Case study:Restoration of Kalajoki River

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Location: 64° 15' 21.76" N, 23° 56' 36.51" E

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Project overview

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Status	Complete
Project web site
Themes
Country	Finland
Main contact forename	Kimmo
Main contact surname	Aronsuu (Kimmo.Aronsuu@ely-keskus.fi)
Main contact user ID
Contact organisation	Centre for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment for North Ostrobothnia
Contact organisation web site	http://www.ely-keskus.fi
Partner organisations
Parent multi-site project
This is a parent project encompassing the following projects	No

Restoration of Museokoski torrent (photo: Kimmo Aronsuu )

Project summary

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Since early 1900´s until early 2000´s there has been major river regulation measures done in the Kalajoki River. The river was dredged, straightened and embanked because of flood control, hydro power and log floating which significantly changed hydrological and morphological conditions in the river and affected the river as a habitat of aquatic organisms.

Since late 1970´s court ordered incorporated studies on effect on regulation measures on water quality, fish stocks and fishing into the rulings. Court also ordered compensational measures like fish stocking and rehabilitation measures which also included observation of the success of these measures. The river was restored to improve breeding conditions for lamprey and crayfish. Plan was to restore rapids total of 55 ha area in the lower reaches of Hamari. The aim was to create more natural conditions for migrating fish and other aquatiq organisms by building bypass channels, adding stones and gravel as and improving bank and bed of the river. The most significant restorations have been stocking of 4.7 million one summer old white fish in 1988-2010, restorations to improve reproduction conditions for creyfish and lamprey and stocking of 30 000 mature creyfish in 2003-2006. There has been also follow-up done to evaluate the effects of the restorations on crayfish, lamprey, fish stocks and the River Kalajoki as a habitat for aquatic organisms.

The government has been major actor in almost all of the water management projects in the River Kalajoki. Restorations were managed by Finnish environmental authority (Centre for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment for North Ostrobothnia). Restorations were done in co-operation with municipalities, local people and non governmental organizations. Estimated costs were about 1 million euros.

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Catchment and subcatchment

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Site

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Name	Kalajoki River Basin
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Desired post project morphology
Heavily modified water body	Yes
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Protected species present	No
Invasive species present	No
Species of interest	crayfish, lamprey, different fish species
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River corridor land use	Coniferous woodland (semi natural)
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Project background

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Reach length directly affected (m)
Project started	1994
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Project completed	2004/09/02
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Reasons for river restoration

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Mitigation of a pressure	Invasive species
Hydromorphology	Channel pattern/planform, Continuity for organisms, Quantity & dynamics of flow
Biology	Fish: Disturbance-sensitive species
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Measures

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