Case study:Restoration of the river Børselva

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Location: 68° 18' 13.95" N, 16° 42' 48.11" E

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Project overview

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Status	In progress
Project web site	http://www.borselva.no/bakgrunn/bakgrunn.php
Themes	Fisheries, Habitat and biodiversity, Hydropower, Hydromorphology, Land use management - agriculture, Monitoring
Country	Norway
Main contact forename	Lars
Main contact surname	Sæter
Main contact user ID
Contact organisation	County Governor of Nordland
Contact organisation web site	http://www.fylkesmannen.no/nordland
Partner organisations	The Norwegian Water Resources and Energy Directorate (NVE), Ballangen Energi AS, Norwegian Institute for Water Research (NIVA)
Parent multi-site project
This is a parent project encompassing the following projects	No

A newly opened (macrophyte removal) section of Børselva, including sedimentation pond (far left) and consecutive constructed wetlands. Source: Aanes et al 2016 (NIVA report 6900-2015)

Project summary

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In 1999, before the measures were carried out, there were problems with siltation and overgrowth of macrophytes in the river channel, due to the greatly reduced water flow resulting from hydropower production and agricultural drainage. There were very poor conditions for fish and other aquatic organisms. Nearly 70% of the water area in Børselva was covered by plants. Important habitats for wetland birds were in danger of disappearing. Large areas of trout spawning and growing areas were destroyed.

Measures implemented in the agricultural channel ("Bruksåskanalen") included erosion control, establishment of sedimentation ponds with vegetation filters and revegetation along the channel. Three paved thresholds were established in Børselva, with the laying of spawning gravel. 1 km of the overgrown part of the river was opened with an excavator and fiber fabric was laid, with stone and gravel on top. Dredging and opening of the rest of the Børselva with a large excavator ("Langemann") was carried out. Different water discharges in Børselva (from the dam in Børsvatnet) were tested - with the main focus on “flushing floods” and winter water flow.

Monitoring surveys and results

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The condition in 2019 after the rehabilitation work showed major environmental improvements, but the environmental objectives of good chemical status and good ecological potential have not yet been reached. Further measures are required to reduce agricultural runoff and to implement the final regime for environmentally based water discharges. As of 2019, the hydroelectric license is under review at NVE (The Norwegian Water Resources and Energy Directorate).

Litterature e.g.: www.fylkesmannen.no/contentassets/74f02cdd90cb485ea8def16785a345d3/ballangen---borselva---2016---etterundersokelser-etter-restaureringstiltak---vannvegetasjon-og-fisk---niva-rapp-7083-2016.pdf

Lessons learnt

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The measures in the Børselva watercourse (Børselvvassdraget) have created better water quality and hydrological continuity (open water flow) in the formerly overgrown watercourse. The flow levels have improved, self-cleaning has improved and pollution has been reduced. This has resulted in a more varied benthic fauna, better spawning and growing conditions for the trout and improved conditions for the bird fauna.

Image gallery

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Catchment and subcatchment Select a catchment/subcatchment Site Edit site Name Børselva WFD water body codes 172-5-R (EU-ID:NO172-5-R) WFD (national) typology RNM2321 WFD water body name Børselva Pre-project morphology Reference morphology Desired post project morphology Heavily modified water body No National/international site designation Norway - Naturreservat Local/regional site designations National Reserve Protected species present Yes Invasive species present No Species of interest Dominant hydrology Artificially regulated Dominant substrate River corridor land use Broadleaf/mixed woodland (semi natural), Improved/semi-improved grassland/pasture, Wetland, Tall herb/rank vegetation Average bankfull channel width category Average bankfull channel width (m) Average bankfull channel depth category Average bankfull channel depth (m) Mean discharge category Mean annual discharge (m3/s) 0.150.15 m³/s <br />150 l/s <br /> Average channel gradient category Average channel gradient Average unit stream power (W/m2) Project background Edit project background Reach length directly affected (m) Project started 1997/01/01 Works started Works completed Project completed Total cost category 100 - 500 k€ Total cost (k€) 296296 k€ <br />296,000 € <br /> Benefit to cost ratio Funding sources Ballangen Energi AS, The Norwegian Water Resources and Energy Directorate (NVE) Cost for project phases Phase cost category cost exact (k€) Lead organisation Contact forename Contact surname Investigation and design Stakeholder engagement and communication Works and works supervision Post-project management and maintenance Monitoring Reasons for river restoration Edit reasons for restoration Mitigation of a pressure Hydropower, Land drainage Hydromorphology Quantity & dynamics of flow Biology Fish, Macrophytes, Invertebrates, Water birds Physico-chemical Nutrient concentrations, Oxygen balance Other reasons for the project Measures Edit Measures Structural measures Bank/bed modifications Cut back of plants, Introduction of spawning gravels, Creation of mini-treshold, Creation of pools, sediment, Sediment trap building Floodplain / River corridor Erosion protection Planform / Channel pattern Other Non-structural measures Management interventions Reduced pollution, Flow management Social measures (incl. engagement) Other Monitoring Hydromorphological quality elements Edit Hydromorphological quality elements Element When monitored Type of monitoring Control site used Result Before measures After measures Qualitative Quantitative Continuity for organisms Yes Yes Yes No No Improvement Substrate conditions Yes Yes Yes No No Inconclusive Quantity & dynamics of flow Yes Yes No Yes No Inconclusive Biological quality elements Edit biological quality elements Element When monitored Type of monitoring Control site used Result Before measures After measures Qualitative Quantitative Fish Yes Yes No Yes No Improvement Invertebrates Yes Yes No Yes No Improvement Macrophytes Yes Yes No Yes No No change Physico-chemical quality elements Edit Physico-chemical quality elements Element When monitored Type of monitoring Control site used Result Before measures After measures Qualitative Quantitative Nutrient concentrations Yes Yes No Yes No Improvement Any other monitoring, e.g. social, economic Edit Other responses Element When monitored Type of monitoring Control site used Result Before measures After measures Qualitative Quantitative Monitoring documents Upload monitoring documents Additional documents and videos Upload additional documents Additional links and references Edit links and references Link Description http://www.fylkesmannen.no/contentassets/74f02cdd90cb485ea8def16785a345d3/ballangen---borselva---2016---etterundersokelser-etter-restaureringstiltak---vannvegetasjon-og-fisk---niva-rapp-7083-2016.pdf NIVA report 6900-2015 (2015): "Børselvvassdraget, Ballangen kommune 2014-2015" http://faktaark.naturbase.no/?id=VV00000213 Website in Norwegian http://felles.naturbase.no/api/dokument/hent/18653.PDF Pamphlet in Norwegian http://https://niva.brage.unit.no/niva-xmlui/bitstream/handle/11250/211783/4560 72dpi.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y NIVA report 4560-2002 (2002): "Børselvprosjektet rapport nr 8. Sluttrapport for del-prosjekt: Minstevannføring og begroingsproblematikk i Børselv-vassdraget" http://https://www.fylkesmannen.no/contentassets/74f02cdd90cb485ea8def16785a345d3/ballangen---borselva---2016---etterundersokelser-etter-restaureringstiltak---bunnfauna---oksygeninnhold---vannforing--niva-rapp-7083-2016.pdf NIVA report 7083-2016 (2016): "Børselv-vassdraget, Ballangen kommune: Undersøkelser av bunnfauna, oksygenforhod vinterstid samt vannføring og vannstandsvariasjoner etter restaureringstiltak" http://https://niva.brage.unit.no/niva-xmlui/handle/11250/2478671 NIVA reåprt 7148-2017 (2017): "Etterundersøkelser av makrovegetasjon og vannkjemi i Børselva 2016" http://https://niva.brage.unit.no/niva-xmlui/bitstream/handle/11250/2415217/5967-2010.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y NIVA report 5967-2010 (2010): Fiskeundersøkelser i Børselvvassdraget, Ballangen kommune, 2009" Supplementary Information Edit Supplementary Information