The Axios – Loudias – Aliakmonas Estuaries Management Authority was
founded in 2003. Its responsibility is to manage and protect the wetland
complex comprising of the Deltas of Axios and Aliakmonas rivers, the
estuaries of Loudias and Gallikos rivers, the Kalohori lagoon and the saltmarsh
of Alyki Kitrous.
Its basic objectives are:
- To prepare and put into practice the administration and functioning rules of
the protected area.
- To collect, assort and process environmental data concering the area.
- To present with opinions concerning project and activities within its
responsibility area.
- To produce studies and researches, as well as to realize technical or other
works required for the protection, rehabilitation and the promotion of the
area.
- To run national or European programs or activities.
- To raise public awareness on the importance of the area and the objectives
of the Management Authority
- To organize, support and promote ecotouristic programs
- To grant license for scientific research Alyki Kitrous.
Pollution of surface and groundwater
To surface and groundwater samples have been detected many chemical and
toxic substances, heavy metals, microbial load, and elevated levels of
radioactivity in some cases.
The water pollution in the protected area is attributable to:
* Waste water in urban rivers receiving several densely populated areas
(Veria, Edessa, Kozani, Grevena, Kilkis, Florina, cities of Macedonia)
* The intensive use of fertilizers and pesticides
* Industrial waste water (from sugar, clothing, dairies, canneries, etc.)
* Holdings in waste water
* In waste water from washing waste (eg landfills)
* In petroleum and related toxic substances and
* Transboundary pollutants in the case of Axios.
The Aliakmonas and Axios accept processed and unprocessed waste from
several densely populated areas (Veria, Naoussa, Edessa, Kozani, Grevena,
Kilkis, Florina, cities of Macedonia), industrial waste (sugar, clothing, dairy,
etc.) and agricultural waste.
It is estimated that the Axios receives approximately 1,140,000 cubic meters
of industrial waste a year, only the Greek Industries (Gerakis others
2006). The Axios River enriches ydatosystimata Basin with considerable load
of inorganic and organic pollutants. For example, Axios is the main source of
pollution in the Thermaikos to phosphorus and nitrogen, as added by the 43%
and 56% respectively of the quantities detected in the bay (Salomons 2004).
It is the second most polluted river in Greece, in terms of nitrate and
phosphate load (Nikolaidis et al 2006). Furthermore within the limits of the
basin is a low percentage of residential areas connected to a sewerage
system or waste treatment facilities (Salomons 2004).
However, one of the most polluted rivers in Greece is Loudias because of
agricultural waste and waste from processing industries, fruit and sugar. The
Loudias serves as the recipient of irrigation water from the plain between the
Aliakmonas and Axios. The organic load Loudias is considerably larger than
the Axios (Voulgaropoulos et al 1987).
Major pollution loads accepts River Aliakmonas in plain its bed (after
Veria). These loads come from Trench 66, approximately 35 km, which falls
untreated waste from canneries operating in Naoussa, Veria, Edessa, while
important is the burden of pesticides and agricultural fertilizers, and in the
same area are intensively cultivated.
In Aliakmonas have also detected high levels of lead (probably from
agricultural activity, and lead used in the synthesis of pesticides), and
radioactivity was attributed to the operation of lignite fields and washes
pesticides (Karamanis et al 2008).
The final recipient of these polluted rivers and urban and industrial
wastewaters of Thessaloniki is the Thermaikos Gulf. The main factors of
degradation is enriched with nutrients and therefore eutrophication (Nikolaidis
et al 2006). Generally the Aegean Sea is oligotrophic, but has been
distinguished eutrophic due to the above pressures.
The 30% reduction of nutrients derived from household and industrial waste of
Thessaloniki and nutrients nitrate and phosphate from the Axios 40%, would
motivate a significant reduction of eutrophication of Thermaikos up to 48%
(Kariagoris et. al. 2005, Nikolaidis et al 2006).
Rivers, Wetlands and Thermaikos Gulf
Axios, Loudias and Aliakmonas rivers irrigate the second-largest plain of Greece and
they form one of the largest wetland ecosystem.
Aliakmonas River
Aliakmonas is the biggest in length river of Greece. It
springs from Grammos and Voio mountains and after travelling for 350 km it flows
into the Thermaikos gulf. The flow of the river is regulated by an artificial lake
created by a regulatory barrier which receives water from three hydropower dams.
Axios River
Axios is the second longest river in Greece with a total length of 320 km, of which 76
km are in Greece. It springs from F.Y.R.O.M, but also from the mountain Varnouda in
the prefecture of Florina, and discharges into Thermaikos Gulf. Around 95% of the
river basin belongs to F.Y.R.O.M. In the beginning of 20th century the estuaries of
Axios river were few kilometers southwest of Thessaloniki, threatening to cut the
access to the sea port because of the continuous deposition brought to Thermaikos
Gulf. The river bed has shifted with technical works in the place that is found today.
The projects began in 1930 and was completed in 1934. The river delta evolved
quickly, and an extensive plain was created. However, recent measurements indicate
that the reduction of water supply and the provision of solid material resulted in
erosion of river delta over the last 30 years (Karageorgis et al 2005).
There are 13 dams along the riverbed, of which twelve are on his tributaries in
F.Y.R.O.M. (Poulos et. al. 2000).
Loudias River and the Lake of Giannitsa
Loudias River has a total length of 39 km and an average flow of 20 cubic meters /
second. It is an artificial channel that was created early 30s when the work of
desiccation the Lake of Giannitsa (or “Lake Loudia”) was completed.
Lake Loudia was originally a saltish lake, but over the centuries has turned into a
marsh of freshwater while it received the water from rivers that drain the mountain
arc of Pella (Voras, Jena, Pinovo) and the northern mountain Vermio.
Nowadays Loudias is no longer a natural river but a drainage channel designed to
carry water from the drainage network of the former Lake of Giannitsa to
Thermaikos Gulf.