First national networking trip to Kaszó
Within the framework of the LIFE LOGOS 4 WATERS project „In cooperation for climate-conscious river basin management”, the first national networking trip took place on the 25th of August 2022 in Kaszó. During the networking event, the participants could see the intervention sites of the Kaszó-LIFE project entitled “Restoration and conservation of Alluvial forests with Alnus glutinosa and Fraxinus excelsior in the Kaszo area” (LIFE12 NAT/HU/000593), which was implemented between 2013 and 2018 within the LIFE+ programme.
The event was opened by Gábor Galamb, the CEO of Kaszó Zrt. (coordinating beneficiary of the visited project), followed by a welcome speech from dr. Róza Számadó, Head of Department of the Ministry of Interior, representing the Deputy State Secretariat for Municipalities. Afterwards, the Kaszó-LIFE project was presented in the Multifunctional Ecotourism Centre, during which the visitors could learn about the project’s objectives, the activities carried out and the achieved results. László Horváth, the head of the forestry and nature conservation department of Kaszó Zrt, shared the experiences gained during the implementation of the project.
Presentation of László Horváth in Kaszón at the Multifunctional Ecoturism Centre
The 5-year-long Kaszó-LIFE project was implemented in the immediate vicinity of the village of Kaszó, located in the sandy area of Belső-Somogy with a budget of 1,3 million euros and 75% EU funding. The main objective of the project was to conserve the wetlands managed by Kaszó Zrt. These are mainly Natura2000 sites. They aimed to improve the water supply of the forests, and small marshy and grassy areas by keeping the precipitation in the area, thus stabilizing the favourable ecological status. The project covers an area of nearly 2100 hectares. The interventions included the construction of the Bükk reservoir, the installation of a controllable culvert for the outflow of Lake Baláta, maintenance works in the Kűvölgyi Lakes’ beds and along the lakes, sludge dredging in one of the lakes and the addition of two more lakes to the lake system.
Distant view of Kűvölgyi Lakes
Lake Kűvölgyi valley closure dam
Around 15 kilometres of intermittent watercourses have been modified by perpendicular logs to slow down the flow of water, and nearly 300 hectares have been cleared of invasive species to maintain the appropriate forest structure of the native tree population.
Perpendicular logs to slow down intermittent watercourses
After the presentation of the project, during a 5 km hike, we visited the main intervention site. During the stops, the experts involved in the implementation and monitoring of the Kaszó-LIFE project presented the interventions created during the project, the work process and the impacts observed.
During the tour, participants had the opportunity to discuss what they had seen and heard which led to a professional discussion between representatives of the different disciplines involved. The different expertise of the participants all brought different perspectives to the activities and results achieved in the project. The methods used to mitigate the negative effects of climate change have been evaluated from different perspectives by foresters, geologists, water management and climate protection experts, or even by colleagues with experience in public administration and economics.
This shows that a complex solution requires the involvement of many disciplines to ensure that all professional aspects are taken into account and that the intervention achieves the intended impact. After all, nature is a complex system, of which water is indeed an indispensable but only one element.
Presentation of project results, technical presentation on monitoring activities
The impact of the interventions was assessed by the National Agricultural Research and Innovation Centre’s Forest Research Institute. The health of trees and herbaceous vegetation and the tree ring analysis of the sample trees was carried out and assessed in 18 monitoring and control areas affected by the intervention. Although the project was completed in 2018 and it is difficult to detect changes in the health of trees in such a short period of time, the results of the studies so far suggest that the project is reducing groundwater levels in the intervention areas more slowly than in areas where the proximity of reservoirs does not affect soil water levels. This will improve the health of the trees in the project area.
Alder forest int he control area
Guided walking tour in the project intervention area
There is also a drone video of the area, showing the reservoirs from above. You can watch the video at the link here.
In the framework of the LIFE LOGOS 4 WATERS project a total of three national networking visits will take place, the first of which was the visit to Kaszó. Feedback showed that the event was not only useful for the participants from a professional point of view, but also for networking. The ideas that emerge from the discussions can later be turned into a new project, with the cooperation of the participants.
Photos and videos made by: Zoltán Szenek, General Directorate of Water Management (GDWM)
