contribute to pollution loads in the rivers as well as to Lake Peipsi affecting the quality of waters in the Narva reservoir. Rivers work as recipients for discharged waters from mines: for production of one ton of oil-shale, at average 15 m3 of water as average had been pumped out from mines in Estonia (from which ca 25% counts as groundwater). Mining waters with high alkalinity may contain suspended solids, oil shale phenols from past pollution sources, hydrocarbons and sulphates. The concentration of sulphates, phenols and oil in most Estonian surface water monitoring stations remain within the permitted levels. The sulphate impact to ecosystems is so small that it is in most cases unnoticeable. Thermal pollution. Two thermal power plants at the shore of Narva Reservoir release their warm cooling waters into Narva Reservoir. The power plants discharge 8 – 10 degrees warmer water to the reservoir compared to the intake water. Estonian environmental legislation lacks standards for thermal pollution. According to Russian standards, the thermal pollution in Narva Reservoir remains within the limits. Still, in case of very hot summer periods these cooling waters could significantly affect the ecosystem of the Narva reservoir. Modified River Narva. Construction of Narva Hydro Power Plant in 1950-ies changed significantly the functioning and structure of the ecosystem of River Narva. Flooding of about 190km2 land on the right side of the Narva River established the artificial Narva Water Reservoir. Since several fish species, including eel, fail to migrate between the Baltic Sea and Lake Peipsi. Load of heavy metals. When heavy metals such as cadmium, copper, zinc, mercury, lead, and chromium reach unnaturally high concentrations, they could affect environment. However, the content of heavy metals in River Narva remains within the EU and Russian standards (Table 1). Table 1. Norms of heavy metals in surface waters, ug/l. EU environmental Russian norms Russian norms for Highest quality standards for waterbodies waterbodies which measured (Council Directive which are used are used for water concentration in 98/83/EC on the quality for fishing supply, cultural and River Narva of water intended for purposes recreational human consumption) purposes Lead, ug/l 10 6 30 1 Copper, 2000 1000 36 ug/l Cadmium, 5 5 1 0.2 ug/l
18 3 Wildlife
3.1 Rare species The coast of Lake Peipsi/Chudskoe serves as a habitat for several plant species, which lack or appear rarely elsewhere in Estonia and Russia (see figures in CD Annex 1). Rare plant species populate generally the littoral areas of the lake. Eutrophication and direct local pollution from harbours endanger them. Lake Peipsi is a living place for many rare species under the threat of extinction. The most remarkable rare plant species comprise: Siberian iris (Iris sibirica), marsh gentian (Gentiana pneumonanthe), Water awlwort (Subularia aquatica), and on the shore Spurious pestilence-wort (Petasites spurious), Silver Spray (Achillea cartilaginea), and Blue lyme grass (Leymus arenarius,). Of mammals the most important is to protect the habitats of Flying Squirrel (Pteromys volans). The most significant amphibian species are green toad (Bufo viridis) and Common Spadefoot (mud frog, Pelobates fuscus). Rare bird species are disturbed by recreational activities, logging for timber, cutting of shrubs, burning of vegetation, using of motorboats near the lakeshores, poaching of waterfowl. Fishing with nets occurs along the edge of the vegetation. Disturbance results from the use of motorboats near the lakeshores. Waterfowl shooting disturbs birds during the migrations. Lake Peipsi/Chudskoe serves as an important moulting and staging area for endangered birds such as Black Stork (Ciconia nigra), Osprey (Pandion haliaetus), White-tailed Eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla), Whooper Swan (Cygnus Cygnus), Common Goldeneye (Bucephala clangula), Bewick’s Swan (Cygnus columbianus), Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos), Common Pochard (Aythya ferina), Common Coot (Fulica atra), Great Crested Grebe (Podiceps cristatus), Bean Goose (Anser fabalis), Smew (Mergus albellus), Corncrake (Crex crex) and Aquatic Warbler (Acrocephalus paludicola). Lake Peipsi/Chudskoe provides spawning areas for many fish species including perch (Perca fluviatilis), vendace (Coregonus albula), bream (Abramis brama), pike (Esox lucius), roach (Rutilus rutilus), bleak (Alburnus alburnus), pikeperch (Sander lucioperca), rudd (Scardinius erythrophthalmus) and golden orfe (ide, Leuciscus idus), as well as the endangered wels catfish (Siluris glanis) and endemic Peipsi whitefish (Coregonus lavaretus maraenoides). All local rare species face potential threat of alien species.
3.2 Ramsar sites Two Ramsar sites locate on Lake Peipsi/Chudskoe both ne ar the border between Estonia and Russia. These two sites neighbour each other. Emajõe Suursoo Mire and Piirissaar Island – situate d in Estonian side – com prises a more or less larg e, flat wilderness area with an integral complex of different types of peatland, rivers and lakes (including the shallow waters of Lake Peipsi), coasts and an island. Fens, s wamps, swamp forests, peat bogs, reedbeds, shores, open and mixed forests as well as some agricultural areas contain characteristic flora for different mire
19 communities typical for the region. Regulated and traditional human activities hold no direct threats to the site. The administration has recommended avoid building of summer cottages. Intensive fishing in Emajõgi delta, especially during spring spawning, could affect the site. The site suffers from general eutrophication, especially in the southern basin. Pskovsko-Chudskaja lakeside lowland locates in northwestern Pskov Region, 7 km from the city of Pskov. The northern and western boundaries of the site pass through the open waters of Lake Peipsi/Chudskoe, Lake Lämmijärv/Teploye and Lake Pihkva/Pskovskoye along the border between the Russian Federation and Estonia. The site situates across from the Estonian Ramsar Site Emajõe Suursoo Mire and Piirissaar Island. The site contains many rare and threatened species of the Russian Red Data Book. Threats at the site include logging for timber and the cutting of shrubs, and the burning of vegetation. Fishing with nets occurs along the edge of the vegetation. Disturbance results from the use of motorboats near the lakeshores. Waterfowl shooting disturbs birds during the migrations. Pressure from recreation will probably increase in the coming years.
3.3 NATURA areas In addition to the mentioned Ramsar sites, Lake Peipsi/Chudskoe contains two more NATURA sites: „Raadnast Kalmakülani” covers a large area in the Northern part of Lake while Lahepera area locates south from Kallaste town. Of other Natura sites with transboundary character the most important is Karisilla Oja site.
20 4 Description of monitoring network
4.1 Surface water Regular investigation of Lake Peipsi started in 1960s and up to now about 35 year data series on water chemistry and biology have been gathered. The sampling frequency per year and the number of sampling stations has varied from 3 to 8 times and from 4 to 24 stations. Hydrochemistry of Lake Peipsi monitored by Tartu Environmental Research Ltd. and Hydrometeorological Centre of Pskov. Two joint expeditions (in the years 2003-2004) were organised to Lake Peipsi and the Narva Reservoir. A selection of biological and chemical tests was organised with the participation of the Russian and Estonian experts in sampling stations all over the lake. The analysis of the results of these expeditions was presented by the Estonian as well as Russian experts in the meeting of the Joint Water Commission and during the meeting of the working group on water quality and monitoring. Estonia. Estonian national monitoring programme of Lake Peipsi/Chudskoe is quite well integrated between different disciplines. Hydrobiological indices monitored by Limnological Center of Institute of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences at Estonian Agricultural University. State fishery research is made by Institute of Zoology and Hydrobiology at Tartu University. These studies are mainly targeted to establish catch limits and consider mainly commercial fish species. Russia. In Russian side, responsible body for chemical monitoring of waters is generally Hydrometeorological Center of Pskov. Concerned quality elements are hydrochemical state, load of nutrients, load of organic compounds and saprobic index in the last decade. Monitoring covers both the Lake Peipsi/Chudskoe and rivers in the drainage basin. The following water quality parameters are measured: • General indices: dissolved oxygen content (mg/l), Secchi depth (m) • Hydrochemistry: Suspended solid concentration (mg/l), Biochemical oxygen demand, chemical oxygen demand by permanganate (mg O/l), ammonium, nitrates, nitrites, total N (mg N/l), organic P, total P (mg P/l), phenols, heavy metals (Cd, Cu, Pb)
4.2 Groundwater Estonian side. The Estonian groundwater monitoring system consists of the national sub-programme of groundwater monitoring and monitoring results presented by the requirements of water permits. Three state-financed ground water monitoring subprograms exist in Viru and Peipsi sub-basins. These programmes have been carried out within “The national monitoring programme of the groundwater in Estonia”. The Estonian Geological Survey implements the largest groundwater monitoring sub-.programme while Estonian Environmental Centre implements the two smaller sub-programmes (Pandivere and Adavere-Põltsamaa Nitrates Vulnerable area and nearby Kohtla-Järve industrial waste and semi-coke landfill).
21 Additional monitoring programs (carried out by local water enterprises, Narva Power Plants, Ees t i Põlevkivi etc.) follow the requirements of water permits. All enterprises with significant potential impact to water status in the Ordovician Ida-Viru oil shale basin groundwater body participate the monitoring network. The biggest network for groundwater monitoring (100 monitoring stations) belongs to Eesti Põlevkivi Ltd. To assess transboundary impacts, the Estonian groundwater-monitoring network demands 1-2 additional monitoring stations between Narva town and Narva Reservoir. Water enterprises control groundwater for drinking. These enterprises submit their analysis results to local environmental departments. According to future plans these data will incorporate to Estonian Environmental Register. Reverberation of transboundary impacts in Ordovician-Cambrian and Cambrian- Vendian groundwater bodies require harmonization in Estonian and Russian groundwater monitoring programmes. Russia has detected no large-scale problems with groundwater in its basin area. Anthropogenic compounds contaminate immediate neighbourhood of the sources. Worsening of organoleptic indicators in Ivangorod intake associate with pollution from Kingissepp phosphorite mines. The potentiometric surface of groundwater at Novorzhev, Opotshka, Ostrov, and maybe Ivangorod areas has lowered but drawdown remain apart. Due hydrogeological conditions, oil shale mining has dewatered less keeping groundwater quality in closed mines better. Considering smaller impacts of oil-shale production, the state of groundwater in Russian basin area remains good. Local authorities regard the existing monitoring network as sufficient. Till now the Estonian and Russian national monitoring programmes have selected no monitoring stations for joint transboundary monitoring networks of Ordovician- Cambrian and Cambrian-Vendian aquifers.
22 5 Water management Sustainable use and protection of resources of transboundary waters is possible only via targeted and agreed measures undertaken by all countries within the drainage basin. Estonia, as a member state of the EU, must implement the Water Framework Directive. According the Directive, within a river basin where use of water may have transboundary effects, the requirements for the achievement of the environmental objectives established under that Directive, and in particular all programmes of measures, should be coordinated for the whole of the Narva river basin. For river basins extending beyond the boundaries of the Community, Member States should endeavour to ensure the appropriate coordination with the relevant non-member States. Following Russian water protection legislation, river basin management programmes of transboundary waterbodies are elaborated in accordance with the international agreements of Russian Federation. Cooperation between the Republic of Estonia and Russian Federation is conducted in the basis of the bilateral (intergovernmental) agreement on the protection and sustainable use of transboundary water bodies between the Republic of Estonia and the Russian Federation (1997). For dealing with transboundary water issues, the Joint Estonian-Russian Transboundary Water Commission was established in 1997, after signing of an intergovernmental agreement. The Transboundary Water Commission plays an increasingly important role in promoting sustainable development in the Lake Peipsi basin. The Commission is the main actor in managing Lake Peipsi and it: 1) Organizes exchange of data between the parties in accordance with the agreed programme 2) Defines priority directions and programs of scientific studies on protection and sustainable use of transboundary waters; 3) Agrees on common indicators of quality for transboundary waters, methods of water testing and conducting analyses; 4) Facilitates cooperation between agencies of executive power, local governments, scientific and public interest organizations, as well as other institutions in the field of sustainable development and protection of transboundary waters; 5) Ensures publicity of discussions of questions related to the use and protection of the transboundary waters. Another commission dealing with Lake Peipsi issues, Joint Fishery Commission, works on the constant basic rules and gathers once a year. The functions of the Commission are to develop recommendations for coordinated actions in fish resource management, coordinated research in fish resource assessment, possibilities and procedures for one party to fish in the waters of the other party, exchange of fishing quotas based on mutual interests and legislation of both parties, establishment of the maximum total catch for various fish species and its distribution between the two parties, regulation of allowable fishing gear and methods, minimum permissible size
23 of commercial fish, allowable share of free-time catch, seasonal and territorial limitations, improvement and efficient reproduction of fish resources, including fish- breeding, procedures to resolve fishing disputes and incidents, access to fishing of the third parties' persons and organisations, control over the fulfillment of the approved measures and other activities in protection and sustainable use of fish resources of Lakes Peipsi, Pihkva and Lämmijärv. Further information about Lake Peipsi/Chudskoe basin inheres in the following documents: VIRU-PEIPSI CAMP project (website www.envir.ee/viru.peipsi) that assist implementation of the EU WFD in the Viru River Basin and Lake Peipsi basin in Estonia. EU TACIS CBC Baltic Line 2000 programme will support a project "Environmental Management of Lake Chudskoe" that will be implemented in Russia.
5.1 Transboundary Diagnostic Analysis (TDA) TDA has guided this Lake Peipsi/Chudskoe Transboundary Management Programme. This chapter outlines the TDA. The full text is annexed in the CD. TDA aimed to identify and assess the importance of environmental disturbances and threats to the waters and their causes and to identify potential preventive and remedial actions. TDA identified the following major perceived transboundary problems: • Eutrophication of Lake Peipsi, • Fishery management and, • Groundwater management at the Narva River region. The common denominator for the root-causes in all identified problems proved lack of knowledge in general. This includes issues like information spreading and interpretation, training and education for stakeholders, inadequate scientific understanding and inadequate or unreliable information, and inadequate access to technical and scientific information. In addition, economic problems caused eutrophication and fishery problems. The TDA identified four Environmental Quality Objectives (EQOs), which represent the regional perspective of major goals for the regional environment: 1. Good ecological status in Lake Peipsi by 2015; 2. Improve the water quality of rivers in Lake Peipsi catchment area, 3. Sustainable productivity from Lake and river fishery; 4. Stabilized high ground water quality and supplies in Narva River area. TDA has recommended a strategy approach for the transboundary Lake Peipsi/Chudskoe Basin Management Plan, listed below. Municipal wastewater. In the short term perspective, in the Lake Peipsi Basin the priority actions should focus on the phosphorus reduction from municipal wastewater, specifically by the Pskov town of Russia which beyond any doubt is the largest single phosphorus source.
24 Diffuse pollution. In the long- term perspective, the strategy should focus on prevention of nutrient pollution from diffuse sources, including agriculture and forest. Monitoring. Development of a joint transboundary programme for surface water monitoring in the two countries by e.g., using the EU-Directive Guidelines (WFD, Urban Wastewater Directive, Nitrates Directive) and the United Nations European Economic Commission [UN ECE] guidelines for monitoring and assessment of transboundary rivers and lakes. Referring to Water Framework Directive (Articles 3 and 13), TDA suggests work out and implement the joint river basin management programme, which covers also the Russian part of the drainage basin. Development (e.g., via the Joint Estonian-Russian Transboundary Water Commission and its working group on Monitoring and Research) joint assessment procedures including share of pressure data like riverine loads and other pollution source data. More precisely to (i) prepare a biennial background on the nutrient load and its sources, which shall include (1) more accurate data on land use in riverine catchments, especially, on agricultural lands subdivided into arable lands, pastures, grasslands, fallow lands and unused lands, and (2) more accurate and reliable data on nutrient load source apportionment; (ii) prepare a background report on long-term trends in the riverine load dynamics and nutrients' concentration; (iii) develop a joint coordinated database on water quality and quantity, land use, and point pollution sources. Encou r aging good agricultural practices and management of fertilizers to decrease nutrie n t losses and improvement of water quality. Econo m ic instruments to be used to motivate a more sustainable use of natural resour c es should be worked out, such as emission charges, user charges, and product charges. An analysis of the effect of implementing subsidies should be conducted, since granting subsidies may cause significant distortions in tax system and enables the transfer of pollution damage costs as indirect costs to the entire society. The respective state legislations and the cross-border initiatives in the Estonian- Russian Intergovernmental Lake Peipsi Fisheries Commission work properly and effectively. However, there is a necessity to further tuning and harmonisation of the fish resources regulation in an overall Lake water management perspective. More precisely, effective protection measures of predatory fish - like pikeperch, perch and pike - should be further elaborated and implemented for improved water quality and subsequent increased fisheries revenue. The two major groundwater management problems are the over-abstraction of water from the Cambrian-Vendian aquifer system for urban water supply and the mine dewatering. It is proposed to establish joint Estonian and Russian emission standards according to water use (drinking, fish cultivation etc.).
25 5.2 Viru and Peipsi Sub-basins Management Plan (VP- CAMP) The project area covers Viru and Peipsi sub-basins in Estonian Lake Peipsi and River Narva (Figure 1). As an outcome of Phase I of the project, an assessment of the state of surface waters and groundwater of the area was prepared. The materials were published in 2004 as a summary publication “Viru-Peipsi Catchment Area Management Plan, Assessment of the State of Surface Water Bodies and Groundwater” in Estonian and English languages. Phase II of the project resulted in the preparation of an assessment of human impact, an economic analysis and a programme of measures until 2009 and 2015, which aims to achieve a good status of water bodies and groundwater and to ensure the supply of high quality drinking water to the population. Activities devoted to strengthen Estonian administrative capacities to support the implementation of the WFD have also included into the Management Plan. The project is co-financed by the EU LIFE-Environment programme. The project finished in September 2005. The materials of the Catchment Area Management Plan are available on the home page of the Viru-Peipsi LIFE project (www.envir.ee/viru.peipsi).
5.3 Water resources Management Plan of the Russian part of River Narva and Lake Chudskoe Basin The overall objective of the Project “Water resources Management Plan of the Russian part of River Narva and Lake Chudskoe Basin” is to increase the environmental management potential of Russian regional and local authorities. As much as the resources allow, all objectives of the Project are achieved in order to reach stable results by using management principles of the water area of Lake Peipsi. The Management Plan must include short term as well as long-term water management measures of River Narva and Lake Peipsi basin. Document describes: the status of lakes and rivers, human impacts to waters, main problems in water management and scope the environmental objectives. Programme of measures include series of target programmes, as: drinking water supply, treatment of sewage water, reduction of diffuse pollution, reduction of flood risks, preservation of waterbodies ecological status, improvement of water management. The project will be finished in the beginning of 2006.
26 Figure 5. Transboundary hot spots in Lake Peipsi/Chudskoe drainage basin
27 6 Transboundary environmental objectives Some water problems of Lake Peipsi and its drainage basin can be handled in national level. These comprise local environmental impacts such as groundwater pollution and drinking water production apart from the border, management of beaches along rivers and small lakes etc. Other water problems should be ultimately solved in transnational level. Pollution entering Lake Peipsi/Chudskoe and River Narva should be controlled jointly. Fishing requires the maintenance and refinement of joint quotas and other cooperation activities. This management programme aims at tackling specifically transboundary issues. The temporal scope of the programme is 2006 – 2015. However, long-term measures need implementation time beyond 2015. Transboundary Diagnostic Analysis, defining environmental objectives and a strategy for the transboundary Lake Peipsi/Chudskoe Basin Management Programme, has identified four key transboundary issues. This programme, considering also other plans, analysis results and programmes, identifies following four priorities: • Good status of transboundary surface waters • Good status of transboundary groundwater aquifers • Protection of biodiversity of Lake Peipsi/Chudskoe • Sustainable use of water resources
6.1 Objectives for surface waters
6.1.1 Common environmental quality standards Estonian and Russian regulations have standardised pollutant concentrations in surface waters and effluent wastewaters (Table 2). According to the Agreement between the Government of the Estonian Republic and the Government of Russian Federation on Cooperation in Protection and Sustainable Use of Transboundary Waters, in case of national differences the more stringent standard has been chosen for the common one.
River standards. According to the Russian pollution index the standard for BOD5 is 2 mg/l, for Ptot – 0.2 mg/l. According to the Estonian standards good ecological status requires for rivers less than 5 mg/l BOD and 0.08 mg/l Ptot. In transboundary rivers such as River Narva the common standard formally is 2 mg BOD/l and 0.08 mg Ptot /l. However, such unrealistic BOD norm requires reconsideration – 3 mg/l standard could work better. In the same time, the joint list of hazardous substances is needed as well as monitoring, measurement methodology and standard concentrations of these substances. Lake standards. Russian standard Ptot concentration for eutrophic lakes – such as Lake Peipsi/Chudskoe – is 0.2 mg/l. According to the Estonian standards the concentration of Ptot in eutrophic lakes should not exceed 0.06 mg/l According to the present scientific knowledge, good status objectives demand that P concentration in Lake Peipsi/Chudskoe should remain below 0.034 mg/l. Today common standard remains 0.06 mg P/l.
28
Table 2. Common standards related to surface water quality Estonia Russia Common standard Concentration of Ptot in 0.08 0.2 0.08 transboundary rivers (Narva, Piusa), mg/l Concentration of BOD in 5 2 2 transboundary rivers (Narva, Piusa), mg/l Concentration of Ptot in Lake 0.06 0.2 0.06 (Good status, however, Peipsi/ Chudskoe, mg/l requires lower concentration) Concentration of Ptot in effluent 1 1.5 1 (less than 10 000 PE – wastewater discharging to the 1.5) (less than (Standard for drainage basin, mg/l 10 000 PE – PP2O4 – 0.2) 1.5)
6.1.2 Wastewater standards Eston ia . According to the EU directive on wastewater treatment (directive 271 from 1991) t he minimum outlet criteria for main pollutants are:
• Ptot: 1 mg P/l (if less than 10 000 PE then 1.5 mg/l) or 80 % P removal;
• BOD7: 15 mg/l or 90% removal;
• Ntot: 15 mg/l or 70-80% removal. Russian standard for phosphorus concentrations of wastewater effluents is 1.5 mg/l. Standard for total Nitrogen is 15 mg/l and standard for BOD5 is 15 mg/l. The common standard pollutant concentrations in wastewater effluents of large settlements such as Pskov, Slantsõ, Tartu and Narva are following: BOD – 15 mg /l; Ntot – 10 mg/l; Ptot – 1.5 mg/l. By 2015 the target concentration of Ptot is 1 mg/l and at least 80% removal from wastewater entering the treatment plant.
6.1.3 Targets to meet surface water quality standards Reduction of phosphorus concentration in Lake Peipsi. Reduction of phosphorus loads is the crucial tool to combat eutrophication of Lake Peipsi/ Chudskoe. The Lake received approximately 830-900 tons of phosphorus annually in the time period of 2000-2004. The concentration of Ptot in the entire Lake Peipsi/Chudskoe does not exceed the standard value (0.06 mg P/l) but generally exceeds the threshold of good status (0.034 mg P/l). In northern part of the Lake the concentration is approximately 0.044 mg/l and in southern part, Lake Pihkva/Pskov approximately 0.072 mg/l (Figure 6). As phosphorus is the main substance responsible for eutrophication, the priority Figure 6. Concentration of objective of this programme therefore is to reduce Ptot Ptot in the mouth of River concentration in Lake Peipsi/Chudskoe. Still, a discussed Velikaya, River Emajõgi, Lake Peipsi/Chudskoe and River Narva, mg/l 29 target P concentration below 0.034 mg/l remains unrealistic. The required concentration of P in rivers (0.08 mg/l in Estonia and 0.2 mg/l in Russia, table 4) have already generally achieved in cluding the mouths of River Velikaya (0.07 mg/l) and River Emajõgi (0.08 mg/l). As achieving the phosphorus standards in the rivers will reduce the loads into the Lake Peipsi/Chudskoe only marginally (ca 5%), it will not be sufficient to ensure good quality of the lake. In other words, the target for the Lake is more stringent than corresponding standards for rivers in the drainage basin. Phosphorus load reduction from municipal discharges. Two largest cities in the drainage basin – Pskov and Tartu – contribute 8% ( 6.1% and 1.7% respectively) to the total P load into Lake Peipsi/Chudskoe. The average concentration of Ptot of municipal wastewater of Tartu, the largest Estonian city in the drainage basin, in 2004 was 1.3 mg/l. Stage II of tunnel collector was commissioned in 2004, whereby most of the former direct discharges into the River Emajõgi were eliminated. P load reduced to 13.2 to n per year in 2004. In order to achieve the required concentration of 1 mg/l, an additional removal of 3 tons of phosphorus annually is foreseen. Pskov discharged 54.9 tons of PO4-P annually to River Velikaya in 2003. As the city is situated at almost the mouth of the river, practically all the pollution reaches Lake Pihkva. The aim of the programme is to halve the discharge to achieve the load of PO4-P as low as 27 tons per year by 2015. Total t arget for the reduction of municipal phosphorus load is therefore 30 tons per year, which should reduce the total load of P to Lake Peipsi 3%. Efforts to reduce phosp h orus emissions from municipal wastewater treatment plants remain insufficient and agricultural loading scenarios are crucial for future fate of Lake Peipsi/Chudskoe. Phosphorus load reduction from agriculture. Model results indicate that changes in the amount of arable land will be the major factor controlling the future nutrient loads into Lake Peipsi. The long-term future strategy for nutrient load reduction thus mainly focuses on lowering the agricultural nutrient runoff. Today, agriculture is responsible for the largest portion of the total loading to the Lake even though the losses from agriculture per unit area (e.g. kg/km2) are at a very low international level. Large animal farms form a growing source of nutrient pollution in Lake Peipsi/Chudskoe basin. The future loadings will heavily depend on how the agricultural land will be used in the future, e.g. how much of the present set-aside and abandoned land will be used in future, and the intensity in the agricultural sector. In order to achieve mesotrophic status, P-load to Lake Peipsi should be decreased 1.7 times (50 – 100 tons of reduction from annual load!). Such target is not realistic. The aim of the programme is to keep the phosphorus emissions from the agricultural sector as low as these are today without compromising the growth of production. Other issues. BOD in River Narva nowadays fluctuates around the common standard level while Ptot remains within the limit in most samples. In another border river, Piusa, Ptot sometimes exceeds the limit value. Insufficiently treated wastewater of town Petseri affects the water quality of River Piusa downstream from the mouth of River Patskova.
30 6.2 Objectives for groundwater Estonia and Russia will ensure stabile potentiometric surface and good chemical status of transboundary groundwater aquifers in River Narva and Lake Peipsi/Chudskoe drainage basin area. As transboundary are identified Cambrian-Vendian Voronka and Ordovician- Cambrian aquifers (Figure 7) near River Narva, north from Lake Peipsi/Chudskoe. Current programme aims to ensure good status of these groundwaters, to guarantee resources long-term usage.
Figure 7. Transboundary groundwater aquifers in River Narva and Lake Peipsi basin
6.3 Objectives of wildlife An aim of this programme is to sustain the populations and habitats of rare species in Lake Peipsi/Chudskoe offering favourable living and breeding conditions for these species and populations and reducing human impacts. The list of the rare species in Lake Peipsi Basin is given in chapter 3.1. and pictures of rare species are annexed in the programme CD.
31 6.4 Economic objectives
6.4.1 Sustainable water use The objective of this programme is to ensure long-term satisfaction of the water need for domestic and industrial purposes in River Narva and Lake Peipsi drainage basin.
6.4.2 Sustainable fishery in Lake Peipsi/Chudskoe The first objectives concerning Lake Peipsi/Chudskoe fishery is to maintain and increase the commercial fish stock in the lake. Depending on species, commercial value of each fish differs. The proportion of high quality fish should be promoted to improve the quality of the stock. Along with increasing the stock the objective is to increase fish catch to gain more revenues in both sides of the border. Another goal of this sub-programme is the promotion of free-time fishery to multiply the revenue from each fish improving thus life quality of the human communities in lakeshore areas. The system of goals and objectives of this sub-programme is presented below.
Increased stock Increased catch Improvement of lake ecosystem Increased revenue Promotion of Increased commercially quality of stock Improvement valuable species of life quality of lakeshore people Development of free-time fishery
6.4.3 Sustainable power supply An aim of this programme is to ensure sustainable energy production for River Narva and Lake Peipsi/Chudskoe Basin. The most critical target is ensuring sufficient water level in Narva Reservoir to maintain the proper operation of the Narva Thermal Power Plants. Currently, the minimum required level has set 24.55 m above sea level, rising that would better ensure proper cooling of the power plants. In the same time, the production of the Hydro Power Plant should not be compromised. Additionally, more sustainable, safe and secure energy production alternatives – based on biomass, wind and other green sources – should be developed in the region.
32 7 Programme of Measures
7.1 Water quality sub-programme
7.1.1 Nutrient load reduction plan Eutrophication is the most serious environmental problem of Lake Peipsi/Chudskoe. Blue-green algal blooms have reappeared in the Lake in recent years causing summer fish-kills. As phosphorus is the main substance responsible for eutrophication, the priority objective is to reduce total phosphorus (Ptot) concentration in Lake Peipsi. This chapter summarises the measures to reduce nutrient loading to lake. Peipsi. Short-term measures are related to the reduction of emissions from municipal wastewater discharges. Long-term measures are targeted to the development of eco- farming in the region to reduce nutrient loads from animal husbandry and crop production.
Construction, upgrade and maintenance of wastewater treatment and sewerage facilities Discharge of biologically untreated sewage water into Lake Peipsi/Chudskoe and into River Narva and Narva Reservoir from settlements over 10000 population equivalents (PE), will be prohibited by 2010, from settlements over 2000 PE, will be prohibited by 2015. By 2015 the target pollutant concentrations in wastewater effluents of large settlements such as Pskov, Slantsõ, Tartu and Narva are following: BOD – 15 mg /l; Ntot – 10 mg/l; Ptot – 1.5 mg/l. By 2015 the target concentration of Ptot for these settlements is 1 mg/l or at least 80% removal from wastewater entering the treatment plant. - The priority actions will focus on the phosphorus reduction from municipal wastewater, specifically by the Pskov town of Russia, which beyond any doubt is the largest single phosphorus source. Possible phosphorus reduction in Pskov sewage water treatment plant outlet is 30 t P per year. - Renovation of Tartu municipal wastewater treatment plant to improve phosphorus removal is completed. Ca 6% of the inhabitants of Narva not connected to the wastewater treatment plant. These households will connected to sewerage systems by the Narva Water Company. Discharge of untreated sewage water into other waterbodies of the drainage basin will be prohibited by 2015.
Estonia and the Russian Federation will take effective measures to decrease the volume of the outlet waters, thrown into the waterbodies, depreciated parts of sewer systems will be renovated. Estonia will implement measures for the renovation of wastewater facilities in the entire river basin according to Viru-Peipsi Catchment Area Management Plan.
Measures to control pollution from animal husbandry - Manure storages and silos will be better isolated to avoid leakage. Estonia will continue, using EU support, the approximation of manure storages with EU legislation and other water protection requirements.
33 - Application of manure to frozen field will be prohibited. - Environmental restrictions for concentration of animal husbandry and regulation via financial support schemes to avoid concentration of livestock on a limi ted territory; - In dairies, phosphorus-free detergents, sludge separation and other Best Available Techniques will be promoted.
Measures to control pollution from crop production In the perspective, the programme strategy will focus on the prevention of nutrient pollution from plant production. The strategy works with encouraging best agricultural practices and management of nutrient losses. - Application of mineral fertilizers to snow cover and frozen soil will be prohibited. - The use of herbicides and arboricides for ditch maintenance of drainage systems will be prohibited. - The application, transport and storage of mineral fertilizers and pesticides will be controlled. - Low fertilizer and pesticide application rates will be promoted. - Support Best Available Techniques (BAT) in agriculture and develop eco- farming. - Buffer vegetation stripes will be promoted between waterbodies (streams and ditches) and agricultural areas. - In order to maintain the apparent high nutrient retention capacity in the drainage basin, strategies and careful assessment of the effects of designing new drainage systems or restoring the old drainage systems (drainage flow regulation, artificial wetlands, etc.) will be worked out. In general, designing new drainage systems and restoring old ones will be minimised and environmental friendly options will be promoted.
7.1.2 Control of transboundary pollution of hazardous substances
Pollution from oil shale mining and processing activities • Environmental management systems and BAT will be applied in mining enterprises and power stations to reduce impacts of mining and power generation to Lake Peipsi/Chudskoe and River Narva. • Transboundary impacts of hazardous substances (phenols, oil products, heavy metals) to water bodies and fish will be investigated in cooperation of Estonia and Russia. • Information on the results of the control of emissions of hazardous substances will be exchanged.
Hazardous waste landfills Transboundary impact of hazardous waste landfills will be commonly analyzed. The storages with high risk to environment must be closed or restored according to internationally accepted norms. Common inspections will be jointly organized.
34 Pesticides Trans b oundary impacts of pesticides use will be investigated in bilateral cooperation. Information exchange and common trainings of those issues are mandatory.
7.1.3 Groundwater pollution The priority of both countries is: • Localizing of any groundwater pollution immediately at contamination source, excluding so transboundary transport of pollutants via groundwater flow. • Information of the negative changes in groundwater caused by oil-shale mining, energy producing, oil-shale chemistry and also pollution from storages of hazardous substances will be shared and relevant protection measures will be worked out.
7.1.4 Supplementary measures
Sustainable forestry - Clear cuts will be planned to the eriods when soil layer gets the least damaged. - In clearcutting machinery will be encourage those, which damages less vegetation and soil. - It is recommended to utilize the residues of clearcuttings, using those for heating (pellets) or spread then evenly if the total removing is impossible. Heaping of residues will be countered. - Sedimentation ponds and small wetlands recommended.
Peat industry The main tool for the reduction of suspended solids is sedimentation pond where the particles settle to the bottom. In catching solids, sedimentation pits can be used in drainage ditches. Peak runoff control by tube dams is recommended.
Other measures - The impact of internal loading of nutrients accumulated to waterbodies (i.e. Lake Pskov, Narva Reservoir) will be investigated. Relevant studies will be conducted in both countries in near future exchanging regularly information about the results. - Necessary measures will be applied to eliminate illegal wastewater discharges from vessels on Lake Peipsi/Chudskoe and River Narva. - Systems for avoiding and removing oil pollution, accepting bilge water and handling waste will be introduced and developed in harbours - Negative environmental impacts of tourism will be minimized.
35 7.2 Sustainable water use subprogramme
7.2.1 Sustainable use of transboundary groundwater resources
Water demand and selection of water sources - Cambrian-Vendian Voronka and Ordovician-Cambrian transboundary groundwater resources will be jointly modelled to determine their sustainable abstraction limits. These abstraction limits would be followed by use of approved groundwater resources and will be a basement of water permits. - In the long term, priority in new water supply projects will be given to identification of water sources that can substitute all or partly present usage of Voronka and Gdov aquifers.
Water quality - Monitoring stations for joint transboundary monitoring networks of Ordovician-Cambrian and Cambrian-Vendian aquifers will be determined. As in Russia Ordovician-Cambrian groundwater is used simultaneously with Ordovician groundwater (no permanent aquitard), and taking into account increased vulnerability of Ordovician-Cambrian groundwater in Russia, the transboundary monitoring network should integrate also 2-3 monitoring stations the Ordovician aquifer in Estonian side. - Information from transboundary groundwater monitoring stations, the abstraction data and transboundary groundwater body’s status will be jointly evaluated by the groundwater specialists of both countries. Long-term variation of chloride and other characteristic components describing potential seawater intrusion risk at seashore areas and main well fields will be monitored and shared.
7.2.2 Sustainable exploitation of the water resources of River Narva and Narva Reservoir - The technical regulation of the use of Narva Reservoir will be agreed. The use of water resources of the reservoir will be organized according to the new regulation. - The minimum water level (24.55 m) in Narva Reservoir, which is sufficient for cooling of the thermal power plants were agreed between Russia and Estonia. The minimum water level will be re-agreed for keeping in Narva Reservoir water resources sufficient for cooling of the thermal power plants. Potential rising of the minimum water level will be discussed. - Organize the joint inspection of the hydraulic structures of the Narva hydropower plant in year 2006. Make proposals for repairs and maintenance works of the dam. - The use of water resources of the reservoir will be organised according to the bilateral agreement between Estonia and Russia on the use of Narva Reservoir. - New installations for the production of electricity at River Narva and other border areas will be built with bilateral agreements only.
36 7.2.3 Reduction of flood risks In Lake Peipsi region dangerously high water table have appeared more rarely than once a century. In both countries independent risk assessment related to potential great floods will be performed. Relevant mitigation and adaptation measures will be worked out.
7.3 Lake Peipsi/Chudskoe fishery management subprogramme The increasing number of fishermen requires measures to regulate the use and protection of fish resources in the basin. The improvement of the fishery management needs strict keeping of the restrictions to the commercial fishing in Peipsi, Lämmijärv and Pihkva/Pskovskoe lakes, agreed by Estonian Republic and Russian Federation in Joint Fishery Commission. The aim of those restrictions is to reduce the catches of the main commercial fish species by increasing the minimum landing size of pikeperch, setting limits to fishing time and fishing gear, and looking for new ways to increase the total value of the catch. The measures to improve fishery management are divided into two major groups: Environmental measures and Socio-Economic measures.
7.3.1 Environmental measures - Catch data collection. The catch data from the commercial sector (legal fishing) is satisfactory. However, the data reflecting the catches taken by free- time fishermen will be improved. Secondly, the evaluation of the scope and impact of poaching will be improved. - Combating overfishing. Through the decrease of growth overfishing of pikeperch stock the total value of catches could be raised remarkably in the long run. Minimum number of landing sizes will be set higher. New ways to increase the total value of the catch will be sought. There is now rather substantial catches taken by poachers (persons without any fishing rights or by fishermen violating the rules). The extent of poaching will be decreased. - Protection of fish spawning areas. In addition to Lake itself the commercial fish of Lake Peipsi use tributary rivers, lakes and streams for spawning. Preservation of the Lake fish stock requires protection of these areas. Spawning areas of valuable commercial fish, including declined Vendace, will be mapped, preserved and restored. Localisation of new buildings and other constructions will consider spawning areas of commercial fish. Timing, localization and technological solutions of water abstraction will avoid impacts to fish resources. Inventory, protection and restoration of the spawning areas must be carried out. Solution will be found to direct water to the spawning areas of salmon in the riverbed of Narva, which is now partly dry. - Fish migration. Today Narva hydroelectric plant may hinder the escapement of eels back to the spawning areas in the Atlantic Ocean. EU Common Fisheries Policy is calling to diminish sell of glass eels into such waterbodies where (at least some) fish unable migrate back to the spawning grounds. Today Lake Peipsi is one of such waterbodies, because migrating adults may die in the turbines of the power plant. Potential stocking of eels will be jointly assessed. The investigation and analyze of the efficiency of existing fish
37 ladder is necessary for the feasibility study to construct the new functioning path for eel. Russia will create sufficient flow of River Narva as well as viable and safe fish ladders to the reservoir dam to enable the migration of eels between Lake Peipsi and Gulf of Finland.
7.3.2 Socio-Economic measures - Development of fish farming. If technically and economically feasible, the use of artificial waterbodies – such as impounding reservoirs and ponds – for fish farming purposes will be promoted. Creation of new fish farms will be supported. - Ecotourism will be developed in Lake Peipsi/Chudskoe region. The region is valuable for its nature, cultural heritage and several tourist sites. The development of ecotourism requires improvement of road networks, marking nature roads and observation points, providing objects with information, offering local souvenirs, development of marketing networks etc. - Free-time fishery will be developed in the coastal villages. As the fish stock of Lake Peipsi and its fishing capacity is limited, an option for maintaining the income of fishery villages along the lakeshore is to increase the revenue from fish catch. As the revenue per kilogramme of fish is much higher in free-time fishery than in commercial fishery, free-time fishery in complex with other recreational activities is the key activity to solve local socio-economic problems.
7.4 Transboundary sub-programme of wildlife conservation Lake Peipsi/Chudskoe area has valuable wildlife. The most important endangered bird species are White-tailed Eagle, Osprey, Lesser Spotted Eagle, Golden Eagle and Black -t ailed Godwit. The most import fish requiring protection is Catfish. In addition, several rare botanical, amphibian and other species require protection. The aim of the sub-programme is to maintain favourable living conditions and protect the habitats of these species.
7.4.1 Establishment of Lake Peipsi/Chudskoe Transfrontier Ramsar Site Benefits of joining two separate Ramsar sites: • Recognition of joint nature values • Reproduction of fishing and hunting resources • Protection of several endangered species in population level • Genetic strengthening of big mammals • Enhanced spreading and migration of rare species • Elaboration of platforms for new ecological objectives, such as surveillance over the pollution rate, surveillance over fishing etc. Geographic specification. The joint site will integrate both the territories of the existing Emajõe Suursoo Mire and Piirissaare Island site as well as Pskovsko- Chudskaja Lakeside Lowland. It will cover Emajõe Suursoo Mire, Piirissaare Island, the entire land area between the rivers of Zhelcha and Chernaya (including the rivers
38 themselves), the eastern shore of the Lake Pihkva, the delta of the River Velikaya, and the entire Lake Lämmijärv (Figure 5, green area). Conservation measures. Joint conservation management plan will be worked out. Peat digging, clear cutting of forest and use of fertilisers and pesticides will be banned. Hunting, fishing between 15 May and 25 June, and the use of vehicles (except on some roads), grazing on the shores and islands up to until the 30th June will be pr o hibited. It is also forbidden to conduct any activities that might threaten wildlife. It will be forbidden to conduct any activities, which change the water level, to divert water for irrigation purposes, to discharge wastewater. Use of motorboats will be restricted. Semi-natural communities, especially flooded meadows, require stable c utting and other maintenance activities. Administration. The area will manage jointly by the Administration of Emajõe- Suursoo Landscape Protection Reserve and Pskov Regional Committee for Nature Protection. Joint a ctivities. Joint conservation management plan will be worked out based on above described conservation measures. Joint monitoring programmes will be elaborated. Information will be shared; data will be jointly managed (including GIS). Protected species will be listed. Information will be jointly disseminated to general public via TV, radio etc. Activities and other information will be jointly reported in international level.
7.4.2 Protection of rare species of Lake Peipsi/Chudskoe For the protection of botanic biodiversity the following measures will be applied: • Rare species habitats areas will be mapped and negative environmental impacts in their natural state will be prevented. • To improve the awareness and knowledge related to biodiversity, special visiting areas will be created. • Joint biological monitoring will compose the inventory of Lake Peipsi flora and fauna every five years. • Introduction of alien (non-native) species to Lake Peipsi/Chudskoe will be prohibited. measures against invaders will be promoted. Invasive species such as Perccottus glenii will be jointly combated.
7.5 Programme management Estoni a n Ministry of Environment is responsible for the implementation of the tasks of Es to nia within this programme. Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) of the Russia n Federation is responsible for Russian activities within the programme. The E s tonian-Russian Joint Commission for Protection and Sustainable Use of Trans- bound a ry Waters will analyze the implementation of programme every year.
7.5.1 Coordination of activities Coordinate activities within the whole drainage basin in both sides according to international requirements will be promoted. Coordination of international activities and exchange of information will be conducted in different levels.
39 Improvement of coordination and information exchange between the Commission of Protection and Sustainable Usage of Transboundary Waters and Commission of Fishing is needed. Improvement of the joint management of the transboundary waters and their natural resources needs: • Good coordination of the management and activities within the whole drainage basin between both sides in international, national and regional level; • Harmonization of the water regulations and environmental standards for transboundary waters and groundwater bodies; • Unification of the restrictions for environmentally hazardous objects with possible transboundary environmental impact; • Expand regional and international cooperation among partners; • Achieve more transparent decisions in disputable problems. Different interest groups, as local authorities, research organizations and active citizens will be involved into decisionmaking process; • For the implementation of this programme financial and other support will be jointly applied from national and international funds and organisations, interested in development of cooperation in the basin; • Achieve governmental and international support for monitoring of transboundary waters and groundwater bodies, focusing the criteria of the objectives of this programme; • Carry out scientific investigations for sustainable use and protection of natural resources, including water resources in the Lake Peipsi Basin; • Publication of annual report for public on the achievements in implementation of this programme.
7.5.2 Environmental monitoring Enviro n mental monitoring of transboundary water bodies will focus on the criteria of the o b jectives of this programme. The coordinated monitoring strategy and programme for next 15-20 years will be implemented. Choosing monitoring parameters is considered adequate regarding those parameters that are named in UN/ECE Monitoring Guidelines. Monitoring systems will be harmonised to achieve the comparability of environmental information. This can be achieved by using firm frameworks (confirmed in the agreement) of testing using analytical methods, following common system of analytical surveillance over quality and in the case, if all laboratories participate in interlaboratory testing-control. In addition to the agreement on analytics it is also important to achieve comparability in using methods of sampling. However, analytical methods may remain different. It is important also to follow-up the joint monitoring expeditions on Lake Peipsi once in summer and winter and on Narva Reservoir once in summer, using harmonised monitoring and sampling programme.
40 When having transboundary impact to Ordovician-Cambrian and Cambrian-Vendian groundwater aquifers, relevant information will be reflected in monitoring programmes of both sides.
7.5.3 Exchange of information Following transboundary coordination of activities and exchange of information will be imp r oved in different levels: • Water quality monitoring data and reports regarding Lake Peipsi/Chudskoe and its drainage basin will be permanently exchanged. Reports of the chemical and ecological status of Lake Peipsi, Narva River and Narva Reservoir will be published periodically. • Information on ground water monitoring and abstraction related to the transboundary aquifers will be communicated to the water specialists of both countries. • Every year or in two-year interval for the common description of the state of groundwater bodies, professional groundwater seminars will be organized for the formulation of the state of groundwater and publication of that in annual reports. • Information on fish catch (including recreational), poaching and other fisheries-related information will be better shared. • Information on the state of wildlife will be continuously shared.
7.5.4 Inspection Joint visits to the sites that have significant impact on environment (large wastewater treatment plants, hazardous waste dumping sites, mines, vast animal breeding compl e xes, power stations) will be organized. Information about their compliance with environmental requirements will be exchanged. Both countries will continue collecting data about wastewater discharges including amounts of wastewater and pollutant concentrations. As the most concerned pollutant is P, both sides will improve the control of P emissions. Russia will start measuring Ptot in wastewater effluents and P removal efficiency. Both countries will inspect manure management. To fight against poaching surveillance will be conducted by the relevant organisations within the border areas of Estonia and Russia. To combat poaching, fishing equipments, fishing organizations and fishermen will be controlled. To conduct surveillance over transboundary reserves, ecological surveillance institutions and border services of both countries will be involved. Joint checking will be organised periodically.
7.5.5 Lake Peipsi/Chudskoe public participation plan The objective of Public Participation Plan is better involvement of various stakeholders to the decision-making processes related to water management in Lake Peipsi/Chudskoe and its drainage basin. Estonia and Russia will undertake efforts to better inform public about water management problems and decision drafts. Public will be informed about
41 management problems and decision drafts related to Lake Peipsi and its drainage basin. Opinions of different stakeholders will be collected. Different interest groups, research organisations and other active citizens will be involved into the decision process regarding policy and management of Lake Peipsi.
7.5.6 Programme financing Programme measures will be financed by Estonian and Russian state budget as well as from the resources of local governments and organisations. Both countries will have national Water Management Plans with Plans of Measures, where the investments needs for implementation of the final tasks and objectives are or will be calculated. Transboundary aspects are involved in those plans. Accor d ing to calculations made in Viru-Peipsi CAMP project, the investments need for reducing the pollution at Estonian Narva River Sub-basin is 220 Mio €. The corresponding estimations in Russian Federation remain still due. Considering that th e Russian part holds approximately as many citizens as the Estonian part (500 000), needed investments to reduce the transboundary environmental impacts amount approximately 200 – 300 Mio €. More precise calculations for the Russian Federation will be given in the TACIS- project. For th e implementation of the programme, financial and other support will be jointly applied from national and international funds and organisations, interested in development of cooperation of the basin. The economical efficiency of implemented environmental measures will be periodically assessed according to harmonized methodology considering their impact to transboundary waters and groundwater bodies. The need for investments for the renovation of wastewater treatment plants and sewer systems in Russia is according to rough estimations (TACIS-project) 6.5 Mio €. Keeping in mind the priority importance of this measure to the status of Lake Peipsi/Chudskoe, every support to finish the treatment plant renovation of Pskov as soon as possible is very thankworthy. Both countries have to guarantee sufficient financial support for transboundary cooperation management. In Viru and Peipsi Sub-Basins Water Management Plans for that purpose 30 million Estonian crowns has been proposed to plan for time-period 2006-2014 for Estonian responsible organizations.
7.5.7 Accompanying studies For better planning of transboundary cooperation between Estonia and Russia the following accompanying studies are necessary: • The balance of nutrients in Lake Peipsi/Chudskoe will be jointly studied including inputs, outputs and retention capacity. • Bilateral understanding on the sustainable exploitation of the water resources of the Cambrian-Vendian Voronka and Ordovician-Cambrian ground water aquifers will be established. Ground water model covering the transboundary aquifers will be used for the analysis of potential abstractions and their impacts. • Lake Peipsi/Chudskoe ecosystem will be investigated in order to identify the roles of factors causing fish death to identify the options for their removal.
42 • Optimal fish catch rates as well as corresponding economic and other instruments will be jointly worked out. • Fish-farming potential and feasibility in River Narva and Narva Reservoir will be jointly assessed. • The impact of the dewatering of oil-shale mines to the Lake Peipsi, Narva River and Narva Reservoir should be jointly investigated; • Hydrometry of the source of the River Narva, sediment transport by Narva River, Narva Reservoir hydrometry and water management data will be jointly investigated. • Feasibility of building a water route between Gulf of Finland and Lake Peipsi will be jointly assessed.
43