In August, the water level in Lake Miekojärvi, located in Ylitornio, rose by about one metre. The reasons were heavy rainfall and water releases through the floodgates of the Kaarannekoski hydroelectric power plant, YLE News reports.
Miekojärvi covers an area of 53 square kilometres, so a one-metre rise corresponds to approximately 53 million cubic metres of water. Markku Nivalainen, an expert at Downing Hydro, which owns the power plant, said that at the time of his comment, the lake’s level was 85 centimetres above normal.
Consequences for fishers and residents
Professional fisher Jouko Sirkkala said that the rising water had disoriented the aquatic ecosystem. According to him, most fishing traps remain empty because they were set for summer water levels. Fishers have to change their fishing methods, while a shore seine cannot be used because the water has flooded the banks.
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Tourism is also suffering from the high water: the unique Orhinselänniemi sand spit is almost flooded. Some piers belonging to residents and owners of summer houses have come loose because they were installed for normal water levels. Sirkkala said that members of the boat club had to remove one of the piers from the boat fairway.
Water releases stopped
Water was released into Miekojärvi from the higher-lying Lake Vietonen, whose level had to be lowered in accordance with regulation conditions. Vietonen is a regulated lake, and its level must remain within established limits. Nivalainen said that water releases at Kaarannekoski have now been stopped and that the situation is normalising. He also acknowledged that Miekojärvi residents had not been warned about the opening of the floodgates.
Sirkkala criticises the lack of compensation for Miekojärvi residents, while damage along the shores of Vietonen is eligible for compensation, according to him. The fisher also predicts problems with ice in winter: the water flooded coastal meadows, which may increase the humus content in the lake. In his view, this could cause weak brown ice to form beneath the ice cover.
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