The PLN 9 billion reservoir has been planned for 50 years. 15 islands and a hydroelectric power plant will be built

• The State Water Management Authority Polish Waters filed a complaint against the decision refusing to determine the environmental conditions for the construction of a water stage on the Vistula River below Włocławek.
• The Siarzewo reservoir near Ciechocinek is a planned huge reservoir in the Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship.
• It would increase flood protection in the region and help combat droughts. Opponents say it will only lead to environmental ruin.

During the flood in 2024, the role played by the largest reservoir in the country, Racibórz Dolny , was repeatedly mentioned, saving large areas from the great flood. The government in Poland has long been convinced that more such investments are needed.

Among them is the Siarzewo water stage . This is a huge undertaking on the Vistula, below Włocławek. It has been talked about for 50 years!

- The Siarzewo water stage is to be a damming threshold, it will not block the flow of water in the Vistula. The reservoir will be created only within the natural riverbed, with embankments protecting the residents of the communes located on the Vistula. The basic functions of the water stage will be to limit the effects of drought and flood. The aim is also to increase the safety of the existing water stage in Włocławek

- informs the State Water Management Authority of Poland .

According to the information that has emerged, the reservoir is to be huge. Ultimately, it would hold 135 million cubic meters of water. Wody Polskie explains that the architectural concept of the facility is linked to the existing infrastructure, and the planned location takes into account many elements of fitting into the landscape.

The hydroelectric power plant will generate energy for the entire district. In addition, 15 islands

- It will not be a gigantic structure - the reservoir near Siarzewo will be three times smaller than the Włocławek reservoir. A hydroelectric power plant and a road crossing are to be built on the water stage, so the facility will also serve a communication function - claim Polish Waters.

The planned power plant on the water stage is of significant energy importance. According to the initial concept, it is to have a capacity of up to 80 MW. It will allow for meeting the full energy demand of, for example, the entire Aleksandrów Kujawski district. It is also planned to create 15 islands that will become a habitat for waterfowl.

It is worth adding that the estimated costs of building the dam are gigantic. Initially, it was said to be around PLN 4.5 billion, but over the years this amount has grown – according to extreme estimates – to even PLN 9 billion .

However, the investment is still very much in question. The State Water Management Polish Waters filed a complaint with the Provincial Administrative Court in Warsaw a few days ago against the decision of the General Director for Environmental Protection.

This concerns the decision of GDOŚ from December 2024 annulling in its entirety the decision of the Regional Director for Environmental Protection in Bydgoszcz from 2017 and refusing to determine the environmental conditions for the implementation of the project called: "Construction of a water stage on the Vistula River below Włocławek".

The project of building a water stage below Włocławek has been met with protests from the ecological side from the very beginning. It concerns the impact of the water stage on the nearby, valuable natural areas of Natura 2000. Many experts also have doubts about the economic justification of the investment.

Despite the disputes, the construction of this water stage was included in the government's multi-annual program "Lower Vistula Development" in October 2023. The Program's executor and construction investor is PGW Wody Polskie.

The main objective of the programme is to develop the Lower Vistula Waterway in a way that takes into account the objectives of transport and water policy.

- Polish Waters claim.

In the opinion of this institution, the construction of new hydrotechnical infrastructure is to increase the level of flood protection of areas located along the Lower Vistula and contribute to the increased use of renewable energy sources, counteract droughts and increase the level of retention on a regional basis.

However, the repeal of the environmental decision by the General Directorate for Environmental Protection at the end of December puts the future of the investment in question. This means that the dam cannot be built under the current legal framework. The investor who wants to continue with their plans must complete the entire procedure to obtain a new environmental decision.

In the current situation, in parallel with the appeal process, Polish Waters is conducting an analysis of the flood safety issue with a view to developing an appropriate solution for the Lower Vistula water region.

- informs the company.