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4.   WATER PROTECTION ZONES

The Shore and Bank Protection Act (RT I 1995, 31, 38; 1999, 95, 843) allows grazing, mowing and cutting reeds in the protection zone of a water body, if this causes no damage or devastation to the woody vegetation and soil, and if the periods established by the Minister of Environment during which hunting of breeding birds is prohibited are followed. It is recommended that grazing land shall not extend to the water line.

Grazing in water protection zones of the inland water bodies where the area is covered with woody vegetation is prohibited. It is permitted to erect, reconstruct or restore buildings in a water protection zone, which causes damage neither to the water protection zone nor to the beach. Other kinds of economic activities in the water protection zone of a shore or bank are prohibited.

It is prohibited to build cemeteries and to bury animal carcasses on the shores and banks. It is also prohibited to spread sewage sludge on the flooded areas of shores and banks. Depending on the frequency of floods the Minister of Environment may prohibit the use of chemical plant protection products and fertilizers or establish limits to these activities. If it is necessary to eliminate an outbreak of plant diseases or pests on a shore or bank, one must apply for a single permit for using toxic chemical agents. The application shall be handed to the county environmental authorities and the Minister of Environment will issue the permit.

Table 1. The extent of the shore protection zone.

Water body Water protection zone Building prohibition zone* Shore and bank protection zone
Baltic Sea, Lake Peipsi, Lake Vortsjarv 20 m 100 m 200 m
Narva-Joesuu, islands in the sea 20 m 200 m 200 m
Lakes and reservoirs with an area over 10 ha and rivers and water conduits with a catchment area over 25 km2 10 m 50 m 200 m
Lakes and reservoirs with an area between 5 and 10 ha, rivers and water conduits with a catchment area between 10 and 25 km2 10 m 25 m 100 m
The rest of lakes, reservoirs, rivers, canals 10 m 25 m 10 - 25 m**
Recipients of the land improvement constructions until their discharge into natural water bodies 1 m 10 m 25 m**

*on flooded areas the building prohibition zone extends to the high water line

** the exact extent shall be established by local government

 

Figure 2.  Leaving a buffer zone on the shores and banks of brooks or ditches uncultivated decreases the loss of nutrients substantially.

 

 

 

On the shores and banks it is prohibited to build and enlarge:

industrial production sites and warehouses where dangerous substances are used, prepared or stored. A dangerous substance is a substance the increased content of which may, due to its toxicity or resistance or bioaccumulation endanger human health or cause damage to living organisms or ecosystems.

industrial production sites, the harmful impact of which may extend to the water protection zone or to the beaches.

On the basis of the Water Act sanitary protection zones with the width of 30 or 50 meters have been established for groundwater intakes and where only the following activities are permitted: servicing of water intake structures, forest management, haymaking and water monitoring. Any other economic activity is prohibited. Land application of fertilizer and plant protection products as well as any other activity (e.g. storing manure or grazing), which may endanger the quality of water are prohibited on the area around springs and sink holes in the radius of 10 meters from the water line or from the edge of the sink hole. In a nitrate sensitive zone the width of the protection zone around springs and sinkholes is 50 metres from the water line or from the edge of the sinkhole. The extent of restrictions is established by protection rules.

The extent of the sanitary protection area for a water intake structure is:

within the radius of 50 m around a bored well, if water is extracted from one bored well;

50 m to both sides from the row of bored wells and within the radius of 50 m around the farthest bored wells of the row, if water is extracted from two or more bored wells;

200 m upstream and 50 m downstream from the water extraction place and 50 m to both sides from the line drawn crossways with shore in the water extraction place;

the whole water area of a water body with a bank zone as broad as 90 m, if water is extracted from the body of standing water.

In the sanitary protection zone of a groundwater intake with the width over 30 m or over 50 m the requirements established for using shores and banks shall be applied.

The Minister of Environment may decrease the area of sanitary protection zone for a water intake:

to 10 m, if the amount of water extracted is less than 10 m3 a day and will be used for the needs of public water supply system;

to 30 m, if the amount of water extracted is more than 10 m3 a day and the groundwater layer is well protected.

If the amount of water extracted from groundwater layer is more than 500 m3 a day, the sanitary protection area may extend up to 200 m from the water extraction place.

If the amount of water extracted from groundwater layer is below 10 m3 a day and it serves the needs of only one immovable, the sanitary protection zone for water intake shall not be established.

 

BAAP regional network. webmin@baap.lt Page updated 2001.07.22