RIVERS EXEMPT FROM

DAMMING: CASE STUDY OF

LOWLANDSPetras PUNYS

Lithuanian Hydropower Association / University of Agriculture

HIDROENERGIA 2006Crieff, Scotland, UK, 7-9 June, 2006

Contents

1. Introduction

Case studies: two forbidden rivers

The Nemunas The Neris

Conclusions

Epilogue

Overall aim is: to analyze in quantitative terms the consequences of the imposed prohibition on damming of the two

largest rivers of the country:

the lower Nemunas for which the inland waterway modernizing and a new river port construction will be undertaken (Kaunas),including the improvement of the overall status of the river surroundings within the city limits;

development of a new inland waterway and a river port forthe lower Neris (largest tributary of the Nemunas river, reach Kaunas city - Jonava town).

Nemunas

Neris

Lithuania’s largest rivers

Amendment of the Water Law (2004):

“It is forbidden to construct dams on the river Nemunas and the rivers valuable from ecological and cultural point of view”.

As a result, a list of 169 rivers or their stretches was elaborated where any river damming was forbidden for ever.

Hydrographical network:

• Protected rivers (conventional reserves)

• Protected rivers + forbidden rivers (amendment of the Water law takes effect)

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

1 2 3 4 5

Decrease of SHP potential due to a variety of constraints

SHP

Pote

ntia

l , G

Wh

Nat

ural

Tec

hnic

al

Eco

nom

ical

Forbidden rivers

100%

41%30%

14%

Env

iron

men

tal

5%

The Nemunas riverCatchment A =100 000 km2

Average flow: 630 m3/s (at Kaunas ~280m3/s)

Waterway of international importance (E-IV class)

Insufficient depth for navigation (1.2 m to 1.5 m)

Modernising waterway and expansion of navigational facilities including river ports are needed

Kaunas city’s development master plan: 2 low head dams will assure the required depth for vessels to access the river port.

1.2-1.5 m 2.0m 2.5 m 3.0 mRiver-sea vessels

Range of depths of the navigation fairway

Groynes+ dredging:Shallow waterway

Dams:Deep waterway

Cascade of low head dams downstream Kaunas (Nemunas, 94-210km)

530.667TOTAL

47.56~03284Kaunas-Petrasiunai5

71.39~03400Kaunas-Marvele4

103.0133 to 3.53.5517Seredzius3

134.6172.9 to 3.74.2533Jurbarkas2

174.2223 to 3.55.4541Vezininkai1

Genera-tion, GWh/year

Installed power, MW

Flooded area, km2

Headm

Dischar-gem3/s

Name of HPP

Dam No.

Preliminary indicators of HPP cascade on the Nemunas river

Alternatives of the river port location (Kaunas city)

Small dams

Marvele dam (navigation lock, fish pass)

To make the Nemunas waterway more commercially attractive, more significant depths are required. This can be assured by building low head dams. In fact, modern waterways practically always fulfil also other functions apart from inland navigation. The most common case is the utilisation of water power in plants built next to navigation locks, since the dams do not justify for single purpose.The low head dams will allow setting up the river port in Petrasiunai, which, in turn, will improve aesthetics of the river stretches in the city and mitigate the adverse effect of hydropeaking due to upstream operating Kaunas HPP.

Catchment area A =25 000 km2

Average flow: 179 m3/s (at Kaunas)Free-flowing riverCorridor for migrating fish (salmon). Wild salmon conservation and restoration program is currently underway.

The Neris river

No prospectsNo salmon industry Salmon industry

The number of wild salmon and sea trout should increase by a factor 2 or 3 by 2010.It is expected to get the bigger quotas for catches in the Baltic sea. After restoration the fish stocks, commercial and recreational fishing will be allowed in the Neris river.

Commercial fishing is forbidden. It is allowed only in the Baltic sea. Fishing quota is set to 36 tons/year. Catches amounts only to a few hundred kilos per year. Expenses for propagation reach some LTL 2.3 million (0.7 M€)

Commercial and recreational fishing of wild salmon and sea trout

Big prospects (especially for social and cultural needs)

Poor in comparison to the other water bodies

Recreational fishing

Poor in comparison to the lower Nemunas

Commercial fishing is forbidden

Commercial fishing

Prospects of development

Present situationFishing sector

Assessment of the situation of the fishing sector

No Negative, significant

No~1.0High Receiver of waste waters

Poor (LTL 20 million per year)

Positive, insignificant

Significant

12PoorWater supply

NoPositive, significant

NoNo incomeVery high Conservation

BigPositive, significant

Insignificant

~0Very poorWater tourism, recreation

NoInsignificantNo-2.3(No income)

HighFish propagation

Poor (LTL 0.5 mllion. per year)

NoNo~0Not allowedCommercial fishing

BigPositive, significant

Insignificant

0.1PoorRecreational fishing

Social, cultural issues

Economics

Development prospects

ImpactIncome generated LTL million a year

Development level

Currentriver use

Estimation of the present uses of the Neris river water resources

Cascade of dams on the lower Neris (reach Kaunas-Jonava)

High capital cost

More effec-tive

Larger areas of land inundated

Genera-tion more effective

Delay of traffic passing through 1 lock

Always assure required depths

2 Higher dams

2

No protection from larger floods

NoNo production during flood event

NoDelay of traffic passing through 2 locks

Assure only minimum depths

3 Low dams

1

Disadvan-tages

Advan-tages

Disadvan-tages

Advantages

Disadvan-tages

Advantages

Flood controlHydropower generation

Waterway

Num

berof dam

s

Dam

Option

Dams development scenario (reach Kaunas-Jonava)

10.940.864.712.014.04.49,0Jonavos – 23-2

7.050.2122.417.019.85.410.9Lapiu1-12nd option: 2 dams

7.132.478.612.510.44.27.1Jonavos – 13-110.439.164.59.11.50.85.4Mykoliskiu211.139.160.48.22.21.15.8Lapiu1

1st option: 3 dams

Payback period, years

CostM€

Power generation GWh/year

Install-ed capa-city MW

Pond storagemln. m3

Flooded area,km2

Head, m

Name of dam

No

Main parameters of cascade of SHP plants (river reach Kaunas-Jonava)

Justifies from economical point of view if there is hydropower generation

Low speed of transporting cargo, degradation of water quality

No need for dredging, river regulation

Canalisation by a series of dams

No justification from economical point of view (navigational income generated varies between LTL 0.3 and 1.4 million per year). Environmental benefits are not dominant.

Significant cost of construction of groynes (LTL 30 million). Significant dredging cost (LTL 2.4 million a year)

Low maintenance cost of the reach 0 to 10 km

River training by groynes (0 to 10 km) and dredging (11 to 45 km)

No justification from economical and environmental point of view

Significant maintenance costs for removing sediments from fairway

NoDredging

Quantification/Evaluation

DisadvantagesAdvantagesWaterway development options

Commercial waterway development options for the lower Neris (the reach Kaunas-Jonava)

UndeterminedSignificant(life quality)

Non signifi-cant

NoFloodsdefence

Positive impact on: climate change, protection of the atmosphere, water tourism, water supply etc.Undetermined on: commercial fishing (salmon), protected species.

Undetermined

Very signifi-cant

44Hydropo-wer

Positive impact on: water tourism, recreation. Undetermined on: commercial fishing (salmon) and protected species.

SignificantSignifi-cant

1.4 (from Kaunas to Jonava)

Commer-cialnaviga-tion

Recreational and commercial fishing, and water tourism

Social and cultural aspects

Econo-mics

ImpactsIncomegener-ated, LTL million a year

Prospec-tiveuses

Prospective uses of water resources (reach Kaunas-Jonava)

Conclusions1. The building of dams associated with hydropower

development is forbidden by the Water Law in Lithuania. Consequently, the opportunities of multipurpose use of water resources were restricted enormously (inland navigation, irrigation, fish farming, flood defence, low flow augmentation etc.)

2. Scientific, economic, legal and environmental base of the elaboration of the list of the rivers exempted from damming is insufficient. It undermines the principles incorporated into National Sustainable Development Strategy and Energy Strategy. An Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) must be applied for a particular case of river resources development.

3. The results of the studies carried out for the two largest rivers of the country (the Nemunas and the Neris) shows that the current legal ban for the river damming is useless for economic development of the country.

4. It is recommended to review the national environmental legislation in force dealing with river engineering in order to maximize the resultant economic and social welfare in an equitable manner without compromising the sustainability of the vital river ecosystem.

Low head hydraulic structures associated with hydropower generation

can bring significant benefits for multipurpose utilization of water

resources, for the improvement of river surroundings.

Epilogue

Communication of the Environmental protection Committee of the Lithuanian Parliament (19

April, 2006)

The Water law and subsequent decision on introducing the List of forbidden rivers are contradicting with the international legal practice of hydropower development, and some items of the National Law on Protected areas. Consequently, the principles incorporated into National Sustainable Development Strategy and Energy Strategy are undermined.

The requirements of the National Environmental legislation should not be stronger as they are outlined in the relevant EU environmental legislation and international conventions.

Thank you for yourattention