Rospuda River

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Rospuda
Rospuda between the Sumowo and Okrągłe lakes, nearby Kotowina village
Origin	Czarne (Black) lake
Mouth	Rospuda Augustowska lake
Basin countries	Poland
Length	approx. 80 km (50 mi)
Source elevation	175 m (574 ft)
Avg. discharge	2.57 m³/s (25.07 ft³/s)^[1] (at Raczki)
Basin area	approx. 900 km² (347.5 mi²)

The Rospuda is a small river in northeastern Poland. It flows through the Suwalszczyzna region of Poland, including the northwestern part of the large Puszcza Augustowska wilderness area. It is a tributary of the Biebrza river. The imminent construction of the Augustów bypass expressway cutting across the protected wilderness area in the valley has been the focus of an intense campaign of protests in Poland and abroad and also counter-protests of the local community.

1 Geography
2 Nature Protection
3 Threatened environmental damage
- 3.1 Recent developments
4 Bibliography
5 References
6 External links

[edit] Geography

Numerous little streams flowing from the hills (Przejmowa Góra – 213 m, Jastrzębia Góra – 231 m, Słupowa Góra – 248 m, Lisia Góra – 259 m) south of Puszcza Romincka, an old forest located southeast of Goldap, are considered the beginning of Rospuda. The proper river flows out of Czarne (i.e. Black) lake. The river continues south, southeast through a series of nine glacial lakes: Rospuda Filipowska, Kamienne (i.e. Stony), Długie (Long), Garbaś, Głębokie (Deep), Sumowo, Okrągłe (Round), Bolesty and Rospuda Augustowska. The last lake is considered the end of the river. Rospuda flows through a typical glacial landscape.

Tributaries: Blizna
Cities along the river: Filipów, Bakałarzewo, Raczki, Augustów

[edit] Nature Protection

The Rospuda valley is:

a protected area (since 1989)
a quiet zone (since 1991)
a Special Protection Area of European Natura 2000 ecological network, designated under the Wild Birds Directive ^[2]
on the top of the Shadow List of areas which according to scientists and ecological organizations should be also designated as Special Area of Conservation.

[edit] Threatened environmental damage

This article documents a current event.
Information may change rapidly as the event progresses.

Green ribbon symbolizing "Save the Rospuda Valley" campaign

An ecologically significant region of the Rospuda valley may be currently (March 2007) endangered by the construction of the Augustow bypass, being a part of the Via Baltica expressway. The planned expressway and the construction work is supposed to cause environmental damage in that wilderness area ^[3]. The noise and pollution inherent in construction work would harm the breeding grounds of various bird species, some of which are protected, as well as some endangered plant species. The over 500 meters long bridge over the valley is likely to impair the water system, since strengthening of the soil would be required in order to support the pillars.

[edit] Recent developments

In December 2006 the European Commission officially opened legal infringement procedures against the Polish government for consenting to the road developments which would severely damage important and protected natural sites.^[4]

In February 2007 the governor of the local province signed the go-ahead for the construction to start, claiming that all legal requirements have been met ^[5], despite the fact that the Rospuda region is protected by the EU Natura 2000 program and Poland can be severely fined by the EU for constructing the highway^[6].

On 13 February, 2007 the Polish Ombudsman launched an appeal against the decision, with the aim of halting construction works. The appeal is based on suspicion that alternative routings of the bypass were not taken into consideration ^[7]. An independent road designer's variant omits the Rospuda valley and is estimated to cost 17 milion EUR less than the currently planned environmentally damaging variant.^[8].

There have been strong protests by activists and politicians both in Poland and abroad. However, the construction has not been called off. ^[9]

In February 2007 a number of environmental activists pitched a camp in the endangered region to prevent the construction work.^[10]

The Polish daily Gazeta Wyborcza has launched an on-line petition signed by over 140,000 people asking the Polish President Lech Kaczyński to respect the law and preserve the Rospuda Valley and direct the Augustów bypass via a different route.^[11]

On 22 February 2007 the construction of the Augustow bypass expressway has begun with the taking of geodetic measurements. There was unofficial information that earthworks are for now being begun only from the Augustow side, away from the protected area, and where both road variants overlap. ^[12]

On 27 February 2007 frightening away of birds from the Rospuda valley started with permission issued by the Chief Nature Conservator, suggesting that heavy construction works in the valley will soon begin, as the Polish public television TVP informed ^[13].

[edit] Bibliography

Józef Kuran Kajakiem po jeziorach augustowskich i suwalskich, s. 156-179, Sport i Turystyka, Warszawa 1976
Andrzej Ber Przewodnik geologiczny – Pojezierze Suwalsko-Augustowskie, s. 175-185, Wydawnictwa Geologiczne, Warszawa 1981, ISBN 83-220-0131-2
Anatol Batura Augustów i okolice, s. 46-47, Krajowa Agencja Wydawnicza, Białystok 1981
Marek Kwaczonek Przewodnik dla kajakarzy - Rospuda, Wydawnictwo Pascal 2003, ISBN 83-7304-217-2