Case study:Restoration of Vesselina River
Project overview
Status | Complete |
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Project web site | |
Themes | Hydromorphology |
Country | Bulgaria |
Main contact forename | Ivan |
Main contact surname | Hristov |
Main contact user ID | |
Contact organisation | WWF Danube Carpathian programme Bulgaria |
Contact organisation web site | http://www.wwf.bg |
Partner organisations | |
Parent multi-site project | |
This is a parent project encompassing the following projects |
No |
Project summary
WWF together with local people from Mindya village in the region of Veliko Turnovo, restored the connection of Veselina River, a tributary of Yantra, with its former meander near the village. When the river meander was cut off back in time, the river dug nearly 150 cm deeper into its bed, so now a threshold had to be built to raise its level enough for enabling it run back to its old bed.
The project objective is by conducting a number of technical, environmental and forest management activities to achieve ecosystem restoration of the river Vesselina in particular: • Conservation and restoration of biodiversity in isolated old bed of the river and correction of Vesselina river near by Mindya village; • Create favorable conditions for development of recreation and tourism in the region; • Reduce the level of flood risk; • Optimization of groundwater level and reduce the impact of drought and floods on agricultural land in river terrace; • Reduction of erosion; • Increased self-purification capacity of water flow in the region of isolated old bed of the river.
Monitoring surveys and results
Lessons learnt
Catchment and subcatchment
Edit the catchment and subcatchment details
(affects all case studies in this subcatchment)
Catchment
River basin district | Danube |
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River basin | Yantra River |
Subcatchment
River name | Vesselina |
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Area category | 100 - 1000 km² |
Area (km2) | |
Maximum altitude category | 200 - 500 m |
Maximum altitude (m) | |
Dominant geology | Calcareous |
Ecoregion | Pontic Province |
Dominant land cover | Woodland |
Waterbody ID |
Site
Name | |
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WFD water body codes | BG1YN130R029 |
WFD (national) typology | BGTR7 |
WFD water body name | |
Pre-project morphology | Straightened |
Reference morphology | Sinuous |
Desired post project morphology | |
Heavily modified water body | true |
National/international site designation | EU - Special Protected Area |
Local/regional site designations | |
Protected species present | |
Invasive species present | |
Species of interest | |
Dominant hydrology | Artificially regulated |
Dominant substrate | Gravel |
River corridor land use | Woodland |
Average bankfull channel width category | 5 - 10 m |
Average bankfull channel width (m) | |
Average bankfull channel depth category | 0.5 - 2 m |
Average bankfull channel depth (m) | |
Mean discharge category | |
Mean annual discharge (m3/s) | |
Average channel gradient category | |
Average channel gradient | |
Average unit stream power (W/m2) |
Project background
Reach length directly affected (m) | |
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Project started | 2005/09/01 |
Works started | 2007/09/01 |
Works completed | 2008/04/01 |
Project completed | |
Total cost category | 50 - 100 k€ |
Total cost (k€) | 7676 k€ <br />76,000 € <br /> |
Benefit to cost ratio | |
Funding sources | WWF, DOEN Foundation |
Cost for project phases
Phase | cost category | cost exact (k€) | Lead organisation | Contact forename | Contact surname |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Investigation and design | 10 - 50 k€ | ||||
Stakeholder engagement and communication | 1 - 10 k€ | ||||
Works and works supervision | 1 - 10 k€ | ||||
Post-project management and maintenance | Less than 1 k€ | ||||
Monitoring | Less than 1 k€ |
Reasons for river restoration
Mitigation of a pressure | Riparian development |
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Hydromorphology | Continuity for organisms |
Biology | Fish: Species composition |
Physico-chemical | |
Other reasons for the project | Landscape enhancement |
Measures
Structural measures
| |
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Bank/bed modifications | |
Floodplain / River corridor | |
Planform / Channel pattern | |
Other | |
Non-structural measures
| |
Management interventions | |
Social measures (incl. engagement) | |
Other |
Monitoring
Hydromorphological quality elements
Element | When monitored | Type of monitoring | Control site used | Result | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Before measures | After measures | Qualitative | Quantitative | |||
Continuity for organisms | No change |
Biological quality elements
Element | When monitored | Type of monitoring | Control site used | Result | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Before measures | After measures | Qualitative | Quantitative | |||
Fish: Species composition | Improvement |
Physico-chemical quality elements
Element | When monitored | Type of monitoring | Control site used | Result | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Before measures | After measures | Qualitative | Quantitative |
Any other monitoring, e.g. social, economic
Element | When monitored | Type of monitoring | Control site used | Result | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Before measures | After measures | Qualitative | Quantitative |
Monitoring documents
Image gallery
Additional documents and videos
Additional links and references
Link | Description |
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http://www.veliko-tarnovo.bg/bg/ | Veliko Tarnovo municipality |
http://www.wwf.bg/ | WWF-Bulgaria |