Palokki dam dispute divides residents in Heinävesi

A dispute over the future of the Palokki rapids has divided residents in Heinävesi, where the government wants to remove a dam that blocks migratory fish. Yle spoke to people on opposing sides of the debate, which has grown increasingly heated.

The issue has been discussed in Heinävesi, in North Karelia, for decades. It has centred on both nature conservation and security of energy supply, and strong feelings about the rapids have made it difficult to find local people willing to speak publicly.

Why the dam is contested

A dam and hydroelectric plant were built at the Palokki rapids in 1961. The plant is owned by Pohjois-Karjalan Sähkö, or PKS. The dam prevents the critically endangered Saimaa lake trout from reproducing in the area.

The government programme adopted in 2023 set a goal of removing the dam. The restoration project could enable fish to reproduce and increase tourism in the area. It would be the largest river restoration project in Finland’s history.

The state has held several rounds of talks with PKS and the municipalities that own the company about buying the plant. Estimates differ over its financial value and its importance to electricity production.

In June 2026, the state made two offers. Under one, the purchase price would be at least 40 million euros after a monitoring period. Under the other, the state would buy the plant immediately for 30 million euros. PKS rejected both offers, saying the price was too low. Discussions are continuing.

Kalevi Kallio fears for his property

Some of Kalevi Kallio’s acquaintances in the village no longer greet him because of the dispute. Kallio, who opposes removing the dam and restoring the rapids, says most residents in the Palokki area support the plan. He has expressed his own view at public meetings and in opinion pieces.

“I have been labelled,” he said.

Kallio’s home stands beside the hydroelectric plant, about a kilometre from the disputed dam as the crow flies. He fears that removing it could leave his waterfront property without a shoreline. He also believes that a lower water level could reduce the groundwater level and dry up the well in his yard. A drilled well would not solve the problem, he said, because its water has too high a mineral content.

“The property’s water supply depends entirely on that well. The property would become worthless and unusable,” Kallio said.

He objects to the public debate framing the issue as a choice between nature and energy production. Kallio says a cheaper solution could benefit both: a passage for migratory fish, while the modernised hydroelectric plant continues operating and producing emissions-free energy.

Kallio says this kind of hybrid solution has been shut out of public discussion. He compares Palokki with Portimokoski in Ylitornio, where fish passages have been built in recent years. He says the Natural Resources Institute Finland’s first assessments of the passages’ performance there have been positive.

A report commissioned by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry says hybrid options at Palokki would require a new water permit, cost a great deal and weaken the plant’s profitability. The report also says they would involve uncertainties related to fisheries.

Kallio believes the dispute is more about Prime Minister Petteri Orpo’s image than about fish. He says local residents are caught up in nostalgia and that resentment over the rapids being dammed has passed from one generation to the next.

“Many people have a nostalgic dream of rapids flowing freely. The discussion is not based on facts,” he said.

The Rissanens want their children to see free-flowing rapids

During the summer, entrepreneurs Rita and Jaakob Rissanen found themselves talking about Palokki with their customers almost every day. Their summer café, Ronttopuisto, is on the rapids route and also offers cabin accommodation.