Kazlų Rūda lifts emergency status after Jūrė dam repairs

Kazlų Rūda Municipality has lifted the emergency situation declared over the condition of the Jūrė pond dam, LRT reports. The municipality’s mayor rescinded the status by decree.

The emergency was declared in July after the dam was found to be in an emergency condition that could threaten people’s lives and health, property and the environment. Its dangerous condition had been identified in 2018.

After several unsuccessful contracting tenders, the municipality found a contractor to repair the dam. The work required lowering the pond’s water level, which needed a permit from the Environmental Protection Agency. The municipality said bureaucratic obstacles meant the necessary permits could not be obtained in time, and its emergency operations centre recommended declaring an emergency.

The repairs were completed over the following months. In late October, specialists found that the pond had reached its normal water level, excess water was draining safely over the top of the dam shaft, and the structures were stable. They concluded there were no technical grounds to keep the emergency in place.

In 2023, the municipality experienced an ecological disaster when a dam at the Pilvė-Vabalkšnė pond collapsed, killing thousands of fish. The reported causes included the dam equipment’s emergency condition, the possible improper implementation of a permit to lower the water level and a sharp drop in water levels during a hydrological drought in the region.