Case study:The Cernovca Restoration Project
Project overview
Status | Complete |
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Project web site | |
Themes | Habitat and biodiversity |
Country | Romania |
Main contact forename | Marian |
Main contact surname | Tudor |
Main contact user ID | |
Contact organisation | The Danube Delta National Institute for Research and Development, Tulcea |
Contact organisation web site | http://www.ddni.ro |
Partner organisations | The Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve Authority |
Parent multi-site project | |
This is a parent project encompassing the following projects |
No |
Project summary
Until the 20th century vast areas of the Danube Delta faced only minimal human impacts through extensive fishery and reed harvesting. Since then the Danube Delta has undergone multiple human impacts like embankment, channelization and drainage. Moreover, large areas were diked and the polders used for agriculture.
The Cernovca polder (1.580ha) was reconnected to the Danube in 1996, and recovery has been monitored by the Danube Delta National Institute for Research and Development Tulcea.
Within a few years a redevelopment of the site-specific biodiversity occurred and ecosystem services like nutrient retention and fish recruitment became obvious.
Additionally, the reconnected polder enable reed harvesting, grazing, fishing and ecotourism.
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 | Danube Delta |
Subcatchment
River name | Chilia Branch |
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Area category | Less than 10 km² |
Area (km2) | 2.102.1 km² <br />210 ha <br /> |
Maximum altitude category | Less than 100 m |
Maximum altitude (m) | 2.42.4 m <br />0.0024 km <br />240 cm <br /> |
Dominant geology | Organic (i.e. Peat) |
Ecoregion | Pontic Province |
Dominant land cover | Grassland, Reed |
Waterbody ID |
Other case studies in this subcatchment: The Babina Restoration Project
Site
Name | Agricultural polder Cernovca |
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WFD water body codes | RORW14.1_B6 |
WFD (national) typology | RO15 |
WFD water body name | |
Pre-project morphology | Embanked, Agricultural land |
Reference morphology | Sinuous, Artificial channel |
Desired post project morphology | |
Heavily modified water body | No |
National/international site designation | International - RAMSAR site |
Local/regional site designations | Biosphere Reserves |
Protected species present | No |
Invasive species present | No |
Species of interest | |
Dominant hydrology | Artificially regulated, Wetland |
Dominant substrate | Sand, Clay |
River corridor land use | Grassland, Wetland |
Average bankfull channel width category | 10 - 50 m |
Average bankfull channel width (m) | |
Average bankfull channel depth category | 0.5 - 2 m |
Average bankfull channel depth (m) | 1.501.5 m <br />0.0015 km <br />150 cm <br /> |
Mean discharge category | more than 1000 m³/s |
Mean annual discharge (m3/s) | 36063,606 m³/s <br />3,606,000 l/s <br /> |
Average channel gradient category | |
Average channel gradient | 0.015 |
Average unit stream power (W/m2) |
Project background
Reach length directly affected (m) | |
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Project started | 1991/01/01 |
Works started | 1996/01/01 |
Works completed | 1996/01/01 |
Project completed | |
Total cost category | 1 - 10 k€ |
Total cost (k€) | 56545,654 k€ <br />5,654,000 € <br /> |
Benefit to cost ratio | |
Funding sources | GEF biodiversity preservation project in the Danube Delta |
Cost for project phases
Phase | cost category | cost exact (k€) | Lead organisation | Contact forename | Contact surname |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Investigation and design | |||||
Stakeholder engagement and communication | The Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve Authority, Tulcea | ||||
Works and works supervision | |||||
Post-project management and maintenance | The Danube Delta National Institute for Research and Development, Tulcea (office@indd.tim.ro) | Marian | Tudor | ||
Monitoring | The Danube Delta National Institute for Research and Development, Tulcea (office@indd.tim.ro) | Marian | Tudor |
Supplementary funding information
Funding sources for post-project management and maintenance came from national budget.
Reasons for river restoration
Measures
Structural measures
| |
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Bank/bed modifications | Create breaches in the bank |
Floodplain / River corridor | Creation of wetlands |
Planform / Channel pattern | Reconnecting Cernovca polder tothe Danube flooded regime |
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 | |||
Quantity & dynamics of flow | Improvement |
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 | |||
Nutrient concentrations | Improvement |
Any other monitoring, e.g. social, economic
Element | When monitored | Type of monitoring | Control site used | Result | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Before measures | After measures | Qualitative | Quantitative | |||
Important
biogeochemical role for nutrient retention and cycling. |
Improvement |
Monitoring documents
Image gallery
Additional documents and videos
Additional links and references
Link | Description |
---|---|
http://www.ddni.ro | The website of The Danube Delta National Institute for Research and Development, Tulcea, Romania |