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River Navigation Waiting for its Star
Moment
Julija Manomaite
Lithuanian Inland Waterways Authority cherishes a
nice tradition – to announce gladly and festally the start of the river navigation
season. That means the end of the cold, gloomy, and dark time, and that travelers striving
for impressions will not have to swallow the dust of the roads anymore. They will be able
to get on board the ship in the very center of Kaunas and sail from the middle of
Lithuania to its western shore and back by the most beautiful river of the country Nemunas
and the wonderful Curonian lagoon.
Navigation by the Nemunas lasts 230 days
 On April 23, the Director General of
Inland Waterways Authority Gintaras Labanauskas, the representatives of Kaunas city
authority congratulated Kaunas inhabitants and guests, abundantly gathered at Kaunas
passenger terminal with the beginning of navigation season.
Due to cold spring the navigation season this year was considerably late. Usually it
begins on March 25 and finishes on November 9. The navigation by the inland waterways of
state significance of the Nemunas river and the Curonian lagoon from Kaunas to Klaipeda
lasts 230 days.
This year 21 ships of Inland Waterways Authority, ready for navigation, have been waiting
for this navigation season long enough. Eight of them are fit to passenger tourist
navigation; they have licenses to carry passengers.
IWA and private ships will transport tourists
Last year, after a long break, regular passenger trips
Kaunas-Nida began, this year Inland Waterways Authority rejected this idea.
In the opinion of G.Labanauskas, the Authority revived passenger navigation, simply gave a
good start, and showed businessmen vacant niches and unused possibilities.
A private company Nemuno Linija got interested in them; having four ships it is
going to take tourists by the route Kaunas-Nida. River transport workers plan regular
trips only at weekends. Another supply will be dictated by the demand.
Inland Waterways Authority will transport the passengers of charter-trips by tourist
routes of the Nemunas and Curonian lagoon from Kaunas to Klaipeda with their ships
stopping at the ordered small ports and jetties.
The price of the trip is calculated applying hourly navigation and stopping tariffs.
The navigation conditions are being improved
The strategic goal and task of Inland Waterways Authority is
guaranteeing necessary river navigation conditions and ensuring their security.
Director General of Inland Waterways Authority Gintautas Labanauskas says, that before the
navigation had started, the route from Kaunas to Klaipeda was marked by navigation signs,
and secure navigation conditions were completely guaranteed. This year the guarantee
depths are kept: in the Nemunas from Klaipeda to Jurbarkas – 1,50 meters, from Jurbarkas
to Kaunas – 1,20 meters, in the Curonian lagoon – 1,50 meters.
This year cleaning works of water area of the Curonian lagoon will be carried out in the
Atmata mouth, near Pervalka, in Juodkrante. After successful coordination of the project
with environmental protection institutions and after completing these works in 2006,
during the navigation period the guarantee depth of 2,20-2,50 meters in the Curonian
lagoon will be reached.
“This year a lot of attention is paid to water area marking, says G.Labanauskas. More
signs will be set, additional buoy near Juodkrante will be built; we will multiplex the
marking between buoys building 16 stakes with reflections of radars and light. Two
additional buoys were built at the mouth of the Atmata, two in the Minija near Minge port
and two within the boundaries of Kaunas city. The water area from the mouth of the Atmata
till Rusne is set with shining signs, so night navigation by inland waterways now is
possible not at 74, but at 87 kilometers. At the confluence of the Atmata and the Minija
rivers we will set an information stand with the name of the river and the speed-limit
sign of 5 km per hour.
In 2004, the map of the Curonian lagoon pilot was issued. This year we plan to publish the
renewed map of the Curonian lagoon pilot, also the map of Kaunas lagoon from Kaunas
waterpower plant till Birstonas pilot. We intend to open the Internet site with updated
information on navigation conditions.
Jetties’ infrastructure is being created
State enterprise Inland Waterways Authority actively
participates in the Nemunas jetties’ infrastructure development pilot project, which is
implemented by State Tourism Department (STD) under the Ministry of Economy of the
Republic of Lithuania. This year jetties’ projection works will be carried out. Inland
Waterways Authority gives technical consultations.
STD plans to finish this project before the end of 2006. This year it is intended to build
new mobile jetties and reconstruct stationary ones, to equip launching sites for small
ships (slips), car parking lots, and rest zones, to set outdoor furniture, toilets.
The total value of the project is about 7 million litas.
The future vision – international
navigation by rivers
The most important river of the country, the Nemunas, joins
Lithuania with the neighbours Belarus and Kaliningrad region of the Russian Federation.
Although the cooperation with the neighbours in the sectors of river transport, tourism,
and entertainment is insignificant, still wishes and plans evolve. According to G.
Labanauskas, at present, the negotiations are in process on the restoration of navigation
in the Nemunas section Druskininkai – the state border of Belarus. The revival of this
waterway would allow reaching the inland waterways of Poland and other western countries
via Augustow Canal.
Inland Waterways Authority maintains good relations with Gvardeysk district of Kaliningrad
region. The Lithuanians and the Russians together supervise waterway section in the
Nemunas at the 13th and 113th kilometer (from the mouth of the Atmata). However, the
cooperation possibilities here are not used enough, and the niches for the tourism and
leisure-linked entrepreneurs are not occupied.
This year the feasibility study “The Complex Evaluation and Recommendation Preparation
of the Possibilities of the Neris River for Communications, Water-Power and Recreation”
regarding the restoration of navigation conditions in the section of the Neris river: the
mouth of the Neris – Jonava, is being carried out.
By the wish of Vilnius municipality the possibilities of navigation conditions’
restoration in the Neris river within the boundaries of Vilnius city will be analyzed.
http://www.liwa.lt/
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