The ICEREG project identified eight rivers (10 water measurement stations) along the Lithuania–Latvia border to study ice jams: Bartuva, Venta, Mūša, Nemunėlis, Lėvuo, Tatula, Daugyvenė, and Svyla. Data from hydrological records, spanning from 1961 to 2023, was collected on ice phenomena and related conditions, such as ice cover dates, ice jam dates, and water levels during ice jams. Two key indicators were calculated: 1) the average number of ice jams per year and 2) how many centimeters the water level exceeds the critical level during an ice jam. The most hazardous sections were found to be in Lėvuo (Bernatoniai) and Mūša (Ustukiai), where the critical water levels were exceeded 10 and 5 times, respectively. Based on this, these two rivers were chosen for further research.
The study also analyzed historical ice jams, showing that in Lėvuo the water level exceeded the critical level by 97 cm, and in Mūša by 125 cm. This data, alongside reports on flooded areas in settlements and orchards, helped identify the most vulnerable sections. Hydrological models will be created for Lėvuo (from Pamarliškiai to Skaistgiriai, 22 km) and Mūša (from Gustoniai to Ustukiai, 12.5 km), which will be used for predicting ice jam occurrences under climate change conditions.
The Project is funded by the European Union’s Interreg VI-A Latvia–Lithuania Programme 2021–2027
More information: https://www.lei.lt/en/projektas/icereg/
