Journal of Ecological Engineering Volume 15, No. 3, July 2014, pp. 90–96 DOI: 10.12911/22998993.1109130 Review Article THE PRESENT CONDITION OF SMALL WATER RETENTION AND THE PROSPECTS OF ITS DEVELOPMENT USING THE EXAMPLE OF THE PODLASKIE VOIVODESHIP Joanna Szczykowska1, Anna Siemieniuk1 1 Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Bialystok University of Technology, Wiejska 45b, 15-351 Białystok, Poland, e-mail: [email protected] Received: 2014.03.17 ABSTRACT Accepted: 2014.06.06 The necessity and purposefulness of the investments related to water retention are Published: 2014.07.01 justified mostly due to the preservation of the environment equilibrium as well as due to its farming, anti-flood, landscape and recreation aspects. Reasonable water manage- ment where various forms of retention are used gives large chances for the mitigation of the effects of unfavorable phenomena related to its insufficient amount. The cre- ation of plans regarding the formation of reservoirs accumulating water is not nec- essarily synonymous with their realization. The reason of problems connected with the implementation of plans regarding the formation of new reservoirs lies mainly in financial measures and in problems with obtaining them. Water deficit in Poland is the reason for which the principles of its national usage need to be complied with. Real- ization of plans at both Voivodeship and municipality level that are focused on small retention will contribute to considerable increase in the retention capacity and will en- able considerable increase in available resources in hydrographic catchments of both the characterized area and the entire country. The paper presents the characteristics of the present state and assumes the perspective development of small water retention in the Podlaskie Voivodeship using the example of the Podlaskie Voivodeship. Keywords: small water retention, water reservoirs, small retention programs, Pod- laskie Voivodeship. INTRODUCTION whereas as the type of non-steerable retention it has small significance for anti-flood protection. Small water retention means accumulation Its asset is the totality of local impacts which of water in small reservoirs as the consequence have considerable influence on farming, forestry of retardation or deceleration of water flow in and natural environment. the situation of simultaneous conservation and Apart from the improvement of the water bal- diversification of the natural landscape. In low- ance of catchments, small retention objects per- lying areas small retention denotes mainly in- form also various economic functions, mostly on creasing the possibilities of retention and also the local level, such as: small water power engi- counteracting drought and flood. In mountain- neering, breeding of fish, source of water irriga- ous areas the aim of small retention is coun- tions in farming and forestry and also in recre- teracting the effects of outflow of precipitation ation. Not only do catchments serve accumulation waters. The positive impact of small retention of water, but they also have impact on increase in reactions which cause increase in the retention the retention of surface water in adjoining areas possibilities of small catchments on the water and perform numerous functions related to the balance does not raise any doubts and is widely environment and nature. The main functions in- accepted. However, its role in shaping global clude: improvement of water quality, reduction water resources on the country level is slight, in the water erosion of soils and watercourses, 90 Journal of Ecological Engineering vol. 15(3), 2014 increase in biological diversity and also the im- Extreme phenomena, which are caused by provement of landscape values and microclimatic water factors, such as flood or drought are of conditions. One of the possibilities of having ra- natural type. Rising watercourses or periods with tional water management of the region are devel- small atmospheric precipitation and low flows opment programs devoted to small retention for are nothing new in nature. It is only in combina- a certain area, Voivodeship or river catchment. tion with man’s activity related to improper water Small retention programs constitute the basis management and when natural changeability of for undertaking complex investment activities in water resources in space and time is taken into planning and realization of activities which can consideration that real dangers can appear [4]. be carried out using a relatively small number of The prevention of drought effects as well as anti- measures and the purpose of which is to construct flood protection are the tasks for both govern- various forms of small retention. The realization mental and local administration. One of the basic of the assumptions of small retention develop- prevention activities focused on the protection ment programs is the task for Voivodeship self- from such dangers are retention reservoirs. They governments and also for the Regional Water are becoming a crucial, yet frequently underes- Management Boards and for the Boards of Me- timated element both in the situation of drought lioration and Water Systems of particular regions. and flood. The key purpose of forming retention However, the activities related to the shaping of reservoirs, irrespective of various assumptions, water resources are unfortunately not the invest- will always be the expansion of water resources. ments that yield income in a direct way. The most important tasks of small retention in- clude also: • formation of groundwaters by increasing their WATER RESOURCES OF PODLASKIE surface, which results also in larger dampness VOIVODESHIP of habitats, • regulation and control of water circulation in The resources of surface waters in the Pod- the environment, laskie Voivodeship include running water of riv- • increase in the amount of water by means of ers, canals and, periodically, also of ditches as storing it, i.e. protection and renewal of water well as lakes, reservoirs, fish-breeding ponds, resources, swamps and marshy areas. The river system in • water supply for people, Podlaskie Voivodeship is well developed, yet its • obtainment of energy, configuration is mainly the result of the landform • flood protection through taking over a certain and is related to the Narew river. The occurrence capacity of flood wave and decelerating its of groundwaters is, to a large degree, dependent rapid travel down the river, on the structure and origin of rocks, hypsom- • fire protection, etry, deposition of scarcely permeable layers and • usage as a watering place for both wild and on the granulation. The most hydrated areas are farm animals, the river basins of Narew and Biebrza [1]. The • improvement of aesthetic, landscape and eco- Northern part of the Voivodeship is abounding logical qualities of the environment, with natural reservoirs of stagnant waters. The • stoppage of pollutions in typically farming total number of lakes in the following three dis- catchments, tricts: Augustowski, Suwalski and Sejneński is • recreation and decoration functions, 250. Water systems enrich ponds, canals and dam • breeding of fish or waterfowl, i.e. farming reservoirs, among which Siemianówka reservoir functions [5]. is the largest one [2]. The remaining area does not have large reservoirs of stagnant water. The larg- Poland’s accession to the European Union has est canal in the Voivodeship is Augustowski canal changed the approach to the formation of large (more than 100 km of length), which connects and small water reservoirs. As the basic purpose Augustowskie lake district with Biebrza river. At there was taken water management at the source present, melioration facilities in Podlasie require of forming water resources, i.e. in forests and on large financial outlays in order to function prop- farmlands. It has crucial impact on the quality erly. However, most facilities need to be modern- and quantity of these resources. The experience ized or exchanged for new ones [3]. gained till that moment shows that they did not 91 Journal of Ecological Engineering vol. 15(3), 2014 ensure good results at all times [6]. For that rea- The 22 reservoirs described below include not son it is necessary to implement new methods in only 12 reservoirs which have been completed in the management of water resources, whereas the the recent years, but also other 10 reservoirs which shift in the approach to this issue was caused by were formed in the previous years. Retention res- Poland’s entry into the EU. The new approach to ervoirs are not located in a uniform manner. Most water management ensues from the resolutions of them are localized in the southern and central of the “Water Law” act as well as from the rec- part of the Voivodeship . The approximate loca- ommendations of the Framework EU Water Di- tions of retention objects in the Voivodeship were rective. Both documents focus on the necessity presented in Figure 1. Consecutive points on the of water management at the level of a particular map correspond with certain retention reservoirs catchment as well as on the aspiration to achieve located in the Voivodeship: “good ecological status of waters” – as the main 1. Complex of retention reservoirs in Siemiaty- aim of the Framework Water Directive of the Eu- cze. ropean Union [7]. 2. Small water retention reservoir Grodzisk. The actions taken in connection with small 3. Water reservoir in Ciechanowiec. retention constitute one of the elements that meet 4. Small water