Pienvesien suojelu- ja kunnostusstrategia

Only a few percent of Finland’s small water bodies are still in their natural state. The state of small water bodies has been deteriorated by drainage works, among other things. In December 2009, the Finnish Government approved the regional water resource management plans, which include the restoration of small water bodies as one of the steering methods to be developed. 2013 the national water restoration strategy was published defining measures for improving the condition of water bodies. A decision was made to prepare a separate protection and restoration strategy for small water bodies since Finland has a large number of them, their characteristics differ from those of larger water bodies and the measures for improving their conditions are partly different. The strategy presents measures for preserving small water bodies that are still in their natural state and for restoring deteriorated small water bodies. The small water bodies covered by the strategy include brooks and rills, ponds, springs, spring-fed mires as well as flads and gloe lakes. The strategy provides guidelines on how to better take the preservation and restoration needs of small water bodies into consideration in the preparation and implementation of water resource management plans as well as other measures affecting small water bodies. The strategy was prepared by a working group appointed by the Ministry of the Environment, which worked in close cooperation with different interest groups. The strategy defines six different objectives for improving the condition of small water bodies and the measures for achieving them. The objectives of the protection and restoration strategy for small water bodies are: 1. The information basis related to the condition of small water bodies is improved 2. Legislation pertaining to small water bodies as well as its application and monitoring are developed 3. Voluntary restoration of small water bodies is increased 4. Small water bodies are protected and restored as part of land use 5. Measures and objectives pertaining to small water bodies are taken into consideration in the preparation of water resource management plans 6. Financing practices pertaining to the restoration of small water bodies are developed As appendices, the strategy includes the criteria for prioritising valuable small water bodies as well as examples of successful small water body restoration projects.