This project aims to prepare for removal four barriers along the Agios Germanos River in Prespa, Greece, restoring river connectivity and supporting endemic fish species and riparian habitats.
The Agios Germanos River begins in the high peaks of Mount Varnous and flows through the Prespa basin before reaching Great Prespa Lake. Though only 23 km long, it is the largest and most dynamic river on the Greek side of the basin and lies entirely within a Natura 2000 site. Its course passes through beech-dominated forests, riparian woodlands of willows, silver birches, ashes, and poplars, and ends in young alder forests and dense reedbeds, forming a rare and valuable freshwater ecosystem.
The river supports seven endemic fish species, including the Prespa trout (Salmo Peristericus). It also serves as a vital corridor for wildlife, offering habitat to brown bears, European wildcats, roe deer, wild boars, and many bird species such as woodpeckers, dippers, grey wagtails, and nightingales. This diverse life makes the river central to the ecological integrity of the Prespa basin.
| Project status | Live |
|---|---|
| Project type | Dam removal: pre-demolition |
| Country | Greece |
| River | Agios Germanos |
| Focal species | The seven endemic fish species of Agios Germanos River: Prespa bleak, Prespa chub, Prespa nase, Prespa loach, Prespa trout, Prespa roach, Prespa barbel. |
| Organisation | Society for the Protection of Prespa |
| Website | spp.gr |
This project aims to restore ecological connectivity along the Agios Germanos River, a key tributary in Prespa National Park, by carrying out the most critical and technically demanding preliminary studies for the removal of four major obstacles in its lowland section: three fords and one deeply eroded section near its mouth at Great Prespa Lake.
These barriers block sediment transport, disrupt natural channel dynamics, and hinder the upstream movement of endemic fish species. The erosion, worsened by the decades-long drop in lake water levels, has created a waterfall-like structure over 2.5 metres high. Combined, these impacts fragment the river and, more broadly, the freshwater ecosystems of Prespa National Park, one of Greece’s most important biodiversity hotspots, threatening its endemic fish populations and overall ecological integrity.
This preparatory project lays the groundwork for river rehabilitation, providing technical guidance and scalable solutions for public services to plan barrier removal appropriately.
The project aims to prepare the removal of four in-stream barriers on the Agios Germanos River to restore ecological connectivity and improve the habitat for seven endemic fish species and the alluvial riparian forest habitat (91E0*). Through detailed technical, geomorphological, and stakeholder-informed preliminary studies, the project will develop feasible, scientifically grounded designs for barrier removal, while also ensuring that essential access needs for local communities are addressed.
Key expected outcomes include:
(1) Successful completion of the most challenging preliminary studies.
(2) Data-driven recommendations for river rehabilitation.
(3) Engagement of relevant authorities, stakeholders, and NGOs.
(4) Contribution to the long-term ecological restoration of the Agios Germanos River.
The project will open nearly 5 km of upstream habitat and contribute to restoring over 60 km of river connectivity including smaller tributaries.
Funded by
