As part of the project “Reviving Lumëbardhi: The Kotradiq Dam Removal Initiative” supported by the Open Rivers Programme, Ecopana, in collaboration with the Faculty of Mathematical and Natural Sciences (FSHMN), has carried out the first field monitoring to assess the ecological condition of the river segment surrounding the dam in Kotradiq.
Preliminary findings indicate:
- Free-flow has been restored, yet the segments upstream and downstream of the Kotradiq dam are still classified as having poor ecological status due to previous fragmentation;
- No fish were detected at the three sampling stations near the dam – clear evidence of the barrier’s impact in blocking aquatic species movement;
- Aquatic insect diversity in these stations was low, with a notable absence of sensitive groups such as Trichoptera and Ephemeroptera;
- The dam was constructed without an Environmental Impact Assessment, and its collapsed remains continue to negatively affect water flow and quality.
This report forms a baseline for the next steps toward full river restoration and the recovery of aquatic life in this section of the Lumbardhi i Deçanit.
