More and more water reservoirs in forests

First small-scale water retention objects, constructed in the area of the State Forests within the framework of two projects involving forest adaptation to climate changes, have been successfully accepted. Small-scale water retention reservoirs, which serve to improve water management in forest, are to prepare forests for more frequent weather anomalies caused by climate change.
14.02.2019 | ANNA KRASOń, CKPŚ

First small-scale water retention objects, constructed in the area of the State Forests within the framework of two projects involving forest adaptation to climate changes, have been successfully accepted. Small-scale water retention reservoirs, which serve to improve water management in forest, are to prepare forests for more frequent weather anomalies caused by climate change.

Górno reservoir is the first such object for storing water. Located in Głogów Forest District it is one of several hundred reservoirs that will be built in forests.

This reservoir covers an area of 2.6 ha and was commissioned along with related facilities, such as drainage ditch and monk (the mechanism regulating water level). The object’s capacity and the volume of water it can store equals up to 30 000 m3. The total cost of reservoir construction accounted for 1.6 million PLN. Almost 70% of this amount was reimbursed by the EU funds, the rest was financed from the SF funds.

It is worth mentioning that each implementation of such a project is a time consuming and complex process. The projects involving forest and forestry adaptation to climate changes within the scope of small-scale water retention and counteracting hydric erosion within lowland and highland areas, were launched in the second half of 2016. Construction and modernization of any hydro-technical object, however, involve obtaining numerous acceptances and permissions, not only construction permit but also acceptance of the possible impact of an object on the environment. It is very crucial if the investment is being constructed in an environmentally precious area.
In case of Górno reservoir, its location was within protected landscape area where protected orchid species occur. The implementation of project required the relocation of plants to a new site, which was successfully performed under the supervision of a botanist.

To design an object is one thing, another one  is to find the company which will be responsible for commissioned construction works.

‘According to many forest districts, finding appropriate contractors is one of the biggest challenges within the project’ said Marta Mikulska, the head of the department coordinating both water retention projects in the Coordination Center for Environmental Projects (CKPŚ).

‘On the one hand, the labour market is suffering from the shortage of properly qualified employees and hydro-technical and environmental knowledge which would allow designing devices that fulfill the aims and assumptions of projects. On the other hand, the lack of companies that can perform designed projects on a best effort basis is becoming really perceptible’  she adds.

Despite the above mentioned difficulties the majority of forest districts have already completed the project documentation development stage and now move to the implementation stage.

First such objects were successfully accepted in highland forest districts at the end of 2018, including: culvert reconstruction in the Sucha Forest District by increasing its intersection, modernization of three fords (passage through stream) in the Bielsko Forest District, construction of a dozen of wooden roads on wetland skid tracks and roads in the Baligród, the Jeleśnia and the Limanowa forest districts.

Why is the forest water retention called ’small scale’? Mainly, in order to distinguish it from large artificial reservoirs generally associated with retention such as Lake Solina or Otmuchów Lake. Small-scale water retention include hundreds, or even thousands of small reservoirs and ponds scattered across Polish forests. On a national scale they are not very significant as far as flood protection is concerned , however, they are very important locally because they improve humidity conditions and store water resources.

Górno reservoir is the first out of 400 small-scale water retention reservoirs, that are to be constructed or modernized within the area of the State Forests by 2022 and will retain about 2.5 million m³ of water (data for both projects implemented within highland and lowland areas).

Apart from reservoirs, other infrastructure elements related to water will be constructed in forests. Among these are, for example, gates, fords or large culverts enabling migration of water organisms and easy transportation of river bed debris.

Activities involving reestablishing of swamp proper condition, that were dehumidified during previous land developments and areas adjusted to agricultural purposes (about 300 complex activities) play a crucial role in projects implemented especially in lowlands. On the other hand, the activities performed in mountainous areas more often are focused on preventing erosion, and involve the slowdown of rapid water drain from roads and skid tracks (intended for wood logging).