On October 8–9, 2025, the LIFE GoodWater IP 3rd International Conference “Waterside – A Space for Water, Land and People Interactions: Practices and Challenges in River Basin Management” took place. As the title suggests, this year’s event was centered around the idea of the waterfront as an environment where various factors interact. We began the conference by traveling to Tukums, where we examined the relationship between humans and nature in the diverse watersheds of Slocene. On the second day of the conference, we explored various examples of how to balance domestic and economic needs with nature conservation interests on the banks of water bodies.
Please find the agenda and presentations of day 1 HERE.
October 8 was a sunny autumn day – the perfect conditions for a group of 51 participants to follow the Slocene River as it showcases various examples of how waterside-people interactions. The first stop was the Tukums municipality, where Roberts Šiliņš, municipality’s environmental management specialist, welcomed the guests and gave a brief overview of the municipality’s activities regarding water management. Linda Fībiga from the Latvian Environment, Geology and Meteorology Center spoke about water quality problems in the Slocene River basin and mentioned various measures and actions that are already being taken to improve the situation.
The first stop on the Slocene River was in the center of Tukums, where R. Šiliņš reported on the municipality’s achievements in restoring the particular section of the river. Bushes and hogweeds have been cut down along the river banks. There are plans to promote the development of floodplain vegetation in the riverside, while the river itself has been cleared of aquatic plants, promoting faster water flow. In the opinion of the local government, this area is important for recreation and for promoting biodiversity.
After visiting Tukums, the road led to Slokleja – a place where as a part of the LIFE GoodWater IP project, a surface flow constructed wetland has been built in the upper course of the Slocene. The wetland was created by widening and deepening the river, thereby reducing the speed of the river flow. Aquatic plants (reeds, etc.) growing in the shallow water zone of the wetland absorb plant nutrients dissolved in the water, while solid particles suspended in the water – sand, clay, detritus, etc. – accumulate in the deeper zone. This solution was presented by Artūrs Veinbergs from the Latvia University of Life Sciences and Technologies and Edgars Griķītis from the State Agency “Real Estate of Ministry of Agriculure”. A. Veinbergs acknowledged that, if possible, this wetland could be made even larger, as the wetland’s “working area” or catchment basin corresponding to this wetland, is rather large. It is also quite effective to build artificial wetlands on drainage ditches if elevated concentrations of biogenic elements are found in their waters.
After lunch at the Šlokenbeka Manor restaurant, participants visited Slocene Manor. During the manor era, a scenic island was artificially created in Slocene river. The island was used as an area for scenic recreation. The island has recently been restored – Kristaps Zaļkalns, head of the Smārde parish administration, spoke about this community initiative. Meanwhile, Laura Grīnberga, a hydrobiologist, leading researcher at the University of Latvia and LIFE GoodWater IP expert, helped to “read” the ecological condition of the river in this area. She had visited the place six years ago, when the island had not yet been restored. The river banks were overgrown with reeds and the water was murky. As L. Grīnberga mentioned, historically, the river had to contend with wastewater pollution in this area – untreated wastewater used to flow constantly into the nearby Šlokenbeka pond, and there had been several instances of mass fish deaths. Although the water in the river has become clearer, both the sludgy sediments in the riverbed and the aroma indicate that the high concentration of biogenic elements in the river is still a problem. The operation of a small hydroelectric power stations also has an impact on the river’s ecosystem, as evidenced by the dead zones or gray strips visible on the riverbanks, where constant vegetation cannot take root due to water fluctuations.
The educational trip was finished off by the river mouth of Slocene – we went to Lake Kaņieris! This year, the boat rental base at Lake Kaņieris and part of the lake is now managed by SIA Ecosystem Solutions Latvia, whose representatives Arta Ķauķe and Gerda Čevere outlined the company’s vision for the development of this area, which is not only scenic but also important for biodiversity. A. Ķauķe emphasized that over the next 12 years, the boat base is planned to be developed into an international nature research and recreation center.
After gathering inspiration at various waterfront locations, it was time to relax in order to work intensively on the second day of the conference – in the plenary session and six thematic groups. We will soon report on how the conference participants fared on the second day of the event!
We thank Baltic Environment Forum Latvia for organizing the conference!