Heads of the Nature Conservation Agency get to know the activities of the LIFE IS SALACA project

On 15 April, a meeting of the heads of the Nature Conservation Agency took place at the Vidzeme Regional Administration in Salacgrīva.

After the morning working session, the participants went on a field trip to see the activities of the LIFE IS SALACA project in nature. Over three hours in Vecsalaca, at other places on the banks of the Salaca and at the Korģe, the heads had the opportunity to see and learn first-hand how various measures to improve the river ecosystem are being carried out.

In Vecsalaca, the participants learned about fish research, the operation of the salmon counter and the principles of its construction, the rapids restoration technique and how the work is carried out. Atis Apelis, head of the association “Fishing Club “SALACKRASTI””, presented the practical work on the river. The machinery used for rapids restoration was demonstrated – an excavator that works directly in the river, digging out and lifting the overgrowth. The participants were also interested in cooperation with private landowners and the process of agreeing on the work. Kaspars Abersons, lead fish expert at the institute BIOR, explained the salmon spawning figures and the importance of monitoring. The automatic fish counter, equipped with cameras, makes it possible to determine the number, size and other parameters of the fish swimming past. In the 2025 season, more than 1,000 salmon were recorded.

Kaspars Abersons talked about the problems of overgrowth on the Salaca, its impact on fish species and monitoring after the works, while Jolanta Jēkabsone, lead water expert at the Latvian Environment, Geology and Meteorology Centre, spoke about the importance of rapids restoration in the context of protected habitats of the European Union.

“Within the project, we are focusing specifically on the Salaca sub-basin – the section of the river below Lake Burtnieks, where habitat quality can be improved in a targeted way. Our aim is not only to carry out practical work but also to develop an approach that helps reconcile the requirements of the Water Framework Directive and the Habitats Directive,” stresses J. Jēkabsone.

At the Korģe bridge, Jolanta Jēkabsone and Kaspars Abersons explained the approach to harmonising the Water Framework Directive and the Habitats Directive, the development of a common monitoring protocol and river surveys. Emīls Rubīns, GIS specialist and inland water expert at LEGMC, demonstrated river mapping with a drone.

The project representatives also presented other activities – the creation of an interactive exhibition in Salacgrīva, the drawing up of the nature conservation plan for the “Salacas ieleja” (Salaca Valley) Nature Park, and riparian forest management.

The aim of the LIFE IS SALACA project is to help achieve good water status in the rivers of the Salaca sub-basin by carrying out practical management measures, preparing planning documents and sharing knowledge and good practice with the public and experts.

The project is implemented by the Latvian State Forest Research Institute “Silava” in cooperation with the Nature Conservation Agency, the Latvian Environment, Geology and Meteorology Centre, the institute BIOR and the association “Fishing Club “SALACKRASTI””, with support from the European Union’s LIFE programme.

At the end of the day, the heads of the Nature Conservation Agency also visited the Red Cliffs of the Salaca – one of the most remarkable natural sites in the Salacgrīva area.