Results after two years of restoration works

The LIFE for MIRES project is half way through

In December 2021 we ended the second restoration season and therefore we could quantify the result of the adopted field works. We managed to restore 720 hectares of wetlands, consisting of meadow and forest springs, raised bogs, bog forests, waterlogged meadows and floodplains of small mountain streams. The return of water in such area was facilitated by blocking of 97 km of drainage ditches and also restoring 17 km of streams.

“This year we restored the largest spring slope in Western Sumava close to the Skelná settlement. Almost 3 meters deep drainage ditches were blocked and filled with soil due to which the springing water could flood the surface again. Now there is a small capillary stream flowing down the spring slowly to the Křemelná river,” informs the expert guarantor of the project Dr. Ivana Bufková.

“So far we have managed to restore 6 spring slopes yearly. They generate water for streams, therefore are a very important structure on the journey of water through the landcape, and still they are very often degraded by human activity. In our LIFE project, we are trying to spread this idea amongst public and professionals who care about the water regime,” adds Ivana Bufková.

There are plenty possitive side effects of these restoration works. Besides water retention in the landscape, we can point out slower runoff, the cooling effect of wetlands during dry summer periods and also, the newly restored streams have an aestethic value while their surrounding is promptly ocupied by birds, amphibians and other species.