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Will there be fish swimming again in the Báta-Duna oxbow?
July 6th, 2011 - Residents of Báta were invited to a public debate on the project aiming to reduce the nutrient load of the Danube and the Black Sea realised in the area of the Danube-Dráva National Park. The public forum was held at the mayor’s office by the representatives of the South Transdanubian Environment Protection and Water Management Directorate and the Danube-Dráva National Park. High attendance and the number of questions raised and asnwered confirm that it has been a successful event.
[The text below is a translation of the original press release that was distributed in Hungarian language.]
The ongoing project manages the Danube water flow back to the territories in question, to the aquatic habitats of the the Gemenc and Béda-Karapancsa areas, which were seriously endangered by lasting dryness, are thus saved. The project investment has gerat impact on the lives of the local residents therefore the investors found it important to informa them in public.
Opening the public forum mayor of Báta Mrs. Rozália Huszarné Lukács emphasized that the project may bring back the Báta-Duna oxbow to life.
Mr. László Márk deputy director of the South Transdanubian Environment Protection and Water Management Directorate gave a full persentation on project details:
’As a result the subestuaries and the flood plain territories will retain the river's nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorous) to an increased level and these will not reach the lower reaches of the river, nor the Black Sea. The aquatic habitats and the waterdistrict will return to their natural state – as a key result of the project.’- he said.
Head of Department of the Danube-Dráva National Park Management, Mr. Sándor Kövesi presented the 5 areas where the project is undergoing: the Csertai-, the Grébec-, the Káposztás-, the Mocskos-Duna (near Mohács) and the Báta-Duna Backwater stretch where work began at first.
Around 55.000 m3 of material is being dredged from a 950 m, heavily silted, muddy stretch below the bridge at Báta, and placed at the edges of the riverbed. A sluice (new flood gate) will be installed which will enable the regulation of the water levels of the higher stretches of the backwater between +300 cm and +470 cm respective to the water level at Baja.
In addition, small mounts are being constructed from the dredged material providing rest areas for the game, wild animals. The reviving deepwater is supposed to host carp, golden carp and tench fish, while amphibian species will proliferate in the shallow waters by the banks. Interest in fishing and ecotourism is also expected to increase, meaning that beyond the environmental and conservational advantages the project may also have a positive effect on economic development.
Mr. József Szűcs managing the project told residents that work would be concluded by end of August in the Báta-Duna Backwater stretch area.
Local residents were most intrested in issue and questions such as how high water levels of the stretches of the backwater would be and for what periods of time. Would they be able to fish in the future and what the quality of the water would be?
For further information contact:
Mr. Tibor Parrag
Duna-Dráva National Park Management
Tel.: +36 (30) 377-3425
E-mail: parrag@ddnp.kvvm.hu
Ms. Petra Heid
PR and Media Relations
South-Transdanubian Environmental Protection and Water Management Directorate
Tel.: +36 (30) 985-4495
E-mail: heid.petra@ddkovizig.hu