Environmental considerations of development of the Lower Vistula River

For a long time, the Vistula River has been transformed and developed in order to better fulfil its economic functions. In spite of these changes, the river has very precious natural values, due to which it is covered by area legal protection, dominated by the Natura 2000 network. Environmental requirements related to Natura 2000 conservation and resulting from the Water Framework Directive – confirmed in Polish law (Environmental Protection Law, Water Law) – constitute part of the EU strategy within the scope of water management. Thus, they need to be considered in measures related to river transformation. This significantly reduces investment opportunities and complicates the process of investment preparation. Fuller diagnosis of the environmental condition including the impact of changeability of hydrological, hydraulic and morphological considerations on protected nature resources is necessary for reasonable conservation of Natura 2000 network areas, carrying out investment in these areas, as well as for conducting measures compensating possible harmful interference with the environment. The need for economic functions of the Vistula River and simultaneous necessity to consider environmental protection requirements, indicates the need to carry out compromise solutions of river development. This study presents some more important conditions of reaching such solutions.