Water retention management in the broader area of Ancient Olympia, Elia, Greece

General

National Id:

Greece_01

Site name:

Alpheos Water Body (GR0129R000215044H )

Summary:

The project refers to water retention management in the broader area of Ancient Olympia, Elia, Peloponnese, Greece; that is afforestation of mountain areas. The measures include the temporary installation of structures utilizing locally available timber in order to increase water retention as well as targeted planting of forests in mountain areas that can help stabilize hill slopes, thereby reduce erosion and potentially leading to greater water retention in the mountain areas. The primary measures targets include flood control and flood risk mitigation and the secondary biodiversity conservation. The main success factors was the positive attitude of decision makers, the willing of stakeholders and the positive public perception and the existing expert knowledge and tools.

The in-depth description of the case study:

cs-el-01-final_version.pdf

NUTS Code:

Δυτική Ελλάδα (Dytiki Ellada)

RBD code:

GR01

Transboundary:

Data provider:

Maggie Kossida, IACO

Source(s):

Post-fire water retention management : The case study of Ancient Olympia, Greece

Restoration of the archeological and the broader landscape of Olympia

NWRM(s) implemented in the case study:

Maintenance of forest cover in headwater areas

Longitude:

21.378061

Latitude:

37.3835085

Site information

Climate zone:

warm temperate dry

Mean rainfall:

863,049987792969

Mean rainfall unit:

mm/year

Average temperature:

16,7000007629395

Mean runoff:

675

Mean runoff unit:

450 - 600 mm

Type:

Case Study Info

Light or indepth?:

In-depth

Monitoring maintenance

Monitoring impacts effects:

Monitoring location:

Edge of Field/Plot

Performance

Performance impact estimation method:

Unknown

Performance impact estimation information:

Non applicable

Biophysical impacts

Information on retained water:

The volume of retained water was increased due to the temporary log structures as well as the improvement in the area vegitation after the afforestation

Information on increased water storage:

The measures increased the retaining of water for longer period enabling the infiltration/percolation and recharge of aquifers.

Information on runoff reduction:

The measures improved the runoff control as the velocity of water volume was reduced leading to decreasing the intensity and frequency of floods.

Water quality overall improvements:

Not relevant for this application

Information on Water quality overall improvements:

Not relevant for this application

Soil quality overall soil improvements:

Positive impact-SQ improvement

Information on Soil quality overall soil improvements:

The measures have a direct impact on the overall soil quality as afforestation of the area succeeds in eliminating the hydrophobic layer that was created in the soil after the fires and thus increase soil storage capacity. The fires have created the porosity of the soil to decrease, thus the restoration has positive impact on the soil infiltration capacity. Also the soil is improved due to the increase of the moisture.

Lessons, risks, implications...

Key lessons:

The retention measures are based on the principals of changing the area morphology as well as the soil composition. Thus, the length of the slopes was shortened, the surface roughness and the soil infiltration rates were increased, the surface runoff and sentiments were delayed and the soil humitity was increased. Water retention management can be implemented through improvement of the soil and changes in the landscape morphology.

Success factor(s):

Type	Role	Comments
Attitude of relevant stakeholders	main factor	The active involvement of the two Institutes was of critical importance
Attitude of decision makers	secondary factor
Existing staff and consultant knowledge	secondary factor	The expertise and knowledge tools of the two Institutes was important

Financing:

Type	Comments
Private funds	Donations
EU-funds: Rural development funds	Agricultural Development Programme

Barrier:

Type	Role	Comments
Other	main barrier	The main implementation barriers were physical constraints such as the high slopes.

Driver:

Type	Role	Comments
Other	main driver	Morphology, vegetation, climate and geology of the area.

Socio-economic

Direct benefits information:

The direct benefits include the reduction of the flood risk, the mitigation of soil erosion, the improvement of the micro-environment as well as the aesthetic restoration of the affected area.

Ancillary benefits information:

Ancillary benefits include the increase of infiltration / percolation and recharge of aquifers; this water can be used for different purposes (e.g agriculture) as well as for ecosystem services. Also the aesthetic improvement of the area has positive societal impacts

Costs investment:

2762500

Costs investment information:

This amount includes the fixed capital cost, infrastructure, construction and landscape rehabilitation.

Costs capital:

1262500

Costs land acquisition:

1500000

Costs land acquisition unit:

€ (total value)

Costs operation maintenance:

The operational cost for irrigation as well as for pruning and fertilizer application was not assessed.

Costs total information:

No information available

Ecosystem improved biodiversity:

Information on Ecosystem improved biodiversity:

The wildfires had significant impact on the area biodiversity and the restoration measures included using species from the surrounding locations in order to restore the decreased biodiversity

Information on Ecosystem provisioning services:

Not relevant for this application

Ecosystem impact climate regulation:

No information available

Information on Ecosystem impact climate regulation:

The micro-climate and micro-environment was positively affected by the implemented measures; however the degree of impact was not assessed

Policy, general governance and design targets

Policy description:

The specific interventions aim at tackling the environmental impacts of the significant wildfires of the study area in 2007. The principal aim of the works includes reduction of soil erosion and flood management. The interventions also include burned trees harvesting and restoration actions on the existing vegetation and on the tree crops.

Part of wider plan:

Policy pressure:

Policy requirement directive:

Policy impact:

Policy wider plan:

Policy area:

Policy target:

Target purpose
Runoff control
Peak-flow reduction
Erosion Control
Improved Biodiversity

Design & implementations

Application scale:

Other

Installation date:

2007-11

Lifespan:

Age:

Performance timescale:

1 - 4 years

Area (ha):

49,5

Area subject to Land use change or Management/Practice change (ha):

49,5

Design capacity description:

The temporary structures utilizing locally available timber have been designed to reduce the hill slopes thus attenuate the surface runoff as well as the sentiment volume. This measure enables the increase of soil moisture, water absorption, and infiltration. Additionally, it creates suitable sites for natural regeneration or technical afforestation of the burned area. The maximum volume of runoff water that can be retained has not been assessed as this was not originally a water retention application but the restoration of the surrounding of the archeological site.

Constraints:

The factors that influence the selection and design of the NWRM is morphology, vegetation, climate and geology of the area. The morphology of the area (large slopes), increases surface runoff, leading to soil erosion and increased risk of landslides as well as increased flood events. To address this, the use of geotextile had to be implemented in most sloping and vulnerable positions. The vegetation (after the fires) has eliminated and a hydrophobic layer in the soil has been created by the combustion of organic matterwhich increases surface runoff and flood risk. The local climate, with an annual precipitation of over 1.000 mm and often intense events, also tends to increase the intensity of flood events. The soils of the study area are also very loose and corrodible; thus vulnerable to the rainfall. A high challenge for the temporary small structures is the hydraulic undercut. Improving the condition of existing rainwater drainage system e.g. cleaning of the rainwater drainage system to avoid filling the road network with logging waste and increasing the flood risk.

Favourable preconditions:

The necessary preconditions are the climate conditions and the soil properties and characteristics.

Design contractual arrangement:

Design consultation activity:

Design land use change:

Design authority:

Authority type	Role	Name	Comments
Other	Determination of design details of the measure	Institute of Mediterranean and Forest Ecosystems	The Institute along with NAGREF are the scientific / technical responsible parties
Other	Monitoring	Hellenic Ministry of Culture and Sports . The main stakeholders involved for the study and the implementation of the restoration of the site were the	The Ministry is the beneficiary, responsible for initiating and monitoring the interventions procedures
Other	Monitoring	Z†™ Ephorate of Prehistoric and Classical Antiquities	The Ephorate is the regional cultural authority of the pilot area
Other	Determination of design details of the measure	Forest Products Technology of the National Agricultural Research Foundation (NAGREF)	NAGREF along with the Institute of Mediterranean and Forest Ecosystems are the scientific / technical responsible parties

Last updated: 18 Jun 2015 | Top

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Water retention management in the broader area of Ancient Olympia, Elia, Greece

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