Introduction to the the Odra River Basin District Plan.

The Odra River Basin area is one of eight areas in the Czech Republic for which a plan of the basin was developed. This has been done in compliance with the Directive of European Parliament and the European Council, No. 2000/60/ES, applicable to the water policy (so called Water Framework Directive) within the European community. The plan at this level, so called level C, was open for public comments from July to December 2008. After the comments were processed and results thereof included therein, the Plan was approved by the Moravian-Silesian Region and Olomouc Region to the date of 22 December 2009. The plan became basis for development of the part of the International Plan of the Odra River Basin that lies on the territory of the Czech Republic (level B). A summary report on analysis and monitoring programmes (Article 15 of the Framework Directive) based on the plan were then developed and will be submitted to the European Commission on 22 March 2010. On this same date, an Integrated Plan for the whole international area of the Odra River Basin (level A per Art. No. 13 of the Framework Directives) encompassing plans of three countries that the area of the international basin covers, i.e., Poland, the Federal Republic of Germany and the Czech Republic, become available as well.

The Plan for the Odra River Basin (level C), which is the subject of this website, is based on legal regulations and their subordinate sections applicable within the Czech Republic and is subject to the following:

• Water protection requirements in terms of the Water Framework Directive
• Protection against floods and other harmful effects caused by water
• Sustainable use of water resources and water management to meet requirements applicable to water services, especially those pertaining to the supply of potable water.

In consequence of the Framework Directive it is essential that good water status is achieved in all water bodies within the Odra River Basin. This would lead to the elimination of the priority hazardous substances (should they occur), reduction of the nutrient-concentration in the water, which would, as a consequence, reduce their concentration in the marine environment and thus help to create conditions that would be closer to the natural occurrence. Good status should be achieved within 15 years from the date the Water Framework Directive came into force, i.e., by the year 2015, with a possibility of time-shift (under certain conditions and circumstances) until 2027.

The plan made an assessment of ecological status under the current conditions in the basin and developed a programme of measures of which the implementation would ensure that the satisfactory level may be achieved by the above date. The programme consists of a proposal of measures as described in the relevant chapters of the plan. These include namely - so called good practices, proposals for construction of wastewater treatment plants and sewerage systems, removal of old ecological damages, revitalization of watercourses and removal of migratory obstacles therein, area landscaping, land use adjustments and other modifications. Furthermore, the programme of measures takes cognisance of various tasks included in the Main River Basins Plan of the Czech Republic.

The Plan for Odra River Basin was developed by the state owned company Odra River Basin in cooperation with Regional Offices of the Moravian-Silesian and Olomouc Regions and Central Water Management Authorities with the assistance of the main external supplier - the company Pöyry Environment a.s., Brno. Other organisations participating on preparation of the Plan were the Forestry of the Czech Republic – Waterways Administration - Odra River Basin, Agricultural Water Management Administration - Odra River Basin, Agency for Nature Conservation and Landscape Protection - Branch Ostrava, companies operating within the Odra River Basin in the field of water supply and sewerage systems, members of the Planning Commission of the Odra River Basin and a broad spectrum of the professional public.

The processing of the plan was carried out in several successive steps subject to the previously agreed time schedule and broad participation of the general public. The preparatory work on the Plan was completed by the end of 2008 and then, on the basis thereof, an overview of significant problems regarding water management was compiled. After its acceptance by the relevant Central Authorities and approval by the Regional Offices, the work became one of the starting points for the development of the Odra River Basin Plan itself. The Draft Plan was completed by the middle of the year 2008 and submitted for comments to the public for a period of six months. After the comments were processed, the impact of the plan on environment was evaluated (SEA), and final version completed, the document was approved by representatives of the Moravian-Silesian Region and the Olomouc Region. The Odra District Plan is rather an extensive document containing approximately 500 pages of text, 150 maps and tables and over 170 pages of proposed measures. The plan is divided into seven chapters as follows:

Introductory report

• Description of the River Basin District
• Use of waters and impact thereof on water condition
• Condition and protection of water bodies
• Flood protection and landscape water regime
• Estimate of the proposed measures impacts
• Economic analysis

The Introductory report explains in broader terms the context of the planning process and the overall development of the Plan, and contains an overview of the significant water management issues and good practices, which should be applied in the Odra River Basin. A description of the River Basin is contained in Chapter A. Chapter B offers an analysis and determination of risks that a good environmental status of the aquatic environment is not achieved by the year 2015. An analysis is based on the current usage of water and anticipated development of the national economy. Chapter C evaluates the status of water on the basis of the conducted monitoring and comparison of its results with the defined objectives, and proposes measures whereby the good water status can be achieved.

Chapter D deals with flood protection and water regime of the area, it describes its current situation, defines goals, deals with analysis of extreme situations and their consequences (droughts, floods) and proposes measures whereby the basin could be protected against extreme situations.

Chapter F evaluates cost-effectiveness of various proposed measures, and Chapter E estimates the impact the proposed measures may have on water conditions by the year 2015. In those cases when the proposed measures would not secure achievement of the good water status parameters, the relevant exemptions to the environmental objectives have been applied.

Introduction of activities proposed by the programme regarding the treatment of wastewater, completion of sewerage systems, completion of land arrangements, dealing with land erosion and nitrates, introduction and compliance with good practices, completion of revitalisation of water courses, and synergies of all these measures would result in the Odra River Basin having achieved good water status by the year 2027.