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The project will be implemented between November 2025 and September 2026 in the Bulgarian part of the Veleka River basin and its main tributaries – the Mladezhka and Aidera Rivers. The total budget is €91,230, of which €80,830 is provided by the Open Rivers Programme.
Why are river barriers a critical issue?
The Veleka River is one of the best-preserved and most valuable river ecosystems in Europe, with exceptionally rich biodiversity, including 97 relict species, 14 fish species, 6 endemic and 2 subendemic species, as well as the only site in Bulgaria where the critically endangered Rutilus frisii velecensis can be found.
However, there are numerous small, outdated, unusable, or abandoned river barriers along its course—weirs, thresholds, and spillways—most of which are not officially documented.
These barriers:
- impede the free movement of fish
- fragment habitats
- retain sediments
- affect water levels and flood risk
- disrupt natural hydrodynamic processes
The main objective of the project
To identify, assess, and prioritise river barriers whose removal is ecologically necessary, technically feasible, and legally achievable, to restore the connectivity of the Veleka River and improve its ecological status.
Main activities
1. Ecological and technical assessment
- Complete identification and mapping of all barriers on the Veleka, Mladezhka, and Aidera rivers (approximately 200 km of river)
- Creation of a passport for each barrier (location, type, dimensions, ownership, condition, function)
- Drone photography, GIS analysis, verification of BDCHR data
- Repetition of the last comprehensive study from 2007
- Assessment of fish populations, macrozoobenthos, and water quality
- Preparation of a scientific publication
- Analysis of water use, local needs and attitudes
- Mapping of stakeholders
- Participation of local communities through meetings and consultations
- Assessment of ownership and licensing regimes
- Preliminary assessment of the technical feasibility of removal
- Analysis of environmental impact
- Technical and legal feasibility
- Social factors and potential benefits
- Preparation of a final prioritisation report
What will be achieved?
Short-term results (by the end of the project):
- The first field-tested and public database of all barriers in the Bulgarian part of the Veleka River
- Detailed passport for each barrier
- Map of migration barriers and key environmental problems
- List of barriers recommended for removal
- Meetings and consultations held with institutions, municipalities, and local communities
- Preparation of at least 1–2 barriers for actual removal with subsequent application under A2/A4
- Inclusion of data in the new RBMP 2028–2033
- Better awareness among institutions and local communities
- Fills a critical gap in data on barriers in the Veleka
- Supports national efforts to implement the Water Framework Directive
- Provides a model for other Bulgarian rivers (e.g., the Devinska River)
- Supports habitats and species of European importance
- Strengthens local participation in water and nature conservation decisions
The project is funded by the European Open Rivers Programme, an organisation that provides grants to support projects that remove small dams and restore river flow and biodiversity. The programme is funded by Arcadia.