Rivers getting out of bed

Photo: Elmo Riig / Sakala

It’s not just spring snowflakes and migratory birds heralding the defeat of winter – in Soomaa, water level went up by a meter over the week-end. Rivers, fed up with hibernating, are about to get out of their beds. Will we have a record flood or not? Experts differ.

In Soomaa, sights of rising water abound: on Sunday, Raudna River flowed across the road near Tohvri Bridge, Läti and Oksa Meadows have turned into icy lakes; at places, ditches and forest floor are filled to the brim.

It’s far from a decent flood, however. Pursuant to predictions by tourism entrepreneur Aivar Ruukel, acting under trade mark Soomaa.com, the peak comes in first half of next week. The start is said to be promising.

While Friday at 14 pm water level reached 64 centimetres over the Riisa sounding pole zero, Monday brought 210 cm levels. It is especially important here to underline: the last two days rise is over 60 cm.

«That’s a faster tempo than in 2010 and 2011, when high water hit last 50 years record,» Mr Ruukel explains, excitedly.

According to him, this year has what it takes to beat the records: the basin abounds with snow, weather forecast vows rain and above-zero (Celsius) temperatures, and after the minor January flood many meadows and forest floors are covered by 30 cm of ice.

«We may get a five meter rise here,» speculates Mr Ruukel.

Fifth Season no pure fun

Riho Männik, head of the South-Western district of State Forest Management Centre’s nature protection department, was inclined to prophesy a more modest scenario – this year’s flood will not reach the past years’ levels, he thinks.

According to Mr Männik’s observations, it is the tourism businessmen who most eagerly anticipate the floods, as high water is their bread. For local people, Fifth Season means lots of additional trouble. And for National Park managers, it means, among other things, that the Ingatsi and Lemmjõe wooden paths tend to swim off. And the dry toilets temporarily become unusable water closets. And parks and roads are clogged up with curious onlookers.

«We like guests. But not all at once,» admitted Mr Männik.

Week-ends bring hordes

Aivar Ruukel, also, is advising all who can to come see the flood in week-days, as in the two weekends to come Soomaa will be overpopulated.

«We still do have canoes available for Saturday and Sunday, but come the weekend, these will all be sold out. And, for the weekends, half of Estonia’s canoe trip organisers will come around to offer their services,» he said in explanation of what is about to happen. Mr Ruukel is planning his initial canoe trip for Friday.

Mr Männik thinks that this weekend it might not be possible to get going with canoes from the usual start point at Kõrtsi-Tõramaa Visitor Centre. However, boatable water ought to be available on Läti Meadow.