Implementation of River Basin Management Plan in the Vistula basin on the example of Pilica river catchment

The Vistula river basin covers eastern Poland and accounts for almost 60% (about 183 000 km2) of the countrys surface area. It covers the territory of 11 voivodeships (administrative divisions similar to provinces). This project concerns the basins Pilica river catchment, an area of over 9 200 km2 covering the territory of 93 municipalities and five voivodeships. The catchment contains four landscape parks (protected areas in Poland), 60 nature reserves and 34 Natura 2000 sites. There are 126 bodies of surface water in the Pilica catchment, 16 of which are designated as heavily modified and 110 are natural. Due to their high natural and cultural values, the Pilica catchment zone and the Sulejw Reservoir are important tourist sites of d Voivodeship. The EU Water Framework Directive requires Member States to achieve good ecological and chemical status for all bodies of water. However, assessment of those in the Vistula river basin carried out for the second cycle of river basin management plans (based on data from 2010-2012) showed that just 23% of the rivers in the Vistula basin had achieved good status. Only 21% of all water bodies in the Pilica river catchment had achieved good status.
The upper and middle part of the Pilica river catchment were the subject of the LIFE+ project EKOROB (LIFE08 ENV/PL/000519). This resulted in an action plan for reducing diffuse pollution in the Pilica catchment to achieve good ecological status of water in Sulejw Reservoir. The Pilica river catchment is one of 15 demonstration areas taking part in the Horizon 2020 project RECONECT.
OBJECTIVES
The main goal of the IP LIFE PL Pilica Basin CTRL project is to improve water quality in the Pilica river catchment. Actions will focus on intensifying the implementation of various measures within the Pilica catchment (including in Natura 2000 sites and other protected areas) and building capacity in the Vistula basin. The measures originate from the Vistula River Basin Management Plan (RBMP), flood risk management plans and the action plan to reduce pollution in Pilica catchment developed in the LIFE+ EKOROB project. IP LIFE PL Pilica Basin CTRL will therefore contribute to implementation of the EU Water Framework Directive.
The specific actions planned include:
Raising ecological awareness in the agricultural sector through a wide range of demonstration and ecological activities;
Providing support for waste water management in rural areas by developing strategic documents for local authorities (at the processing stage) and supporting fundraising from diverse sources;
Supporting waterretention measures and improvement of the hydromorphological conditions of streams, by producing technical documentation for the national water authority, and fundraising from different sources; and
Pilot investments in blue-green infrastructure and ecosystem biotechnology for controlling non-point pollution in rural areas, for increasing retention and purification of stormwater in urban areas and for adapting urban water systems to climate change.
On top of the project budget, IP LIFE PL Pilica Basin CTRL will facilitate the coordinated use of almost 175 million in complementary funding from the EU (EAFRD/PROW, ERDF/RPO, CF-ERDF/POIi), international sources (MF EOG-NMF) and national funds (Ministry of Environment/NFOiGW, WFOiGW). This will finance complementary actions namely, investments in waste water management, improving the hydromorphological conditions of streams and restoring Sulejw Reservoir and help to further increase the implementation of the RBMP in the Pilica catchment.
RESULTS
Expected results:
Environmental objectives up to the level of 60% achieved in the Pilica river catchment;
Reduction in blue-green algal blooms in Sulejw Reservoir by 25%;
Increase in ecosystem services (e.g. tourism) in the Pilica catchment of 20%;
Increase in awareness about the Vistula RBMP among general society by 30% (e.g. through greater engagement of stakeholders during consultation about the RBMPs third cycle);
Development of a web portal and interactive database for managing water resources in the Pilica catchment and system support for investment projects in the RBMP;
Reduced municipal pressure on water resources in the Pilica catchment, thanks to new or updated municipal waste water programmes and measures in rural areas, climate change adaptation plans for five cities, and 10 demonstration biofiltration systems using sequential sedimentation;
Reduced pressure from agriculture in the Pilica catchment through: training of 660 agricultural advisors and 935 farmers; info-educational campaigns; involvement of 11 secondary agricultural schools in the project, training of 50 teachers and 2 510 pupils; and 16 farms demonstrating effective management of nutrients;
Water retention improved and stream connectivity restored, along with restoration of old river beds and/or riverside wetlands. Documents prepared on restoration/modernization of weirs with fish passes and on reconstruction of wetlands and old river beds, five inventories of nature and hydrology;
Capacity building to support implementation of the RBMP, through conferences, workshops, stakeholder platform meetings and media campaigns; and
Transfer of tools and schemes to the rest of the Vistula basin enabled thanks to experience gained from actions implemented in the Pilica catchment (e.g. developing paths for fundraising, supporting communes with waste water management and control tools).