In March 2025, work to rebuild two culverts on the Vildoga river in Līgatne parish was successfully completed, improving the river's free flow and allowing fish and other organisms to migrate freely. This work forms part of a wider set of environmental protection measures under the World Wide Fund for Nature and the “Mangaļi” brand's project “For clean rivers”, which aims to gradually remove barriers that fish cannot pass in Latvia's rivers.
Until now, two culverts on the Vildoga river prevented fish and other organisms from moving along the river. Small rivers are vital fish habitats. They can be likened to nurseries, because it is precisely there that young fish find safety. When small rivers are “closed off” by various kinds of obstacles, the young have no choice but to live in more dangerous places – in large rivers, where their chances of survival fall sharply. That is exactly why rebuilding such culverts, so that they no longer act as barriers on rivers, is so critical.
“Every stretch rebuilt in this way means more than just a technical improvement – it is a long-term investment in restoring nature. The rebuilt culverts on the Vildoga river open the way not only for fish, but also for the natural diversity that has been taken for granted in rivers for thousands of years. Our goal is to see more and more such places in Latvia – so that rivers can breathe again and perform their natural functions. We are delighted that we can pursue this goal together with the “Mangaļi” brand, which sets an example of sustainable business through its involvement. We hope this partnership will also inspire other companies to be bold and support nature restoration projects across Latvia,” says Magda Jentgena, head of the World Wide Fund for Nature's Baltic Sea and freshwater programme.
According to information held by the Ministry of Smart Administration and Regional Development (VARAM) and the Nature Conservation Agency (DAP), such barriers in small rivers have a significant impact on biological diversity, reduce the resilience of populations and increase the risk of their disappearance. For this reason, growing attention is being paid to freeing rivers from man-made obstacles. That is also why the European Union's nature restoration regulation includes a target of freeing 25,000 km of rivers by 2030.
Both problematic culvert sections were rebuilt using environmentally friendly solutions. The previous culverts, which fish could not pass, were replaced with open-type structures that provide a steady water flow in line with natural conditions, with a natural river bed. This has created a stretch of river in which fish and other organisms no longer face obstacles to moving freely upstream and downstream.
The work involved road infrastructure maintenance staff as well as environmental experts and engineers, working together with local municipal representatives. Hydrological conditions and the long-term safety of the infrastructure were also taken into account during the rebuild.
“The “Mangaļi” brand has long stood for sustainability and the protection of natural resources, because we believe that clean water and viable ecosystems are our shared responsibility. Rivers are a source of life, and protecting them matters not only for nature but also for people – they provide clean water, biological diversity and a stable environment for future generations. We are working not only to physically free rivers from obstacles, but also to build understanding of how important it is to preserve and restore the balance of nature. Every restored stretch of river is a step closer to a more sustainable future in which people and nature coexist in harmony. We invite everyone to give it some thought – rivers breathe when they are free, and their vitality is in all our hands,” says Līva Cēbere, head of the mineral water brand "Mangaļi".
Several thousand barriers that fish cannot pass still remain in Latvia, but with every project of this kind a step is taken towards more viable and healthier rivers, in which man-made infrastructure and natural water flow exist in balance.