New Vision of the Role of Land Reclamation Systems in Nature Protection and Water Management - Wetlands and Water Framework Directive: Protection, Management and Climate Change - page 95

6.6 Con fl icts

It is unavoidable that some priorities of nature protection may come into con ict

with the priorities of land reclamations performed for productive purposes. Nev-
ertheless, the author observes proceeding

fl

— —

at least theoretical concurrence of

interests. De ict may arise in the situation of making new reclamations in

river valleys. The author passes over the question of actions in rivers which are out
of the scope of this paper. Table 6.5 presents examples of such conflicts.
Best explained problem is the so far traditional source of con

nite con fl

icts mentioned in
point 1: drainage. As demonstrated in this paper, water lifting in reclamation sys-
tems is the vital interest of nature protection, agriculture and

fl

flood control. It allows
for utilising large retention resources shown in examples from Tables 6.2 and 6.3 .
The problem of disruption of continuity of aquatic ecological corridors by dams has
been solved long ago. Of course,

fl

fish ladders and properly constructed sills would

never achieve 100 % ef ciency. Nevertheless, ecological bene ts from hampering

water out ow from regulated streams may in many cases coincide with productive

aspects. The problem described in point 3 of Table 6.4 has recently swollen in
association with

fl

fl flood risk. As found by practitioners in fl flood control, trees and

shrubs in uence

increase the water level. Hence, a demand for cutting such plants. A need for an
individual approach to such problems should be strongly recommended: protection
of urban/agricultural areas and valuable habitats, which would not be present if
dykes and valley between them were properly maintained. Different solutions are
possible, but proper analysis necessary. Also if we want to cease useless quarrels

fl flood terrace signi cantly reduce the hydraulic cross-section and in fl

Table 6.5 Con fl icts among land reclamations, fl flood control and nature protection and

possibilities of their solution — examples

Con fl ict Reason Chance of consensus

Drainage Drainage causing soil

degradation and a loss
of biodiversity

Possible: water lifting in “ non-pro-

ductive reaches by permanent sills

water lifting in productive reaches
by weirs

”

Hydrotechnical built-up of
streams

Breaking continuity of
aquatic ecological
corridors

Possible: fish ladders by dams
appropriately profiled tops of sills

Shrubs and trees between
embankments

Water lifting during
floods

Possible: in not protected habitats by
proper protection of areas outside the
embankment

Limitations associated
with nature protection near
flood embankments

Impossible renovation
works

Possible: depends on the endanger-
ment level (rarity) of habitats or
species

Beaver Inundation of crop-

lands perforation of
fl

Possible though hardly achievable:
costly spillways in dams costly pro-
tection of ood embankments ood embankments per-

mission for population reduction

fl