When construction of Ecopark Vaya began in 2015, the site of the former fish farm on the shore of Lake Burgas (Vaya) was in a poor state. The land was abandoned and overgrown with reeds, the ponds had dried out and the dykes between them were broken. Water – the foundation of every wetland habitat – had almost stopped moving.
The first and most important task was to restore the water regime. The canals connecting the individual ponds to each other and to the lake were silted up with mud, fallen branches and years of accumulated rubbish, and in places completely cut off. Without working canals water stagnates, loses oxygen and gradually loses the life within it.
In 2015 and 2016 the main canals and water bodies of the site were cleared and restored. Particular attention was paid to the canal in the area by the animals, which was cleaned out completely so that water could once again flow freely and feed the adjoining ponds. Sections of the dykes were also rebuilt so that the ponds could hold water throughout the year.
This work was carried out with our own funds and equipment, a great deal of manual labour and a constant presence on site. It is not spectacular and rarely appears in photographs, but it is what made everything that followed possible: the return of the fish, the aquatic plants, the insects and the birds.
The canals and water bodies of the ecopark remain under constant care to this day – clearing vegetation, keeping the channels passable and monitoring water levels. Part of this maintenance is cutting the reeds with specialised boats, so that they do not take over the open water that is vital for waterbirds.
Healthy canals mean a healthy lake. Moving water carries oxygen and nutrients, connects the individual habitats and allows fish and other aquatic organisms to move between the ponds and the lake. That is why the restoration of the canals remains the foundation of all conservation work at Ecopark Vaya.
Today, as visitors walk along the calm waters of the ecopark, few of them realise that it all began with hard work on silted canals and broken dykes. But that is exactly where the story of Ecopark Vaya begins – with water.
Project summary
Project: Restoration of the canals and water bodies
Year: 2015–2016, with ongoing maintenance
Location: Ecopark Vaya
Activity: clearing silted canals (including the canal by the animals), restoring the water regime and sections of the dykes, maintaining the open water areas
Funding: own funds and volunteer work
Status: completed, with ongoing maintenance
Photo: Howard Walsh / Unsplash