The crews of the company Zaštita sporaje Montenegro have successfully completed the construction of a temporary dam in the bed of the Morača river, located in the Second sanitary protection zone of the Boljesestra water source, announced the president of the Board of Directors of the Regional Waterworks of the Montenegrin Littoral, Zoran Lakušić.
He said that this completes one of the important projects of the Regional Waterworks, which is a function of research and development activities, and which will have long-term positive effects on the water supply of the coast and the preservation of natural resources.
He said that this project, although of a temporary nature, brings significant changes in the ecosystem of the Morača River and represents an important step in increasing the yield of the Boljesestra water source, which provides the missing amounts of drinking water to the entire Montenegrin coast.
"The construction of the dam in 2023 has already shown a significant positive impact on the Morača river bed. The level of the bottom of the river bed and the water upstream of the dam has increased significantly, which has contributed to the revitalization of the plant and fish stock in the river. Vegetation is being restored, and the return of fish confirms that more favorable conditions have been created for life in this part of the Morača river bed. The accumulation of sand and gravel additionally stabilized the river bed, thus creating conditions for the long-term sustainability of the ecosystem," says Lakušić.
He said that stopping the illegal exploitation of sand and gravel, which has been endangering the river and its surroundings for years, is a historic decision that saved the Morača riverbed in the Second Protection Zone from further devastation. This preserves not only natural resources, but also biodiversity, which is crucial for maintaining the ecological balance in the area, he points out.
He said that this "ecological revival" brings benefits not only to nature, but also to the local community that depends on Morača and its resources, and that the construction of the dam raised the water level in the wells that the locals use for their own and agricultural activities.
Lakušić also points out that the construction of the dam, in addition to bringing ecological benefits, also had a direct impact on increasing the yield of the Boljesestra water source.
"This project was created through the process of scientific research and enabled a stable and increased supply of drinking water on the Montenegrin coast during 2023 and this year 2024, which is especially important during the summer months when the demand for water is at its peak. an amount of drinking water of as much as 804 liters per second. This success would not have been possible without the dam, which directly contributed to the increase in the spring's yield," he states.
Although, as he said, the construction of the temporary dam was carried out late this year, it will still serve as a key element in the scientific research studies related to the determination of the sanitary protection zones of the Boljesestra water source. He points out that these studies are of crucial importance for the long-term protection of springs and the planning of future infrastructure projects that will ensure a stable supply of drinking water for the Montenegrin coast.
He reminds that the hydrogeological investigations on the impact of the construction of the temporary dam on the Morača were carried out in 2023, as part of detailed hydrogeological investigations of the impact of the construction of the temporary dam on the Morača on the underground water regime in the area of the Boljesestra source.
"These studies provided data for reliable foundations for the creation of projects of permanent structures, cascade dams along the Morača River, in order to carry out its rehabilitation and re-establish the hydraulic relations that existed before the opening of the source, i.e. the beginning of the forced exploitation of the river's material," Lakušić said. .
He states that during the last year, on the basis of conducted research, it was established that during the hydrological minimum, the spring of Boljesestra "is fed not only by precipitation, but also allogenically, from compacted outcrops formed in the alluvium of Morača". He also said that the dam on Morača in 2023 caused changes in the water level on Boljesestra.
"Also, this activity is very significant because, based on the experiments, the validity of one of the variants of the long-term solution was confirmed, i.e. the conclusion that for a long-term solution to the water supply, it is necessary to carry out remediation of the Morača river bed with activities that include the construction of cascade dams, which will be financed with the support of the World The work is planned to start in 2025 and be completed in 2028," said Lakušić.
He assessed that the Morača dam is an example of how to balance the preservation of natural resources and meeting the needs of the population. "With the support of local and state authorities, Montenegro continues to set standards in the field of environmental protection and sustainable management of water resources," he said.
Lakušić said that taking care of Morača and the Boljesestra water source is taking care of the future of the Montenegrin coast, "its tourist attraction and, most importantly, the quality of life of all citizens".
"This project is proof that, with the right measures, nature can be restored and that sustainable development can be achieved for the benefit of everyone, from the local community to tourists visiting the Montenegrin coast," the announcement concludes.
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