Year of Issue 2024 General Site name Dotnuvélè River Basin Summary Dotnuvėlė river basin covers 192.7 km2. Four reservoirs are situated in the area: near Mantviliškis, Akademija, Dotnuva and near Kėdainiai. The Dotnuvėlė basin is in the Central Lowlands of Lithuania, which is rich in moist soils. Agricultural areas account for 69.2%, forests and other natural areas for 24.5%, artificial surfaces - 5.8%, and water bodies make up only 0.5%. State river monitoring is carried out for this river. The ecological status of the Dotnuvėlė river corresponds to poor (upstream) and medium (downstream) classes. The OPTAIN project will support the case study team with identifying and developing efficient land management strategies and small technical solutions to improve the soils’ infiltration and water holding capacities as well as its capacity to filter, buffer and transform pollutants. Project Optain Light or indepth? Light Transboundary 0 NWRM(s) implemented in the case study Wetland restoration and management Optain's measures Wetland in the Stabė River Longitude 23.792707 Latitude 55.473647 Site information Remarks In the lower part of the river Stabė, 1.8 km from its mouth, a wetland of 2.38 ha has been installed. The wetland was constructed by artificially flooding the valley. Corrugated metal plating was used at the inlet and outlet of the wetland to protect the stream banks. While most Lithuanian wetlands are peaty, this one is not. Over time, the surface layer of the wetland has been altered by the hydrophytic wetland-specific plants, their species composition, and the degree of decomposition of these plants. Sediments washed down from the fields accumulate here. The organic matter in these sediments creates the typical habitats of saturated organic soils, which are effective in terms of nitrogen - and especially phosphorus - retention. The wetland has four main sections. The deepest part covers 0.21 ha and is up to 2.0 m deep. Sediments are deposited here. When there is a decrease in flow, these sediments can then be removed mechanically and transported to fertilize the adjacent fields. The next section covers 0.94 ha and its depth is less than 0.5 m. It is covered with wetland vegetation. The third section works as a filter and the water is aerated. It is protected by a dyke, 6 metres in length, perpendicular to the direction of flow. The dyke is formed from soil and pitched with stone and gravel. The maximum depth of the water in this section is 0.1 metres. The fourth and final section is where the surface water is treated by macropytic vegetation. It covers 1.2 ha and is from 0.2 to 0.5 m deep. Barriers help prolong the period that the water is held. The wetland was designed to retain nutrients in the spring and reduce their concentrations downstream. Through an ongoing research programme, the impact of the wetland has been monitored from the start. In the first year, vegetation had not become established so there were no impacts. However in 2020 and 2021 there were very positive results in terms of nutrient capture. Climate zone cool temperate moist Mean annual rainfall 600 - 900 mm Average slope range Flat (0 -2%) Monitoring maintenance Monitoring impacts effects 0 Maintenance requirements The maintenance activities depend and differ on the year. Not every year there is a need to remove sediments or excessed plants. Sometimes there is a need of reintegration or replacement of plant material, especially after winter. Administrative costs 5000 EUR Administrative annual cost information Since the wetland was established form the project funds, the project team UAB "Aplinkos inžinierių grupė" is responsible for the maintenance of the wetland until the end of the project. After the end of the contract - the successor or authorized person of its results, local farmers or members of rural communities will be responsible for the maintenance of wetland. Performance Performance impact estimation information The project has had the following impacts: - Irrigation water quality: increased - Plant diversity: increased - Habitat diversity: increased - Reliable and stable stream flows in dry seasons: increased How cost effective Land user has no maintenance costs and had no establishment costs. The implementation of the project is therefore considered to be positive in terms of cost efficiency Design & implementations Project scale Medium Installation date 2015 Principles The main purpose of the proejct was to : - reduce, prevent, restore land degradation - conserve ecosystem - preserve/ improve biodiversity - adapt to climate change/ extremes and its impacts - create beneficial economic impact Size 2.38 Size unit ha Basis of design The installation of this wetland contributes to reducing the ecological debt to nature by restoring natural complexes, reaching a balance between environmental and economic interests, and promoting sustainable farming conditions in one of the most important and valuable natural areas of central Lithuania. Public consultation 0 Contractural arrangements 0 Design contractual arrangement Arrangement type Responsibility Role Comments Name Design consultation activity Activity stage Key issues Name Comments Design land use change Land use change type Design authority Authority type Role Responsibility Name Comments Others (please specify in column H) Implementation Responsible Environmental Protection Agency at the Ministry of Environment Lessons, risks, implications... Financing mechanism 0 Success factor(s) Success factor type Success factor role Comments Financing Financing type Comments Barrier Barrier type Barrier role Comments Driver Driver type Driver role Comments Financing share Financing share type Share Comments View Policy, general governance and design targets Part of wider plan 0 Policy target Target purpose Policy pressure Pressure directive Relevant pressure Policy area Policy area type Policy area focus Name Comments Policy impact Impact directive Relevant impact Policy wider plan Wider plan type Wider plan focus Name Comments Policy requirement directive Requirement directive Specification Photo gallery Full Context Area(aka Level or Site) ALL Crosslinks Pair Record Small retention ponds in the forest Destination Context NSWRM(Sections) - Default view - ALL - 7479 Crosslink Type Proximity with Destination Context Learn About - Real-world Examples - Detailed Case Studies - 462 Crosslink Type Proximity with