SJC “Real Estate of the Ministry of Agriculture” in the integrated project of the European Union’s LIFE program “Implementation of management plans for Latvian river basins to achieve good surface water status” has completed the reconstruction works of Slocene and Vašleja to reduce the impact of hydromorphological transformations. The works were carried out based on the research results, recommendations and opinions of the project partners, environmental experts.

The water quality in the drains before the start of their restoration was described as very poor. In order to improve the quality of water, the experts of the Latvian University of Biosciences and Technologies (LBTU) recommended creating artificial wetlands that would provide favorable conditions for reducing the speed of water flow and dispersing it in the area of ​​wetlands, thus stimulating the process of water self-purification, which results in the precipitation of suspended substances transported by the water flow, nitrogen and transformation and capture of phosphorus compounds in biological, chemical and physical processes. Also, in order to increase the efficiency of water quality improvement, LBTU experts recommended the construction of sedimentation basins in district ditches before they flow into Slocene.

During the implementation of the restoration project of nationally important watercourses Slocene and Vašleja to reduce the impact of hydromorphological transformations, environmentally friendly drainage system elements have been installed – in Vašleja and Slocene, artificial wetlands have been constructed with planting of reeds in the shallow water area of ​​the wetland, in Slocene, an artificial rapid has been built 50 m long, the bed being strengthened with stone piles from various diameter stones. 5 sedimentation basins have been created in the district ditches before the entrance to Slocene. EU-protected freshwater biotope 3260 “River rapids and natural river sections” arranged in the form of a clearing in Slocene (drifts removed by hand). As part of the LIFE project demonstration site, Slocene has been rehabilitated along 8.26 km to ensure the operation of drainage systems. Removal of vegetation, digging of the bed, leveling of the excavated ground, removal of debris, pollution, beaver dams, demolition and arrangement of transport structures, etc. were carried out.

95 drain outlets have been restored by digging them up. After the restoration of the nationally important watercourses Slocene and Vašleja, their ecological quality and aesthetic appeal have improved, as well as the impact of human-made hydromorphological changes on these watercourses has decreased, and the operation of the drainage systems has been restored.