Low water levels halt timber floating in Vuoksi basin

Timber floating will be suspended in the northern parts of the Vuoksi river basin in July due to critically low water levels, Yle reports.

The halt will first affect the upper reaches near Pielinen in Nurmes, later extending to Pohjois-Kallavesi between Kuopio and Iisalmi, according to Esa Korhonen, floating operations chief at the Järvi-Suomi Floating Association.

Water levels are being monitored closely, with current conditions already insufficient for safe passage of logs and vessels. While recent rains have provided some relief, Korhonen states the shortage will persist through the summer.

To mitigate the disruption, timber is being transported earlier than usual from the northern waters to temporary water storage sites established on Lake Saimaa. These floating stockpiles keep logs submerged, preserving wood quality and preventing bark beetle infestations.

Floating will continue normally on southern Lake Saimaa through winter, as water levels there remain adequate for operations serving industrial plants in Imatra, Lappeenranta, and Ristiina.

This year’s floating volume is expected to drop by about 25% compared to 2025, when a record 750,000 cubic meters were transported. The 2026 estimate is 550,000 cubic meters, equivalent to roughly 30 large rafts. Each raft carries about 1,000 log bundles—transport that would otherwise require 400 timber trucks by road.

Narrower 20-meter-wide rafts are being used in the northern basin this summer, compared to the 35-meter-wide, kilometer-long rafts possible on southern Saimaa, to avoid shallow areas along the route.