Preventing Biological and Physical River Deterioration through Initiative “Place a Stone

in a Stream” (GP8), Latvia

Andris Urtans,

Nature Conservation Agency, Latvia

Andris.urtans@daba.gov.lv

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