The matter in summary: In the next few years, the conservation values in 390 watercourses in Norway, which are protected against the development of hydropower, will be reviewed again. The government allows power development in some protected watercourses, but only if this improves flood protection. A report commissioned by the power company NTE shows that floods will not be reduced significantly in the Verdalsvassdraget with a gentle development. Astrid Svarva, head of new energy at NTE Energi, believes that the flood-prone Vuku center could potentially benefit from a power development in the Verdalsvassdraget. Now they are looking at other options for development, which can reduce flooding more. NVE has set aside four million kroner over four years to buy external assistance to have the protected waterways investigated. Head of department for watercourse management in Norwegian Salmon Students, Christian Hagstrøm, believes there is too little to provide a good knowledge base. The summary is made by an AI service from OpenAi. The content is quality assured by news’s journalists before publication. In the next few years, the protection values will be reviewed again in 390 watercourses in Norway, which are protected against the development of hydropower. In a new notification to the Storting, the government opens the door for power development in some protected waterways, but only if this improves flood protection. In Verdal, the municipality is positive about considering power development in the protected Verdalsvassdraget, in order to get more power and better flood protection. Now a recent report made for the power company NTE shows that floods will not be reduced significantly in the Verdalsvassdraget – with gentle development. Vuku in Verdal in particular has been exposed to flood damage, as here from the flood in 2021. Photo: Tariq Alisubh / news Want a better overview Many of the waterways in Norway were protected decades ago. Now the status will be updated. – The aim is to get an overview of the conservation values, and that the information is made easily available to the administration and other interested parties. This is according to senior advisor Tore Opdahl at NVE. He says that it has been planned for some time, and that it has no connection with the Storting report where regulation of protected waterways is discussed. Open to cancel protection When the Conservative Party presented a list of ten rivers they wanted to stop protecting two years ago, it created a great debate. Now the Labor Party and the Center Party also allow some power development to take place, but only where the possibility of flood mitigation is significant. It is stated in a parliamentary report about floods and landslides. – Provided that the natural values that must be protected in the watercourse are not destroyed. It may be possible in some places, and that is why we have also opened up for it, said Energy Minister Terje Aasland (Ap) to news when the plan was presented at the end of May. A parliamentary report on floods and landslides was presented at the end of May by the two ministers Erling Sande and Terje Aasland. In the message, the government opens up the possibility of lifting the protection in some watercourses. Photo: Terje Bendiksby / NTB / Terje Bendiksby Critical of the tender Head of department for watercourse management in Norwegian salmon schools, Christian Hagstrøm, has seen the tender NVE has put out. Here it is stated that NVE will purchase external assistance in order to have the protected waterways investigated. NVE confirms to news that they have set aside four million kroner for this, and the work will take place over four years. – I am concerned about the tender competition NVE has announced. Especially the financial framework. It is far too little. NOK four million distributed over just over 400 protected watercourses. There is far too little to provide a sufficient knowledge base, Hagstrøm believes. On the way to fish for salmon, before it was stopped temporarily in the protected Verdalsvassdraget. Terje Vik (from left) and John Olav Larsen from Verdal hunters and fishermen’s association are against a power development in the river. Photo: Rita Kleven There are salmon in many of the protected watercourses, this also applies to the Verdalsvassdraget, which is a national salmon river. Recently, fishing for salmon was temporarily closed both here and in 33 other rivers and lakes due to very poor catches. – We now see how much less salmon is taken today than it has been in the past. So the salmon have far too many threats from before. A new threat is of course not welcome, says chairman of the River Committee in the Verdal hunting and fishing association, John Olav Larsen. Does not reduce flooding in the Verdalsvassdraget It is the municipal council that has asked the power company NTE to assess a power development in the Verdalsvassdraget. Now Sintef and NTNU have produced a report commissioned by NTE. – We have assessed which knowledge base must be the basis for assessing a development, which the politicians may have to decide. It is about creating river power plants, without major interventions in nature such as large dams, and then it will have little flood mitigation effect. That’s what senior researcher Atle Harby at Sintef Energi says. Senior researcher Atle Harby in Sintef Energi helped create a new report on the protected Verdalsvassdraget. Photo: Bent Lindsetmo Hydropower has reduced flooding in several waterways, but this does not happen with all developments, says Sintef researcher Atle Harby. This depends on how the watercourse is developed and whether water can be stored. – It depends on how you plan the power development. It requires that you have a regulating reservoir that stores water, i.e. a dam. You must have the opportunity to take care of flood water and it is not a given that you can do that everywhere, he says. This is what the current plans for development look like at Granfossen in the Verdalsvassdraget, which is protected against power development today. Photo: NTE Not putting aside plans The power company NTE is not putting aside plans for a power development in the Verdalsvassdraget. This is one of the few large waterways in central Norway that is still protected. In the Storting message, it is opened for development in certain watercourses, if it has a significant flood-mitigating effect. Together with the municipality, NTE agreed last week to look at the plans for development again: – Together with the municipality, we are counting on various alternatives, which can provide more flood mitigation, says manager of new energy at NTE Energi, Astrid Svarva. In the past they have had plans for river power plants, but now it may be relevant to look more closely at a regulation further up the watercourse of both Lake Veressjøen and Innsvatnet. A power development can provide approximately 200 GWh, and that corresponds to the electricity consumption of 10,000 households for one year. Head of new energy at NTE Energi, Astrid Svarva. Photo: Rita Kleven Flood-prone Svarva says that Verdalselva is dependent on flood mitigation and that the center of Vuku is flood-prone. – With a power development, we hope to improve conditions, she says. NTE has not yet decided whether they will apply for power development in the protected watercourse. – It is very difficult to answer. We are looking at whether this is possible to safeguard natural diversity, and then this is a long way to go before we have power production in Verdalselva, says Svarva. Mayor Knut Snorre Sandnes is positive that NVE will investigate all protected waterways again. – We are very positive about it. We see that we may then have the opportunity to investigate what we want also in a protected watercourse, which has actually been quite locked up so far. Mayor Knut Snorre Sandnes in Verdal is working to ensure that the Verdalsvassdraget will become one of the first protected waterways to be developed. Photo: Rita Kleven For the past two years, NVE has worked with flood protection along the river in Vuku, after many large floods. Work is now underway to erect a 500-metre-long flood embankment in the centre. – This means that we secure the entire center of Vuku against a 200-year flood. The same flood as in 2006, says project manager in NVE, Geir Bendik Hagen. – I think that they are working on flood protection, and perhaps they first need to see if it works as intended, before considering further measures then, says Terje Vik, head of the Verdal hunting and fishing association. Flood embankments are being set up by NVE along the Verdalselva. It will prevent major floods from entering the center of Vuku. The work is finished in the autumn. Photo: Rita Kleven Published 28.06.2024, at 11.38
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NVE to investigate all protected waterways in Norway – news Trøndelag – Local news, TV and radio
