preventing biological and physical river deterioration through initiative “place a stone in a...
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Preventing Biological and Physical River Deterioration through Initiative “Place a Stone
in a Stream” (GP8), Latvia
Andris Urtans,
Nature Conservation Agency, Latvia
Dublin, June 15.2011.
General Information
• Area of Latvia 64 00 sq.km• 12.4 thousand watercourses
and 2000 lakes• Water (lakes &rivers) covers
about 2,4% of Latvia• Total length of rivers about • 37 500km• 777 streams longer than 10 km• About 30% of total stream
length are meliorated (Deepened, straigthened etc)
• 17 rivers longer than 100 km• 2 rivers longer than 300 km• Population about 2 mln,
Beavers 100.000
General information
•
-Eutrophication
Cease of Human activities added with misunderstanding of coastal belt functionality
Coastal belt on former agricultural area abandoned for fifty years. Break of short life Alnus incana stands. Tunnelled river stretches
Increase of forest felling in the catchment promoting sedimentation and erosion. Beavers. Cease of management activities.
Sedimentation
Initiative “Place a Stone in a Stream”
Stone Phenomenon
• Stone surface covered with “biofilm” acting as wastewater treatment unit
• Stones as an mechanical aerators (especially during summer periods with low natural oxygen saturation)
• Stones as a diverse microhabitats
• Possible/innovative Climate Change mitigation tool.
5 – 10 sq.m riffle area transforms wastes generated by one person
Covered by erosional sediment stone surfaces becomes inactive. (L.Engeles foto)
Latvian rivers becomes silent.
Listen :Living river feature – You can hear it !!!
A single fallen tree can become an obstacle
.rocketing erosion and destroying productive habitats
Another scale. Where the river has disappeared?
Salacgriva fishermen Club in Vitrupe, 2010.g.october
Result
Phosphorus and human neglection
Volunteers at work. One day later
Sun, good company and visible result
Sometimes blisters appears
Low cost, locally motivating, visible result
Everybody can do and see result
Initiative Leaflet produced on how to install stones
Introducing the Initiative to the President of Latvia Dr.V.Zatlers 30.05.2010.
Many enjoy final result. Visibility. Initiative is supported by UNESCO Latvian National Commission