Removal of Macrophyte Vegetation in the Vrljika River

As part of the Improve River LIFE project, the implementation of Activity 2.4 – Control of macrophyte vegetation in the proximity of Vrljika spring area has begun, carried out within Work Package 2: Restoration and improvement of softmouth trout habitats.

Field works are being carried out by Hrvatske vode, while the Public Institution More i krš, as a project partner, is responsible for coordinating the activity and ensuring professional supervision. The activity is implemented with the support of the City of Imotski and the Municipality of Proložac.

Macrophytes—aquatic plants that naturally occur in rivers—can become overgrown under conditions of disturbed natural balance, especially in watercourses affected by hydromorphological changes. Their uncontrolled spread can lead to reduced flow capacity, sediment accumulation, an increased risk of local flooding, and changes in river habitats, further threatening the survival of native species such as the softmouth trout (Salmo obtusirostris).

👉 The removal of macrophytes, together with the planned removal of barriers in the watercourse and the planting of riparian vegetation, contributes to restoring the natural flow dynamics and creates preconditions for the recovery of karst river habitats in the Jadro and Vrljika rivers, where such habitats have been degraded due to previous interventions and alterations of the riverbed.

✨ This activity is based on expert analyses and aligned with the objectives of the Improve River LIFE project, which, through on-the-ground restoration measures, aims to ensure the long-term conservation and improvement of habitats for endemic and endangered species of the Dinaric karst.