A large-scale project to rewild Lake Kartal has restored more than 18,000 hectares of wetlands to their natural state. The work took six years and resulted in the restoration of water exchange with the Danube for floodplains that had been cut off from the river for decades.
This was reported by the Rewilding Ukraine team, which implemented the project in partnership with the Izmail Water Management Department.
Lake Kartal is located in the Ukrainian part of the Danube Delta. For many years, the reservoir itself and the surrounding area were heavily regulated, which ultimately led to land degradation.
"In the past, dams and irrigation systems disconnected large areas of the floodplain from the main branches of the Danube. This led to a decrease in water exchange, deterioration of water quality, algae blooms, and a reduction in fish stocks," said Panas Zhechkov, director of the Izmail Water Resources Administration.
So the project team took several measures:
- It dismantled dams and other barriers that prevented free water exchange;
- It cleared silted channels and waterways;
- It installed additional water-passing structures.
Джерело: Rewilding Ukraine
Heavy equipment has cleared the Luzarsa channel over the past few months. Thanks to the removal of approximately 5 km of silt and vegetation from the channel, the flow of water from the Danube to the lake has increased by 40%. Now the hydrological regime of the area is as close to natural as possible. This is already contributing to the restoration of living conditions for birds, fish, mammals, and invertebrates. As an additional effect, the connection between Lake Kartal and Lake Kagul has become stronger.
The restoration of circulation immediately revitalized the lake, channels, and floodplains overgrown with reeds. Rewilding Ukraine reported that they noticed an improvement in the condition of local vegetation, the restoration of fish populations, and an increase in the number of waterfowl.
“When ecosystems receive enough water – and when this water is clean – nature has an extraordinary ability for self-restoration. After the start of the work, we saw ecosystems come alive almost instantly,” noted Oleg Dyakov, Executive Director of Rewilding Ukraine.
The restoration of Lake Kartal has a positive impact not only on local biodiversity but on tourism and the economy as well. The project team emphasizes that bringing back water will help revive traditional activities such as fishing and farming.
Джерело: Rewilding Ukraine
The Value of Wetlands
These ecosystems cover only 6% of the planet's land surface, yet they are home to 40% of all plant and animal species. This makes wetlands among the most important areas on Earth.
Among the functions performed by these territories are the retention of large amounts of CO2, maintenance of the hydrological balance with reduced risk of flooding, and support for water and food security.
EcoPolitic has previously provided a more detailed account of the value of these ecosystems.
The United Nations (UN) reported that the world has lost over 400 million ha of wetlands in the past 50 years.
