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“This is where saving the Oder begins,” says hydrobiologist Robert Czerniawski pointing at an inconspicuous rivulet which falls first into the Drawa river and then into the Oder. The Polish basin of Oder is supplied by ten thousand streams and rivulets like this one.
Just a few years back, concrete rings in the now meandering rivulet made sure that "water flowed quickly and freely, without the possibility of creating any living conditions, like in a canal", Czerniawski explains. Since the removal of the concrete elements and restoration, the water in the rivulet can clean itself and trout has returned to spawn. “Nature uses something immediately,” Czerniawski does not hide his fascination. “Besides, now the water flow is much slower because of the bends”. This means that it stays longer in the environment instead of just rushing towards the Baltic Sea.
The Oder catchment area covers one third of Poland. What happens in Drawa river or in any place in Upper or Lower Silesia, has an impact on the condition of the entire Oder river. “Therefore, it is not enough to take care of the Oder riverbed only. It is as if, when saving a tree, we only dealt with the trunk and ignored the crown, leaves, and roots,” explains Artur Furdyna, ichthyologist and the field coordinator of the project LifeDrawaPL, the most expensive river restoration project in the history of the European Union.
The EU allocated almost seven million euros to create appropriate conditions for the return and development of critically endangered species of fish and aquatic plants and the construction of fish passes on the Drawa River. Now, among others, salmon, which is an indicator of good water quality, can migrate freely again.
“We will not survive with one salmon”
Some local farmers are sceptical about salmon protection in the area. They have another problem: “the small lakes in the upper part of the Drawa River are practically dry”, says Stanisław Baliński, a 74-year-old farmer during a meeting about the challenges for the Drawa basin. He stresses the need to increase the water level on one of the lakes in the area. He does not understand why there is a shortage of water in Drawsko Lake District if there is as much rain as always.
“Drought can still occur despite the normal rainfall”, reminds Furdyna. “Our actions, among others pumping out underground water to irrigate crops, reduce the absorption.”
Czerniawski, who is also present at the discussion, emphasises that we cannot only look at our own backyard while speaking about water resources. If we plan to interfere, we must do it wisely, while considering the entire ecosystem, because uncoordinated actions will cause harm. “We cannot just place a weir or a penstock in a higher place and not care what happens downstream”, warns Czerniawski.
The experts' arguments do not seem to convince the local farmers. They claim that they are "fighting for survival and food security" since "we will not have enough with just one salmon."
Hydrobiologist Tomasz Krepski warns against such statements. “If we do not take care of every level of this ecosystem we will have water that will be of no use to us.”
Which food security?
Furdyna is wondering which food security the farmers from the Drawsko Lake District are talking about. “Ten percent of the current production would be enough to feed Polish society”.
In 2022 Poland exported a record amount of agri-food products worth almost 47.6 billion euro. The value of exports increased by 27% compared to 2021, which placed Poland at seventh position in the entire European Union. Last year exports increased by another 16%. Most products, almost one fourth, were sold to Germany. It mainly involved cigarettes, poultry meat, smoked fish, largely salmon and food for dogs and cats.
The value of exports of poultry meat increased by 67%. Nowadays Poland is the fourth largest poultry producer in the world and leader in the European Union. “How do I benefit from this noble position? There is a pile of chicken shit in the rivers”, Furdyna is furious. He pleads for more organic farms in the Drawsko Lake District which “do not exploit soil and water that much as aggressive agriculture and breeding business”.
According to Furdyna the Drawsko Lake District is perfect for organic farming. “People from all over Poland would come to buy organic products. Let us take the example of the rural project Juchowo and the eco-village Brodowin in Germany”.
The agricultural co-operative Ökodorf Brodowin emerged in 1991, after the reprivatisation of the land and reunification of Germany. The engaged citizens of the village decided to shift to organic agriculture and use biodynamic farming methods although back then “there was no market for organic farming and little knowledge about that in the village”, recalls Ludolf von Maltzan, the current director of the cooperative, who has been working there for almost 18 years. “This is how the locals wanted to protect nature here. They were well aware of the unique character of this region”.
Brodowin lies within the Schorfheide-Chorin nature reserve, surrounded by seven lakes in the Oder catchment area, a bird sanctuary. It is possible to enjoy bike rides, buy locally produced cheese and sausage. Von Maltzan wishes he knew more organic farmers in Poland. Their products could also be sold in the village’s organic shop. “The interest in organic food has grown significantly in the last thirty years”, says von Maltzan. In 2021 Germany emerged as one of the most important markets for organic products worldwide.
“People are curious about what we do here. Thousands of tourists visit us every year. They come here not only for the products but also for nature. You can swim in every lake here, they are all in good condition, Brandenburg State Office for the Environment checks the quality every year”, assures von Maltzan.
Unlike lakes in the Drawsko Lake District. The ecological and physicochemical condition of virtually all Drawsko lakes is alarming. “The hydrological crisis has already begun. We are dealing with intense, cyclical, extremely dangerous cyanobacterial blooms”, warns Czerniawski. Only Lake Siecino is still defending itself quite effectively. Czerniawski appeals to protect such places which are at risk instead of focussing on what is already sick.
The poor condition of lakes in the Drawsko Lake District have a negative impact on the Oder River since the rivers that flow from the lakes are also polluted and do not always have a chance to clean themselves. “We just keep pretending that we are healing the Oder river, but we only make its disease worse. We need to change our way of thinking”, stresses Czerniawski. “We continue to focus on securing water for people rather than for rivers and lakes and, consequently, for people. But maybe something will finally change”.
The coalition agreement of the new Polish government mentions a promise of "striving to restore rivers." At the same time regulatory works on the border section of Oder has still not been stopped, despite the decision of the Administrative Court in Warsaw in December 2022 to suspend the activities due to the risk of irreversible effects on the natural environment.
That is why Furdyna is sceptical about the new government: “The Civic Platform's victory is not yet a reason for excessive optimism. I am waiting for the results.”
Together with Czerniawski, he calls for an end to the discharge of sewage into lakes. “If we discharge sewage into the river, the water can still clean itself while it flows" explains Czerniawski.
Can this be reversed?
According to Furdyna this is the last moment for a change if we want to save Oder’s ecosystem. “If we continue to put concrete, straighten the rivers and streams, uncritically agree to the extraction of groundwater, build weirs and dams that are like blockages in a vein, discharge sewage into lakes, we are, so to speak, in a dark hole”.
Furdyna thinks that the Drawsko Lake District should become a biosphere reserve to “protect the local community from industrial agriculture and other harmful activities”. “What we have here is a treasure, it is a unique place in Europe and the world which should be protected”, stresses Furdyna.
This article was produced with the financial support of the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the EU or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.
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