The Department of Hydrogeology and Environmental Geology of the Geological Survey of Estonia launched the joint Estonian-Latvian project GroundEco – „Joint management of groundwater dependent ecosystems in transboundary Gauja - Koiva river basin“. The aim of the project is to study groundwater-dependent land ecosystems and to test the methodology used for their assessment within the cross-border Gauja-Koiva drainage basin.
The European Union Water Framework Directive (2000/60/EC) implies that the member states are obliged to compile a catalogue of land and water ecosystems directly dependent on groundwater. For such an assessment, it is necessary to form a complex monitoring network in order to follow changes in the state of groundwater and dependant ecosystems.
Similar monitoring networks will be established in the framework of GroundEco in pilot study areas within the Gauja-Koiva drainage basin both in the Estonian and the Latvian territory. Surface water and groundwater will be monitored using the same methodology: water will be sampled, flow rates of springs and rivers will be measured, surface water and groundwater levels and conductivity are followed automatically. Additionally, descriptions of the state of the studied ecosystems will be compiled and the dependency on groundwater will be assessed.
The leading partner of the project is the Latvian Environment, Geology and Meteorology Centre (Latvijas vides, geologijas un meteorologijas centrs). Together with the Geological Survey of Estonia, the participating Estonian institutions are the Ministry of Environment Water Department, Tallinn University Institute of Ecology.
The web page of GroundEco provides additional information on the project.
The project is financed by the European Regional Development Fund Interreg Estonia-Latvia program.
