The project will prepare the feasibility and technical documentation to remove four barriers on the Gowienica River, a river directly connected with the Szczecin Lagoon and Baltic Sea. In total, 82 km of river will be opened up for free fish migration.
The Gowienica River flows directly into the Szczecin Lagoon, which serves as an important nursery for many fish species. The Gowienica is one of the few remaining near-natural rivers in this lowland system. With its partially natural meanders, it supports extensive floodplains, and its waters and riverbed structure provide valuable habitat for water crowfoot communities.
| Project status | Live |
|---|---|
| Project type | Dam removal: pre-demolition |
| Country | Poland |
| River | Gowienica |
| Focal species | Atlantic salmon, sea trout, river lamprey |
| Organisation | Rewilding Oder Delta |
| Website | rewilding-oder-delta.com |
Following the ecological disaster and continuing pollution problems in the Oder, the tributaries of the Szczecin Lagoon have become crucial for the survival of many ichthyofauna species inhabiting the Oder basin. The Gowienica, as one of these tributaries, offers a significant opportunity to restore fish habitats and improve the overall resilience of the regional aquatic ecosystem. This project follows on a previous Open Rivers Programme grant.
The project focuses on barriers upstream of the partly passable weir in Widzeńsko. Above this point, fish must travel 7 km to reach the next obstacle in Babigoszcz, which is already difficult to cross. Only a small proportion of fish manage to access the high-quality salmon spawning grounds in Łoznica. Further upstream, damming at Łoznica has eliminated several kilometres of spawning habitat by disrupting the river’s natural flow dynamics.
At around 40 km from the river mouth, the Gowienica is joined by its most important tributary, the Stepnica, which has excellent conditions for Natura 2000 habitat 3260 (water crowfoot rivers). Local reports confirm that Atlantic salmon use the Stepnica between Bodzęcin and Osina for spawning.
The main objective of the project is to allow free migration to these historical spawning areas. Alongside barrier removal, the project will also address the negative effects of damming, including erosion and sedimentation above the weir thresholds. In total, 82 km of river will be reopened for migratory fish.
Funded by
