The Southern Bug’s depth was about 3 m twenty years ago; the river was navigable. The river is becoming shallower from year after year, and in some areas it reaches 5 cm per year. Today the Southern Bug is a wide valley with low banks formed by landslips and erosion. It is covered with rush and waterweeds. The river is silted up. The average depth is 1.65 m, and in some areas – up to 1 m. NIBULON’s General Director says, “Ducks will soon cross the river”. Are we waiting for this?
“Every year the water level is reducing; it gets warmer, reducing oxygen level”, tells Tetyna Babich, deputy head from NIBULON’s environmental protection department. “The fish uses this oxygen, and it will die without it. The situation becomes worse in summer. Half a year ago we read news about mass fish pestilence in the Southern Bug that was caused by the lack of oxygen in the superheated water. The low water level and shallowness cause rush growth, thereby leading to water bloom and decomposers. As a result, the river is silting up. Its natural flow, circulation and drainage capabilities are becoming worse. The fish is dying in such a pond”.
Tetyana Babich, NIBULON’s deputy head of environmental protection department
The low water level is not only an environmental but also economic and anthropogenic problem. The shallowness threatens not only fish but also people’s life and activity. The lack of fresh water is a serious problem; the rush spreads not only in the river but also covers banks, river beaches, boat stations, and berths.
NIBULON’s specialists started solving this problem, having developed and presented its project “Improving navigable waterway conditions on the Southern Bug from Voznesensk to Mykolayiv” to the society and the state bodies of local and central executive authorities. This project provides for the dredging of navigable pass of 102.2 km from Mykolayiv to Nova Odesa up to the design depths of 2.90 m; from Nova Odesa to Prybuzhany village (Voznesensk district) – up to the design depth of 2.65 m. The project implementation will revive navigation along the Southern Bug, but the authorities have impeded the project for more than six years, and it did not receive state financing.
Inactivity and indifferent attitude demonstrated by the state executive bodies at all levels made NIBULON implement its project by its own means and reconsider its own program to construct fleet. Taking into account the existing depths on the Southern Bug, the company is constructing fleet to sail along the navigable pass from Nova Odesa to Mykolayiv with a depth of 2.40 m as against 2.90 m design depth; from Voznesensk to Nova Odesa – 2.30 m as against 2.65 m design depth.
The first stage has been started; it involves the dredging of navigable pass from Mykolayiv to Nova Odesa up to the depth of 2.40 m and from Nova Odesa to Prybuzhany (Voznesensk district) – up to 2.30 m depth. Under the circumstances, the actual volume of dredging will be reduced to 181,600m3 as against the design one of 1,187,750 m3, thereby minimizing the impact on the ecosystem. The first stage will enable not only to revive navigation but also to improve the river’s hydrological, sanitary, and ecological condition.
Current river condition before dredging. Buzke village and Prybuzhany village (Voznesensk district)
Navigation pass depth – from 1.1 m
Navigation pass width – 40 m
River condition after dredging
Navigation pass depth will comprise 2.3 m (design depth – 2.65 m)
“The company will dredge those areas, where the depth level is not suitable for navigation; the bottom soil will be placed on bank areas which location was coordinated with village councils.
Please note that according to the analysis made by an independent laboratory, the bottom soil is clean and safe.
The dredging will increase river flow, reduce water bloom, improve its drainage capabilities, thereby reducing impounded river areas and swampy banks. The corresponding state executive authorities inspected and approved the project”, explains Tetyana Babich.
Recently, NIBULON has obtained another evidence of groundless accusations from some ‘naturalists’. The Ministry of Nature of Ukraine and the State Agency of Water Resources of Ukraine considered the impact of dredging on the environment in terms of a possible threat to Nyzhne Pobuzhzhya (outcome No. 5/3-7/14055-15 dated 17.11.2015). The Ministry of Nature concluded that dredging is safe for Nyzhne Pobuzhzhya environment.
See all the materials, research results, copies of agreements, and expert findings on NIBULON’s website (http://www.nibulon.com/data/investiciina-diyalnist/dlya-investoriv/informaciya-dlya-steikxolderiv-kompanii2.html).
The reduction of anthropogenic load from land transport is another advantage from the project. In particular, navigation along the Southern Bug will enable to transport up to 1 million tons of cargo annually which represents the same figure as would be carried by 50 thousand trucks in Mykolayiv region. This will positively influence the environment due to the reduction of fuel combustion product emissions per one ton of grain transported. Cargo transportation by water transport will reduce combustion product emissions (carbon oxide, nitrogen, sulphur and soot, and also non-methane organic, methane and benzpyrene) by 4 thousand tons per year. This will improve atmospheric air in settlements and make their inhabitants healthier, as every inhabitant will inhale by 4 kg of pollutants less per year.
“The village communities appreciate our project. People even asked to start working as quickly as possible”, mentions Iryna Ploshyk, an engineer from NIBULON’s environmental protection department. “We listened to people’s problems and think how our activity can help them. The villagers, for example, told us about the reduction of pastures. River banks are the best places to feed animals. Unfortunately, pastures by the river are small and turn into a bog. Thus, we decided to plant a disposal tip with perennial grass in order to create new pastures”. Persons concerned attended storage sites for soil taken when NIBULON constructed its transshipment terminal in Nova Odesa. They saw good pastures instead of swamp areas. Everyone can visit NIBULON’s transshipment terminal in Nova Odesa, including public organizations, by providing a request beforehand.
Iryna Ploshnyk, an environmental protection engineer
“We hope that the territory for pastures will soon be increased due to soil stockpiling”, tells Anna Grydzhuk, a villager from Dmytrivka village. “Poaching is another drawback caused by large rush and stagnant water. It is very suitable to net when navigation is absent. The fish will disappear soon. Thus, our community supports NIBULON’s initiative.
Current condition of storage sites for soil taken by NIBULON during construction of its transshipment terminal in Nova Odesa. Swamp area in the past turned into a good pasture at present. Landscape renovation.
At present Olshanske village council has addressed itself to NIBULON describing unsolved issues on bottom cleaning on the river beaches and boat berths (letter outcome No.366/04.07 dated 23.10.2015). There are a lot of examples demonstrating people’s interest in implementing this project.
NIBULON’s project reminds a practice to revitalize rivers spread in Europe at present. This practice aims to renovate natural territories, in particular, by controlling rivers’ basins and creating bank protection structures. This ensures the stabilization of river’s regime, the improvement of water organisms inhabitation, and the formation of aesthetic and investment attractiveness of coastal territories. These projects have been successfully implemented in Germany, Czech Republic and Great Britain.
“We explain that dredging is an interference in ecosystem, but NIBULON makes everything possible to minimize it”, adds Iryna Ploshnyk. “In order to minimize impact on the environmental facilities, the design decisions contain soil monitoring results, advice of scientists from Kherson State University, Mykolayiv Regional Department of Water Resources developed by NIBULON’s request. The environmental facilities are monitored during the project implementation: the Institute of Fishery of National Academy of Agrarian Sciences of Ukraine performs outdoor ichthyologic supervision, and certified laboratories research bottom soil. According to the monitoring results, compensatory measures will be specified, in particular damage to fishery. Thus, negative impact will be minimized, and positive effect will be seen in the near future”.
“Those who try to intimidate people saying that dredging can negatively influence the ecosystem is a usual “fear trader” who creates perverted stereotypes for his own benefit. Public organizations preventing the project implementation tries to form negative public opinion. We can protect ourselves from such manipulations, increasing our level of environmental culture. We must read more and care about nature”, stresses Tetyana Babich.
P.S. Some opponents say that bottom soil must be placed in used mines on the mainland. Have they analyzed danger from such activity? NIBULON have. The bottom soil taken by a dredger is transported via a slurry pipeline using water. Depending on bottom soil density, there are from six to ten volume units of water per one volume unit of soil. This pulp cannot be transported by road transport; it must be dehydrated in a specially organized depositing site being dammed and having sedimentation and drainage areas. This is provided by the project, a multipurpose Watermaster Classic IV dredger is involved in organizing depositing sites, and dehydrated bottom soil is placed in depositing sites and planted with perennial grass. In order to transport bottom soil on the mainland, it must be transshipped on road transport upon dehydration. It will be necessary to involve a bulldozer, a truck, and an excavator. In this case, pollutant emissions, noise from engines, and the area of damaged plant cover will be larger than provided by the project.
We are open for a dialogue and are ready to discuss any proposals to minimize the impact of project activity on the environment.
