“The two dams (on the Kvasny and Bohdan streams) are the remains of dams that were built during the Austro-Hungarian era to intensively export the Carpathian forest. Today, they are a source of danger of man-made disasters and economic losses, because they divert the riverbeds towards the road, destroying the transport infrastructure. The third dam (along the Belyi stream) is an embankment on the bank, which creates the effect of a canalized river. Thus, after the floods in 1998, they tried to save the remnants of the roads from being washed away,” the message says.
Demolition of these three dams will make it possible to completely free the upper reaches of the Tisza from artificial obstacles, experts say.
“Open river”
As noted by the head of the NGO “Danube-Carpathian Program”, candidate of biological sciences Bohdan Prots, the free river is a model that makes it possible to preserve biodiversity, tourist and, in case of emergency, transport infrastructure, improve water quality, and support the economic activity of shepherds in the meadows , tourist access to the natural values of the biosphere reserve, and reduce erosion and flash floods on rivers.
“Until recently, dams were considered an absolute boon. They were built to irrigate fields, control floods, provide domestic and industrial water, generate power, etc. But these benefits come at a price, and often the price is too high and outweighs the benefits. It’s clean water, fish , support of biodiversity, safety for infrastructure and settlements downstream, the natural appearance of the shores, which attracts tourists, etc.,” the NGO emphasizes.
Therefore, the era of reassessment of the impact of dams and the restoration of free-flowing rivers began in the world.
