Welcome to the Svēte Floodplain

All stakeholders and other interested parties are invited to attend a public information meeting for development of a management plan for the Svēte Floodplain Nature Park of April 6. There will be two meetings in the Līvbērze county – in Vārpas at 11.00 and in Valgunde at 15.00.

Anser brachyrhynchus

Welcome to the Svēte Floodplain

All stakeholders and other interested parties are invited to attend a public information meeting for development of a management plan for the Svēte Floodplain Nature Park of April 6. There will be two meetings in the Līvbērze county – in Vārpas at 11.00 and in Valgunde at 15.00.

The Latvian Ornithological Society draws the management plan for the Svēte Floodplain, and this work is lead by Rolands Lebuss. The plan is set to be completed by the end of this year. This activity is financially supported by a larger project – the LIFE-Nature Restoration of Floodplain Meadows administered by the Latvian Fund for Nature. Significant restoration activities such as clearing bushes and providing initial mowing of floodplain meadows in the lower reaches of the Svēte River will be carried out in the framework of the project this year. Additional financing is available for these activities, and at least 70 landowners or managers could apply for it.

Traditionally, the Svēte estuary – the wide floodplains along its inflow to the Lielupe River – is considered an excellent bird watching site. It is favored as a stopover by migrating birds, especially in spring from late March until middle of May. Some springs up to 800 gees have been seen gathering here.

The extensive meadows on the right bank of the Svēte estuary are the key natural value of this site. In spring, the area floods over a large territory thus forming shallow yet big pools that are very attractive to migrating water birds and waders. Most commonly, gees feed on the arable land or pastures along the road leading to the small settlement, Vārpas. Taking in sounds of thousands of gees on a misty spring morning is among the most impressive nature spectacles worth experiencing. On April 5 the first null Anser brachyrhynchus was observed in the Svēte floodplain. More on bird watching in this area could be found here.

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In the course of 2006, the project Restoration of Floodplain Meadows will support development of 7 management plans for the following territories: the Rūja Floodplain, the Burgas Meadows (within the North Vidzeme Biosphere Reserve), Lower Reaches of the Padedze River, the Svēte Floodplain, the Lielupe River Floodplain Meadows, the Raķupe River Valley, and the Meadows of Lake Durbe. Management plan for the Seda Bog, which was started in 2005, will also be completed this year.

Next public meetings on development of the management plans are set for April 12 in Jelgava (for the Lielupe River Floodplain Meadows), April 13 in Valka (for the Burgas Meadows), and on April 24 in Durbe (for the Meadows of Lake Durbe). More information available under the Restoration of Floodplain Meadows project sites.