Kouvola association gets €125,000 to tackle flood pollution

A water and environmental association has received €125,000 in EU rural funding to study ways to prevent severe flooding around the former Elimäenjärvi lake in Kouvola, Yle reports.

Kymijoen vesi ja ympäristö ry will use the funding for a preliminary study into possible restoration of the area. Floodwater pumped into the nearby Teutjoki river in 2025 was low in oxygen, polluted the water, killed fish and caused a foul smell.

Elimäenjärvi was drained in the 1950s and converted into farmland. The fields have usually flooded in spring and autumn, but heavy rain caused them to flood severely in July last year, destroying the grain crop. Floodwater had to be pumped into the river.

The association will develop alternative plans for wetlands to help reduce flooding. It says the plans will require landowners’ support and local knowledge, and it will hold public meetings and invite landowners to get in touch.

The proposed work would aim to slow water flows and reduce the movement of nutrients that contribute to eutrophication towards the eastern Gulf of Finland. Other possible measures include blocking or damming ditches in forested areas. Public funding may be sought for construction, though landowners are usually expected to contribute.

The project is scheduled to run until the end of October 2027.