To my friends green grass-roots activists - Ilva Everte,
Sandra Gicevska, Anastasia Trofimova,
Jelena Vasilkova, Iveta Elksne, Valerij Gorbunov,
Normunds Slisans and the pioneers
of the Green - Awakening movement in Latvia -
Arvids Ulme, Pavils Raudonis, Haralds Simanis.

ANALYSIS by Sandis Reinvalds, BEd,MEd,Dip.Biolog.,Latvia

Discussions about Daugavpils HES actually take place only on the level of official authorities. At present (the reason of discussion - Daugavpils City Council has passed Regulation "On construction possibilities of Daugavpils HES", and the following sentence has been included in the Latvian National Program of Power Development (accepted by the State Committee on March 23, 1996): "Construction of new power-stations of sufficient capacity in Latvia would be related to Daugavpils HES and Jekabpils HES") the discussions are conducted only from the position of power engineers.

The power problem is quite actual in Latvia. Ideas have occasionally been expressed by the press and radio about the possibility to restore the construction of Daugavpils HES. Such ideas are expressed by people who envisage the forthcoming power crisis. Indeed, one has to think about how to overcome such a crisis. However, without doing wrong to the nature.

Power stations always act like anthropogene factor in the nature - they damage the territory, degrade the landscape. A term for it used in biology is "a tourniquet effect" when blood-circulation either in hands or feet is temporarily stopped. In event of construction of Daugavpils HES the flow of the river Daugava would be stopped forever.

What are the reasons why we must not build Daugavpils HES?

1. Daugavpils HES is related to revival of the Latvian national independence and it represents a symbol related to the national awakening: the struggle against the ridiculous and economically groundless project of Daugavpils HES promoted the national awakening and represented the struggle for national independence.

2. The river Daugava constitutes a border between the Eastern and the Western species' area, and in the event of Daugavpils HES construction such a border would be interrupted. There would appear cosmopolitan species of both plants and animals. Due to its length and the micro-climate of the valley, the river Daugava represent one of the ways for formation of interesting fauna.

Number of species have immigrated to Latvia directly via the Daugava valley. For example, immigration of Epuraea distincta to Latvia. If there was even a minor power station, the path of fish and insects would be interrupted due to the high pressure, since the HES actually is a dam, just supplemented with turbines. For number of Dyschirius species it would be enough to increase permanently the water level even by a quarter meter, and their number would rapidly reduce and then disappear. In case the HES water level reaches 97 m the unique nature complex Augsdaugava (the upper Daugava) would disappear. There are birds nesting in the valley of the Daugava, which would wither away due to hypertrophisation caused by HES. Operation of the HES would also change the peculiar micro-climate disturbing the nesting of birds residing in the valley of the Daugava.

3. Waters from the radioactive area of Chernobyl, Belarus, flow into the river Daugava. There is absolute lack of monitoring in the branch of radio-activity of the Daugava water. It would result in formation of radioactive substances sediment in a water reservoir close to Daugavpils.

4.The most important, most complicated and many-sided (from geological point of view) part of the valley is between Kraslava and Daugavpils. This part of the valley which is about 70 km long, 2 - 50 m deep and 2 - 4 km wide is the oldest valley in Latvia. The most impressive is the 43 m high Liela Ververu steep-bank which stands stately on the left bank of the Daugava between Kraslava and Daugavpils. Geological processes of declivity continue there, which is apparent from naked surface of the steep-bank. Isn't the Ververu steep-bank alone equal to the Staburags, once it is under the threat of inundation? The view from the steep-banks of Ververi, Slutiski, Vecrachina, Vasargeliski etc. to the vast and inexpressibly beautiful valley is unforgettable. The nature park Circles of the Daugava would lose its contains, because Spogi reservation of landslide circus, the geological restricted areas of Krauja and Adamova, the complex restricted area of Jezupova and the Naujene botanical area would disappear.

Two kilometres downsstream Kraslava on the right bank of the river Daugava there lays a 40 m high precipice of the valley-bank covered with bushes and trees. It is the famous Adamova steep-bank. The steep-bank itself and the attached territory can be called an unique geological nature monument without any exaggerations: at the foot of the steep-bank under the 27 m thick ice-layer and its melting water there is a 200 000 years old layer of inter-glacial peat. Little bit more floodlandwards one can see strange, well fastened and smoothed sandstone boulders. Taking a glance little bit upwards, one can see layers of sandstone in between the slope - it is the so-called conglomerations having formed from sand and gravel layers cemented with underground waters saturated in calcium carbonates during the post-glacial stage.

The integral wealth of the Upper Daugava is presented by its almost two thousands springs. Among them the large such as Viljusu, Saltupes, Muravku etc. springs are noteworthy, representing a wonder of nature due to the powerful flow of clear water and other peculiarities.

5. Unique biotops would be inundated - the unique flood-lands and partially also the meadows and forests representing a vast diversity of insect species. Asaphidon austriacum the first fixed representative of said specie in the whole Eastern Europe, abide in the Naujene Park (at Jezupova) along the brooklet. Close to Slutiski one can find the very rear Colias crocea. In dry meadows of Piedruja which would be inundated in the event of construction of the HES, there has formed a complex of plant species not typical to the Latvian fauna - on the banks of the river Daugava there can be found dry, sandy meadows with sparse grass. For example, about 3 kilometres upstream Piedruja the meadows of the said type have gathered a number of southern species typical to steppe areas but very rare anywhere else in Latvia.

6. A very valuable medical herb Gratiola officinalis grows in the flood-land of the Daugava close to Adamova and Indrica. The place is under the threat of inundation due to construction of HES thus the said specie would then disappear, but the herb represents the group of hydrophites with reduced competitiveness, abiding in locations where the flood-water can flow them into sand. It has already happened with 15 deposits drown in Riga and Plavinu HES water. It would also cause danger to such herbs growing on bank-slopes as Anemone sylvestris L(Daugavas vizbulis), Trifolium alpestre L. (Alpu abolins), Allium schoenoprasum L. (maurloki), Cucubalus baccifer L. (melnodzenes), Antitoxicum officinale (Mnch) Pob. (Dziedniecibas indaines), Gentiana cruciata L. (Krustlapu drudzenes), Lunaria rediviva L. (Ziemas menesenes), Hysotis sparsiflora Mik. (Sikzieda neaizmirstules), Carex hirta L. (Pukainais grislis) and other plants.

Delinquency of construction of the HES has been proved by the competent Daugava committee consisting of scientists and culture executives during meeting which took place on February, 1992 in Riga. It was decided in the meeting that no construction of whatsoever type HES shall take place, and instead of it, in order to solve the power problem, it is planned to build a nuclear power station which would meet all European standards. Daugavpils HES would provide only 3-4% of the whole amount of 6 billion kwh necessary to Latvia, and therefore the power problem would be still far from solution. Finnish and Swedish specialists pointed out in 1993 that construction of a new HES would be connected with huge capital investments for production of one kwh, as well as it would be subject to restrictions from the point of view of environmental protection.

The government is not entitled to decide alone whether to build or not Daugavpils HES, without accept of the scientific committee ( to elaborate the draft project). That period of time has passed when the subordinating orders "from above" were binding.

In ancient times a number of our ancestors found their last dwelling in the river Daugava. Therefore the Daugava is called "the river of souls". Yet how can these souls feel being minced through the cascades of power stations? Everything is united, that is a rule of nature. We cannot harm the nature without harming ourselves.

Sandis Reinvalds
13 Beates Street, flat 33
Valmiera, LV 4201
Latvia
Telephone +371 42 25494
E-mail: me at sandisreinvalds@hotmail.com

March 16, 2000