Rospuda
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The Rospuda () is a small river in north-eastern Poland. It flows through the
Suwałki Region Suwałki Region ( pl, Suwalszczyzna ; lt, Suvalkų kraštas, Suvalkija, russian: cувалкщина, german: Sudauen) is a small region around the city of Suwałki (known in Lithuanian as ''Suvalkai'') in northeastern Poland near the border wit ...
of Poland, including the north-western part of the large ''
Augustów Primeval Forest Augustów Primeval Forest or Augustów Forest ( pl, Puszcza Augustowska, lt, Augustavo giria, be, Аўгустоўская пушча) is a large virgin forest complex located in Poland, as well as in northern Belarus and southeastern Lithuan ...
'' wilderness area. Its continuation, the
Netta ''Netta'' is a genus of diving ducks. The name is derived from Greek ''Netta'' "duck". Unlike other diving ducks, the ''Netta'' species are reluctant to dive, and feed more like dabbling ducks. These are gregarious ducks, mainly found on fres ...
, is a
tributary A tributary, or affluent, is a stream or river that flows into a larger stream or main stem (or parent) river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean. Tributaries and the main stem river drain the surrounding drainage ...
of the
Biebrza Biebrza ( lt, Bebras, '' be, Bobra'', ''german: Bober'') is a river in northeastern Poland, a tributary of the Narew river (near Wizna), with a length of and a basin area of 7,092 km2 (7,067 in Poland).Augustów Augustów (; lt, Augustavas, formerly known in English as ''Augustovo'' or ''Augustowo'')" is a city in north-eastern Poland with 29,729 inhabitants as of December 2021. It lies on the Netta River and the Augustów Canal. It is situated in the ...
bypass
expressway Expressway may refer to: * Controlled-access highway, the highest-grade type of highway with access ramps, lane markings, etc., for high-speed traffic. * Limited-access road, a lower grade of highway or arterial road. *Expressway, the fictional s ...
, which was to cut across the protected wilderness area in the valley. After an intense campaign of protests in Poland and abroad and also counter-protests of the local community, the plans have been changed, and now the highway has been rerouted to completely avoid the wilderness area. ''Rospuda ocalona''
/ref>


Geography

Its usually quoted source is a combination of several streams, which rise on slopes of hills (Przejmowa Góra – 213.4m, Jastrzębia Góra – 230.8m, Słupowa Góra – 247.9 m, Lisia Góra – 259.5 m) southward of an old forest,
Puszcza Romincka Romincka Forest ( pl, Puszcza Romincka, lt, Romintos giria), also known as Krasny Les (russian: Красный лес) or Rominte Heath (german: Rominter Heide), is an extended forest and heath landscape stretching from the southeast of Russian ...
located southeast of
Gołdap Gołdap ( or variant ''Goldapp''; lt, Geldupė, Geldapė, Galdapė) is a town in northeastern Poland, in the region of Masuria, seat of Gołdap County in the Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship. It is located on the Gołdapa River, between the Szeskie ...
. The river proper rises from a lake called Jezioro Czarne and flows in a south and south-eastern direction through a series of nine postglacial lakes: Rospuda Filipowska, Kamienne, Długie, Garbas, Głębokie, Sumowo, Okrągłe, Bolesty, and The Rospuda Augustowska into which it finally empties. The Rospuda flows through typical young
glacial A glacial period (alternatively glacial or glaciation) is an interval of time (thousands of years) within an ice age that is marked by colder temperatures and glacier advances. Interglacials, on the other hand, are periods of warmer climate betw ...
landforms: postglacial channel lakes, eskers (long, narrow, winding ridges composed of stratified sand and gravel), and flat outwash plains. This landscape results from Scandinavian
ice sheet In glaciology, an ice sheet, also known as a continental glacier, is a mass of glacial ice that covers surrounding terrain and is greater than . The only current ice sheets are in Antarctica and Greenland; during the Last Glacial Period at Las ...
activity during the Baltic glaciation: the postglacial channel in which the Rospuda flows was dug by a stream flowing underneath the ice sheet; eskers were composed of material accumulated by flowing water, and the outwash is a vast alluvial cone of sand and gravel deposited by a subglacial meltwater stream. In the upper reaches of the river, in the stretches between lakes, the Rospuda has a narrow winding channel of a rocky bed with rapids, for which it slightly resembles a mountain stream. The Rospuda flows through forests and meadows, within a narrow steep-sided valley with numerous bends, gorges, and felled trees. Narrow postglacial channel lakes flow for miles: Rospuda Filipowska and Bolesty, the longest two, are long and only wide. Their banks are high and forested or covered in meadows and cut across with ravines. These interesting landforms are attributable to erosion, the outcome of flowing rainwaters. In the lower reaches of the river, where it enters
Augustów Primeval Forest Augustów Primeval Forest or Augustów Forest ( pl, Puszcza Augustowska, lt, Augustavo giria, be, Аўгустоўская пушча) is a large virgin forest complex located in Poland, as well as in northern Belarus and southeastern Lithuan ...
, the Rospuda changes into a typically lowland river. It meanders through reeds within a boggy riparian valley, passing Święte Miejsce and Młyńsko, sacred sites in the region. The channel of the river gets wider forming a basin of peat bog, i.e. the Rospuda Valley (Pol. Dolina Rospudy). The Rospuda is a long canoe trail, rarely frequented, a picturesque one, though troublesome at times. Sudden bends, rocky shallows, rocks and stilts driven in the bed of the river, or felled trees require attention, reflex, and experience in dealing with such obstacles. In the lower reaches of the river, on the other hand, monotonous landscape can prove tiresome since the Rospuda winds through reeds blocking out the views. Still, there are convenient spots to set up camp along the whole trail.


Tributaries

*
Blizna :''See also Blizna, Podlaskie Voivodeship. For the Polish film of this name see The Scar (1976 film).'' Blizna is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Ostrów, within Ropczyce-Sędziszów County, Subcarpathian Voivodeship, in south- ...


Towns along the Rospuda banks

* Filipów * Bakałarzewo * Raczki *
Augustów Augustów (; lt, Augustavas, formerly known in English as ''Augustovo'' or ''Augustowo'')" is a city in north-eastern Poland with 29,729 inhabitants as of December 2021. It lies on the Netta River and the Augustów Canal. It is situated in the ...


Historical Curiosities

The Rospuda River used to be called by different names depending on its segment. The name Dowspuda is mentioned by the Erection Act of The Raczki Church from 1599. Other names included Rowspuda, Filipówka (near the village Filipów) and Kamienna. According to Professor Knut Olaf Falk, the name Dowspuda was rooted in the word Dau-spūda, which, in the extinct western Baltic language -
Yotvingian Sudovian (also known as Yotvingian, or Jatvingian) was a Western Baltic language of Northeastern Europe. Sudovian was closely related to Old Prussian. It was formerly spoken southwest of the Nemunas river in what is now Lithuania, east of Gali ...
, meant "to push" or "heavy pressure" and stems from the fact that, in the springtime, the river raises its level by about one meter, which results in pumping water back up its tributaries and changing its flow. This phenomenon may be observed on the Jałówka River joining the Rospuda River with Jałowo Lake or on the Klonownica River joining the Rospuda Augustowska Lake and Necko Lake with Białe Lake. The terrains the Rospuda River bypasses used to be the part of the lands known as . The sacred cult site known as ''Uroczysko Święte Miejsce'' harks back to the pagan traditions. From the fifteenth century until the twentieth century the Rospuda River constituted the border between
Lithuania Lithuania (; lt, Lietuva ), officially the Republic of Lithuania ( lt, Lietuvos Respublika, links=no ), is a country in the Baltic region of Europe. It is one of three Baltic states and lies on the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea. Lithuania ...
and Prussian lands. Picturesque ruins of the neo-Gothic Pac Palace still stand on the high river banks in Dowspuda village, located to the south of Raczki. In 1824, Ludwik Michał Pac, the owner of the palace, ordered twelve stone stairs built on the three-kilometer-long segment of the river between Raczki, Dowspuda and below to beautify the area with waterfalls. However, the dams as well as the palace, were later dismantled. Stone shallows are the only remnants. In July 1972, one of the scenes from TV serial ''Czarne Chmury'' was shot on the edge of the glade with the view on the river valley in the downstream of the Rospuda River near Szczebra village.


Environmental Characteristics of Rospuda Valley

The Rospuda Valley is one of the most valuable wetland areas (blanket, raised, and temporary
bogs A bog or bogland is a wetland that accumulates peat as a deposit of dead plant materials often mosses, typically sphagnum moss. It is one of the four main Wetland#Types, types of wetlands. Other names for bogs include mire, mosses, quagmire, ...
) with natural, intact water relations. That is, the bog maintains a steady water level, and therefore does not cover with trees and shrubs. Therefore, it differs from wetlands influenced by human, e.g., Biebrza Bogs, which must be mowed to stop succession of reedbeds, scrubs, and forest. Rospuda Valley is under protection because of its rare animals and plants. For example, there are 19 kinds of
Orchidaceae Orchids are plants that belong to the family Orchidaceae (), a diverse and widespread group of flowering plants with blooms that are often colourful and fragrant. Along with the Asteraceae, they are one of the two largest families of flowering ...
(all of which are under strict protection), including musk orchid ('' Herminium monorchis''), and white variety of early marsh-orchid (''
Dactylorhiza majalis ''Dactylorhiza majalis'', the broad-leaved marsh orchid, is a terrestrial Eurasian orchid. Subspecies include: western marsh orchid (''Dactylorhiza majalis'' subsp. ''occidentalis''), southern marsh orchid (''Dactylorhiza majalis'' subsp. ''pra ...
''). The former has been recorded in the Polish Red Data Book of Plants, and Rospuda Valley is its only Polish locality. The latter exists in a few more places in Poland. Other orchids that are to be found in Rospuda Valley include: the western marsh orchid (''
Dactylorhiza majalis ''Dactylorhiza majalis'', the broad-leaved marsh orchid, is a terrestrial Eurasian orchid. Subspecies include: western marsh orchid (''Dactylorhiza majalis'' subsp. ''occidentalis''), southern marsh orchid (''Dactylorhiza majalis'' subsp. ''pra ...
''), lady's slipper orchid ('' Cypripedium calceolus''), early coralroot ('' Corallorrhiza trifida''), the common spotted orchid (''
Dactylorhiza fuchsii ''Dactylorhiza fuchsii'', the common spotted orchid, is a species of flowering plant in the orchid family Orchidaceae. ''Dactylorhiza fuchsii'' is one of Europe's commonest wild orchids. It is widespread across much of Europe, with the range ex ...
''), Pugsley's marsh orchid ('' Dactylorhiza traunsteineri''), marsh helleborine ('' Epipactis palustris''), fen orchid (''
Liparis loeselii ''Liparis loeselii'', the fen orchid, yellow widelip orchid, or bog twayblade, is a species of orchid. It is native to Europe, northern Asia, the eastern United States, and eastern Canada. It grows in fen A fen is a type of peat-accumulatin ...
''). In Rospuda Valley there are also other rare and protected plants including: dwarf birch (''
Betula humilis ''Betula humilis'', known in English as the shrubby birch, is a species of birch that can be found in Europe and Asia. The species has ovate leaves that are long and is related to ''Betula fruticosa ''Betula fruticosa'', commonly known as dwa ...
''), Greek valerian (''
Polemonium caeruleum ''Polemonium caeruleum'', known as Jacob's-ladder or Greek valerian, is a hardy perennial flowering plant. The plant produces cup-shaped, blue or white flowers. It is native to temperate regions of Europe. Growth The plant usually reaches tall ...
''), English sundew (''
Drosera anglica ''Drosera anglica'', commonly known as the English sundew or great sundew, is a carnivorous flowering plant species belonging to the sundew family Droseraceae. It is a temperate species with a circumboreal range, although it does occur as far s ...
''), round-leaved sundew (''
Drosera rotundifolia ''Drosera rotundifolia'', the round-leaved sundew, roundleaf sundew, or common sundew, is a carnivorous species of flowering plant that grows in bogs, marshes and fens. One of the most widespread sundew species, it has a circumboreal distribu ...
''), Turk's cap lily (''
Lilium martagon ''Lilium martagon'', the martagon lily or Turk's cap lily, is a Eurasian species of lily. It has a widespread native region extending from Portugal east through Europe and Asia as far east as Mongolia. Description It is stem-rooting, growing be ...
'') etc. The Rospuda Valley and its adjacent forests are inhabited by the following protected birds:
hazel grouse The hazel grouse (''Tetrastes bonasia''), sometimes called the hazel hen, is one of the smaller members of the grouse family of birds. It is a sedentary species, breeding across the Palearctic as far east as Hokkaido, and as far west as eastern a ...
(''Bonasa bonasia''), the capercaillie (''Tetrao urogallus''),
spotted crake The spotted crake (''Porzana porzana'') is a small waterbird of the family Rallidae. The scientific name is derived from Venetian terms for small rails. The spotted crake's breeding habitat is marshes and sedge beds across temperate Europe into ...
(''Porzana porzana''), the
corn crake The corn crake, corncrake or landrail (''Crex crex'') is a bird in the rail family. It breeds in Europe and Asia as far east as western China, and migrates to Africa for the Northern Hemisphere's winter. It is a medium-sized crake with buff- ...
(''Crex crex''), the
common crane The common crane (''Grus grus''), also known as the Eurasian crane, is a bird of the family Gruidae, the cranes. A medium-sized species, it is the only crane commonly found in Europe besides the demoiselle crane (''Grus virgo'') and the Siberian ...
(''Grus grus''), the
white-tailed eagle The white-tailed eagle (''Haliaeetus albicilla'') is a very large species of sea eagle widely distributed across temperate Eurasia. Like all eagles, it is a member of the family Accipitridae (or accipitrids) which includes other diurnal raptors ...
(''Haliaeetus albicilla''),
lesser spotted eagle The lesser spotted eagle (''Clanga pomarina'') is a large Eastern European bird of prey. Like all typical eagles, it belongs to the family Accipitridae. The typical eagles are often united with the buteos, sea eagles, and other more heavy-set Acc ...
(''Aquila pomarina''),
marsh harrier The marsh harriers are birds of prey of the harrier subfamily. They are medium-sized raptors and the largest and broadest-winged harriers. Most of them are associated with marshland and dense reedbeds. They are found almost worldwide, excluding ...
, the
European honey buzzard The European honey buzzard (''Pernis apivorus''), also known as the pern or common pern, is a bird of prey in the family Accipitridae. Etymology Despite its English name, this species is more closely related to kites of the genera '' Leptodon'' a ...
(''Pernis apivorus''), the
Tengmalm's owl The boreal owl or Tengmalm's owl (''Aegolius funereus'') is a small owl in the "true owl" family Strigidae. It is known as the boreal owl in North America and as Tengmalm's owl in Europe after Swedish naturalist Peter Gustaf Tengmalm or, more ra ...
(''Aegolius funereus''), the
white stork The white stork (''Ciconia ciconia'') is a large bird in the stork family, Ciconiidae. Its plumage is mainly white, with black on the bird's wings. Adults have long red legs and long pointed red beaks, and measure on average from beak tip to en ...
(''Ciconia ciconia''), the black woodpecker, the
white-backed woodpecker The white-backed woodpecker (''Dendrocopos leucotos'') is a Eurasian woodpecker belonging to the genus ''Dendrocopos''. Taxonomy The white-backed woodpecker was described by the German naturalist Johann Matthäus Bechstein in 1802 under the ...
(''Dendrocopos leucotos''), the red-backed shrike (''Lanius collurio''), the barred warbler (''Sylvia nisoria'') and other. The area serves as a haunt for birds nesting nearby, e.g. in
Augustów Primeval Forest Augustów Primeval Forest or Augustów Forest ( pl, Puszcza Augustowska, lt, Augustavo giria, be, Аўгустоўская пушча) is a large virgin forest complex located in Poland, as well as in northern Belarus and southeastern Lithuan ...
. For big mammals, like
wolves The wolf (''Canis lupus''; plural, : wolves), also known as the gray wolf or grey wolf, is a large Canis, canine native to Eurasia and North America. More than thirty subspecies of Canis lupus, subspecies of ''Canis lupus'' have been reco ...
or
deer Deer or true deer are hoofed ruminant mammals forming the family Cervidae. The two main groups of deer are the Cervinae, including the muntjac, the elk (wapiti), the red deer, and the fallow deer; and the Capreolinae, including the reindeer ...
, the Rospuda Valley serves as a migratory corridor, through which they move west from
Augustów Primeval Forest Augustów Primeval Forest or Augustów Forest ( pl, Puszcza Augustowska, lt, Augustavo giria, be, Аўгустоўская пушча) is a large virgin forest complex located in Poland, as well as in northern Belarus and southeastern Lithuan ...
and
Biebrza National Park '' , iucn_category = II , photo = Poland Biebrza Burzyn.jpg , photo_caption = Biebrza River at Burzyn, Poland Park logo with Ruff , location = Podlaskie Voivodeship, Poland , nearest_city = Osowiec-Twierdza , map = Poland , relief = 1 , m ...
. Moreover, the Valley is also inhabited by
beaver Beavers are large, semiaquatic rodents in the genus ''Castor'' native to the temperate Northern Hemisphere. There are two extant species: the North American beaver (''Castor canadensis'') and the Eurasian beaver (''C. fiber''). Beavers ar ...
s,
otter Otters are carnivorous mammals in the subfamily Lutrinae. The 13 extant otter species are all semiaquatic, aquatic, or marine, with diets based on fish and invertebrates. Lutrinae is a branch of the Mustelidae family, which also includes wea ...
s,
fox Foxes are small to medium-sized, omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull, upright, triangular ears, a pointed, slightly upturned snout, and a long bushy tail (or ''brush''). Twelve sp ...
es and other animals.


Nature Protection

Rospuda Valley constitutes: *An area of protected landscape (since 1989) *A quiet zone *Part of the European Ecological Networks Nature 2000 designated under the Directive on the Conservation of Wild Birds as a Special Bird Protection Area *Part of
Augustów Primeval Forest Augustów Primeval Forest or Augustów Forest ( pl, Puszcza Augustowska, lt, Augustavo giria, be, Аўгустоўская пушча) is a large virgin forest complex located in Poland, as well as in northern Belarus and southeastern Lithuan ...
Sanctuary (since 2004) *The top position on the Shadow List of areas that according to scientists and ecological organizations should be designated as a Special Areas of Conservation under the Council Directive on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild flora and fauna *A junction of internationally recognized significance in National Ecological Networks ( pl, Zielone Płuca Polski) due to its geomorphologic, hydrological and biotic characteristics, as well as the structure of the landscape, the already protected areas and those that shall be protected A nature reserve will be created at Rospuda Valley. It will protect the musk orchid, the woodgrouse, sea eagle, and lesser spotted eagle, which nest in the area. The reserve will be a part of Augustów-Druskienniki Protected Area, which is being created with the cooperation of Poland,
Lithuania Lithuania (; lt, Lietuva ), officially the Republic of Lithuania ( lt, Lietuvos Respublika, links=no ), is a country in the Baltic region of Europe. It is one of three Baltic states and lies on the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea. Lithuania ...
, and
Belarus Belarus,, , ; alternatively and formerly known as Byelorussia (from Russian ). officially the Republic of Belarus,; rus, Республика Беларусь, Respublika Belarus. is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by R ...
.


Threats

A green ribbon is used as a symbol for the campaign against the construction of the
Augustów Augustów (; lt, Augustavas, formerly known in English as ''Augustovo'' or ''Augustowo'')" is a city in north-eastern Poland with 29,729 inhabitants as of December 2021. It lies on the Netta River and the Augustów Canal. It is situated in the ...
ring road. Ecological activists as well as scientists such as botanists, zoologists, ecology experts, hydrologists experts on peat bog plant cover and
the European Commission The European Commission (EC) is the executive of the European Union (EU). It operates as a cabinet government, with 27 members of the Commission (informally known as "Commissioners") headed by a President. It includes an administrative body o ...
are of the opinion that the Rospuda Valley is endangered by the plans of construction of the Augustów ringroad. If the project is realized, the wildlife will be damaged not only by the expressway itself, but also by the construction process. The noise and pollution inherent in construction work would harm the breeding grounds of various bird species, some of which are protected, as well as some endangered plant species Furthermore, construction of the overpass may disturb the fragile water systems in the valley. Because the documentation of the project does not state the influence of the enterprise on the water systems and considering the inadequate plans for compensation of nature devastation,
the European Commission The European Commission (EC) is the executive of the European Union (EU). It operates as a cabinet government, with 27 members of the Commission (informally known as "Commissioners") headed by a President. It includes an administrative body o ...
asserts that the enterprise would hinder the avifauna, which is to be protected within the framework of Nature 2000. Quite a different opinion on the matter is held by the General Directorate for National Roads and Motorways (GDDKiA). They claim that the way the overpass is going to be built, as well as the devices designed to discharge the water from the road to the outside of the valley will effectively minimize the damage. The National Environment Protection Council (an advisory body of the Ministry of the Environment) speaks reprovingly of the project, indicating impossibility of any compensation for the project and erroneousness of the peat bog type evaluation as well as of the mode of supplying it with water.


The Via Baltica controversy of 2006–2009

In December 2006 the
European Commission The European Commission (EC) is the executive of the European Union (EU). It operates as a cabinet government, with 27 members of the Commission (informally known as "Commissioners") headed by a President. It includes an administrative body o ...
opened legal infringement procedures against the Polish government for consenting to the road developments, which would severely damage important and protected natural sites. In February 2007 the
governor A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...
of the local province signed the go-ahead for the construction works to start, claiming that all legal requirements had been met,''Jest zgoda na budowę obwodnicy przez Rospudę''
Gazeta Wyborcza ''Gazeta Wyborcza'' (; ''The Electoral Gazette'' in English) is a Polish daily newspaper based in Warsaw, Poland. It is the first Polish daily newspaper after the era of "real socialism" and one of Poland's newspapers of record, covering the g ...
, 9 February 2007
despite the fact that the region is protected by the EU Natura 2000 program and Poland can be severely fined by the EU for constructing the highway. On 13 February 2007 the
Polish Ombudsman The Polish Ombudsman ( pl, Rzecznik Praw Obywatelskich, literally Advocate for Citizens' Rights, now referring to itself in English as the "Commissioner for Human Rights" and earlier as the "Human Rights Defender," often abbreviated ''RPO'') is a ...
launched an appeal against the decision, with the aim of halting construction works. The appeal was based on suspicion that alternative routings of the bypass were not taken into consideration.
Ombudsman to appeal to court over Rospuda
',
Gazeta Wyborcza ''Gazeta Wyborcza'' (; ''The Electoral Gazette'' in English) is a Polish daily newspaper based in Warsaw, Poland. It is the first Polish daily newspaper after the era of "real socialism" and one of Poland's newspapers of record, covering the g ...
, 13 February 2007
An independent road designer's variant omits the Rospuda valley and was estimated to cost €17 million less than the currently planned environmentally damaging variant. There have been strong protests by activists and politicians both in Poland and abroad. However, the construction has not been called off. In February 2007 a number of environmental activists pitched a camp in the endangered region to prevent the construction work. The Polish daily ''
Gazeta Wyborcza ''Gazeta Wyborcza'' (; ''The Electoral Gazette'' in English) is a Polish daily newspaper based in Warsaw, Poland. It is the first Polish daily newspaper after the era of "real socialism" and one of Poland's newspapers of record, covering the g ...
'' has launched an on-line petition signed by over 140,000 people asking the Polish President
Lech Kaczyński Lech Aleksander Kaczyński (; 18 June 194910 April 2010) was a Polish politician who served as the city mayor of Warsaw from 2002 until 2005, and as President of Poland from 2005 until his death in 2010. Before his tenure as president, he prev ...
to respect the law, preserve the Rospuda Valley and direct the
Augustów Augustów (; lt, Augustavas, formerly known in English as ''Augustovo'' or ''Augustowo'')" is a city in north-eastern Poland with 29,729 inhabitants as of December 2021. It lies on the Netta River and the Augustów Canal. It is situated in the ...
bypass via a different route."Ratujmy Dolinę Rospudy" (Save the Rospuda Valley!) - in Polish
/ref> On February 22, 2007 the construction of the Augustów bypass expressway began with the taking of
geodetic Geodesy ( ) is the Earth science of accurately measuring and understanding Earth's figure (geometric shape and size), orientation in space, and gravity. The field also incorporates studies of how these properties change over time and equivale ...
measurements. There was unofficial information that earthworks are, for now, being begun only from the Augustów side, away from the protected area, and where both road variants overlap.''Geodeci zaczęli prace w Dolinie Rospudy''
Gazeta Wyborcza ''Gazeta Wyborcza'' (; ''The Electoral Gazette'' in English) is a Polish daily newspaper based in Warsaw, Poland. It is the first Polish daily newspaper after the era of "real socialism" and one of Poland's newspapers of record, covering the g ...
, 22 February 2007
On February 27, 2007 scaring birds away from the Rospuda valley started with permission issued by the Chief Nature Conservator, suggesting that heavy construction works in the valley will soon begin, as the public
Polish Television Telewizja Polska S.A. (; "Polish Television"; TVP), also known in English as the public Polish Television is a Polish state media corporation. It is the largest Polish television network, although viewership has been declining in the 2010s. Sinc ...
(TVP) reported.Watch at minute 5:44 of the Polis
news program
/ref> In 2009 the Polish authorities announced that the plan to build the highway through Rospuda valley has been abandoned, and a new alternative route that avoids the valley has been selected. In 2010 Malgorzata Gorska, one of the leaders of the campaign to protect the Rospuda Valley won the
Goldman Environmental Prize The Goldman Environmental Prize is a prize awarded annually to grassroots environmental activists, one from each of the world's six geographic regions: Africa, Asia, Europe, Islands and Island Nations, North America, and South and Central America. ...
.


References

* Batura, Anatol. 1981 Augustów i okolice. (46-47), Białystok: Krajowa Agencja Wydawnicza * Ber, Andrzej. 1981 Przewodnik geologiczny – Pojezierze Suwalsko-Augustowskie. (175-185), Warszawa: Wydawnictwa Geologiczne * Kuran, Józef. 1976 "Kajakiem po jeziorach augustowskich i suwalskich" in: Sport i Turystyka. (156-179) Warszawa * Kwaszonek, Marek. 2003 Przewodnik dla kajakarzy – Rospuda. Wydawnictwo Pascal


External links


The presentation of the seminary on the natural values of the Rospuda Valley during the open meeting of the Board of Biology Department on 26 March 2007 at the Warsaw University





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NGOs fight to rescue Rospuda Valley

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Viabaltica

ViabalticaSatellite view of the Rospuda valley
on
Google Maps Google Maps is a web mapping platform and consumer application offered by Google. It offers satellite imagery, aerial photography, street maps, 360° interactive panoramic views of streets ( Street View), real-time traffic conditions, and rou ...
. {{Authority control Rivers of Poland Rivers of Podlaskie Voivodeship