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A multidisciplinary field team of scientists from KarRC RAS surveyed three small rivers flowing to Lake Onego: Pukhta, Orzega, and Chyoba. The team included specialists in hydrobiology, silviculture, botany, and soil science. Sergey Sin’kevich and Denis Efremov from KarRC RAS told more about this effort.

The field studies were part of the international project WAMBAF Tool Box ("Water Management in Baltic Forests Tool Box"), where one of the tasks is to accommodate the European technique for small river assessment (Blue Targeting) to the realities of Northwest Russia. Russian partners in the project are KarRC RAS and WWF Russia. The Lead Partner is the Swedish Forest Agency.

The Blue Targeting tool box consists of over 30 questions to be answered during a field survey, permitting the value of the stream to be assessed and decisions to be taken on the actions needed to conserve it. In addition to filling out the field form (checklist), the scientists recorded factual data on the state and diversity of the terrestrial and aquatic environments.

The scientists remarked that the ban on clear-cutting in 50-m buffer strips along watercourses in Russia often vastly exceeds the European requirements. This reduces the risk of water pollution and helps conserve the diverse aquatic organisms. On the other hand, for many, often intermittent, creeks and springs there are no requirements for waterside protection strips. These unmapped watercourses often happen to flow through timber felling sites.

An important component of the data collected through the field surveys is the updated information about the riparian forest cover. Evidence has been gathered than the intensive logging without retention of waterside buffers early in the 20th century resulted in terrain-altering soil erosion.

Another essential output is information about the fish fauna of small rivers. Alongside the few “spawning” rivers, they provide an ecological niche for some valuable commercial and red-listed fish species: salmon, brown trout, grayling, whose life cycle includes breeding in rivers and 2-3 years that the young spend growing in the river until migrating to the lake or sea.

The project continues. The nearest plans include processing of the collected information, discussion of the results with Russian and foreign project partners, and preparation of proposals for customizing the tool kit for Karelian conditions.

The project initiators supposed that in the future forest users can themselves apply the customized tools to determine the value of typical northern small streams and knowledgeably take actions to conserve them in situations not regulated by existing legislation.

The project is implemented under the Interreg Baltic Sea Region 2014-2020 Programme and financed by the European Regional Development Fund with co-financing from the Russian Federation.