LIFE Project Number LIFE07 NAT/DK/000100 Progress Report Covering the project activities from 01.7.2009 to 28.02.2011 Reporting Date 28.02.2011 LIFE+ PROJECT NAME Re-establishing a natural water flow level in the river system “Mølleåen” LIFE Project Number LIFE07 NAT/DK/000100 Progress Report Covering the project activities from 01.7.2009 to 28.02.2011 Reporting Date 28.02.2011 LIFE+ PROJECT NAME Re-establishing a natural water flow level in the river system “Mølleåen” Data Project Project location Denmark, north of Copenhagen Project start date: 01.01.2009 Project end date: 30.06.2011 Requested? Extension date: 30.06.2012? Total budget € 4.669.642 EC contribution: € 2.334.821 (%) of eligible costs 50% Data Beneficiary Name Beneficiary Danish Nature Agency Contact person Ms Ida Dahl-Nielsen Postal address Gillelejevej 2B, DK-3230 Græsted, Denmark Telephone + 45 48465600 (24) Fax: + 45 48465601 E-mail [email protected] Project Website http://www.naturstyrelsen.dk/Naturbeskyttelse/Naturprojekter/Projekter/Hovedstade n/Molleasystemet/ Progress report LIFE07/NAT/DK/000100 2 PROGRESS REPORT STRUCTURE: 1. Table of contents 1 Table of contents p. 3 2. Executive summary p. 4 3. Administrative part p. 8 4. Technical part p. 9 5. Financial part p. 26 6. Annexes p. 27 Project area Progress report LIFE07/NAT/DK/000100 3 2. Executive summary 2.1 General progress The LIFE-project Re-establishing a natural water flow level in the river system “Mølleåen” ( LIFE07 NAT/DK/000100) was started the 1. January 2009. An inception report was made in august 2009 covering the period from January 1st 2009 to June 30th 2009. This progress report covers the period from July 1st 2009 to February 28th 2011. The purpose of the progress report is to give the necessary information for the Commission to evaluate the status of the project, the aspect of the work plan, the financial situation of the project and whether the project is on track towards achieving its objectives, or whether there are serious delays. The progress report is sent both to the EU Commission and to the external monitoring team Astrale. The report is available in paper and electronic versions. The overall main objective of the project is to contribute to a favourable conservation status of European river systems by demonstrating how to re-establish a natural water flow level by transporting sufficiently treated wastewater back into the river system. And its general objective is to establish better conditions for the 4 NATURA 2000 sites, 8 habitat types, 4 habitat species and the biodiversity in the project area. The project contains different specific activities: • Re-establishment of a natural water flow level of the river system by transporting adequately treated wastewater back to the river system. Treated wastewater that is currently being directed to the marine recipient “Øresund” will receive further advanced treatment to ensure high water quality. On average 200l/s will be transported back into the upper river by establishing a pipeline (app. 3.5 km) from the wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) “Mølleåværket” to Lake Kalvemosen upstream. • Restoration of Lake Vejle and Lake Søllerød with a neutralization of the potentially leachable phosphorus sediment by the application of a phosphor immobilisation product (e.g. aluminium, Phoslock, sediment removal). This will be described and decided in the EIA. • The small watercourse connecting Lake Kalvemosen to Lake Vejle will be expanded to ensure sufficient space to absorb the increased water flow. • Watercourse restoring two sections of Hestetangs Å and Vassingerødløbet – the upper part of river Mølleåsystemet. There will be established re-meandering and elevation of streambed etc. on 1.7 km of river. • Clearing of app 15.8 ha of trees and shrubs and expansion of grazing enclosures at the two locations Vaserne and Klevads Mose. This work is now finished. Expected results from the project are: • To re-establish a natural water flow in the lower part of the river ecosystem. The water flow will be augmented with about 200 l/s and this will ensure a permanent minimum water flow throughout the year in this part of the river. • The increased water flow will directly improve the conservation status of the watercourse (habitat 3260). Ass an added benefit this is also expected to improve conditions for the alluvial forests (91E0*) and petrifying springs (habitat 7220*) Progress report LIFE07/NAT/DK/000100 4 along the river downstream and improve the suitability of habitats for the whorl snail Vertigo moulinsiana. • The increased water flow will considerably improve the water quality by reducing the concentrations of P in the river system. This will directly improve the conservation status of the watercourses (habitat 3260) and the lakes which the water passes through. • Furthermore, the increased water flow will have a profound positive effect on the entire river ecosystem with all is habitat types and species and thereby benefit biodiversity in general. The river ecosystem will become more robust and resilient to external disturbances, both present disturbances such as nutrient load and emerging disturbances such as the effects of changed precipitation patterns due to a changing climate. Thus this project constitutes an important step in mitigating adverse effects of climate change to the river system. • Hestetangs Å and Vassingrødløbet. Improved conservation status of the watercourse (habitat 3260) and complying with the local conditions of the EU Waterframe Directive • Clearing of scrubs in Klevads Mose and Vaserne will improve the conservation status for the 6230 species-rich Nardus grassland (3.2 ha), 7140 transition mires and quaking bogs (2.6 ha), 7220* petrifying springs (0,5 ha) and 7230 alkaline fens (0.5 and 1.1 ha). Moreover, this action will improve the conservation status of three annex listed species: Triturus cristatus cristatus, Leucorrhina pectoralis and Vertigo moulinsiana. • European wide dissemination to relevant persons and organisations of the results and the lessons learned regarding transporting adequately treated wastewater back to a river system to restore a natural water flow. • Finally the project will increase public awareness and support for conservation actions in the river ecosystem, and promote NATURA 2000 and LIFE+. Summary of section 3 – 6 of the report Section 3: Administrative part There is good co-operation between the people working in the project. Meetings have taken place in the different groups: steering committee, project groups and stakeholder group, see annex 1 and the organigramme section 3. Within this report period a public guided tour has been held with the participation of 140 citizens. A large information meeting is expected to take place when an EIA report is available. Section 4: Technical development The Danish Nature Agency, the competent authorities for Environmental Impact assessment (EIA), has decided that the project with action A1, C1, C2, and C3 must undergo a full (EIA). This means that these activities are delayed. According to action A1 cooperation with the Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA) has been made and an announcement for a catalogue of ideas has been posted. There is a time schedule for the EIA- process which can bee seen in 4.1. The process is progressing as fast as possible. Progress report LIFE07/NAT/DK/000100 5 The EIA has effect in the different activities of C1, C2 and C3, which have not yet been started. Action A2 Restoration of watercourses is still waiting for permission from The Danish Nature Agency and we expect this to come soon. This influences Action C4. We expect C4 to be done in the fall of 2011. Activity C5 Clearing of scrubs and trees and expansion of grazing enclosures has been finished according to the LIFE application and with great success. Activity E Activity E follows the plan in the application. Some of the actions under Activity E are a little delayed because of the EIA. Section 5: Financial issues The financial issues are on track according to the EU application. App. 7 % of the total budget has been used. Section 6: Annex Annex 1. Project progress monitoring protocol and documents for actions. 2.2 Assessment as to whether the project objectives and work plan are still viable The project is still viable although it is necessary to make more applications than expected. This has also been announced in the inception report, which means that the activities C1, C2 and C3 will start later than expected. The Danish Nature Agency and the municipals still want to fulfil the project and the Danish Nature Agency has granted the money for the EIA. The Activities C5 has been be completed before the time set in the application. This has been done because people want to see tangible results “in the field” from the whole LIFE- project. List of key deliverables and outputs during the course of the report period can be seen below. 2.3 Problems encountered The progress of the project according to the plan is running late for some of the actions. During the work with the project Action C1, C2, and C3 (“Rent vand i Mølleåsystemet” RE-FLOW) it is clear that more permissions than expected are necessary. However this is not considered as a major problem. As the commission has been told in the modification request July 2010 it will not be possible to finish the project before the 30.06.2012 which is 1 year later than set in the original time schedule. Below are mentioned the most needed permissions: Progress report LIFE07/NAT/DK/000100 6 EIA The Environment Centre Roskilde now the Danish Nature Agency are the official authority regarding Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA) in the project area. They have decided that an EIA is needed. Their decision can be seen here: http://www.naturstyrelsen.dk/NR/rdonlyres/5B0277FC-9BE4-4469-98C1- FEDFC637BEAC/119213/AfgrelseomVVMpligtpMlle.doc http://www.naturstyrelsen.dk/NR/rdonlyres/5B0277FC-9BE4-4469-98C1- FEDFC637BEAC/119214/MlleVVMscreening_endelig.doc The EIA process has been started and the catalogue of ideas has been announced so the public have had the possibility to voice their opinion on the project.