At the beginning of April, we received the following message:
Hello. I have a question: has a gravel mine been established in the village of Otok, on a bend of the Bóbr River? After the 1997 flood, the river exposed gravel on the aforementioned bend. At first, it was taken away in trailers, but now even an excavator has been brought into use. There are no information signs about any excavation site or private property. The flood polder is being continuously damaged, as are the dirt road and the trees alongside it. I am adding a few photos from the site and would ask you to look into the matter. Thank you.
In this matter, we contacted the Bolesławiec Rural Municipality. We were informed that rivers and the areas around them are overseen by Państwowe Gospodarstwa Wodne Wody Polskie. We contacted the Water Management Authority responsible for the area along the Bóbr River in Otok.
Here is the response we received from the Regional Water Management Authority in Wrocław:
An employee of the Bolesławiec Water Management Authority conducted a site inspection in the indicated area, during which the following was established:
- signs prohibiting entry and the removal of aggregate will be put up near the gravel pit,
- the area will additionally be fenced off with warning tape,
- Wody Polskie employees have been required to conduct particularly careful, regular monitoring of the gravel pit in the area of the bend in the Bóbr River.
If residents notice further illegal activity, please contact the Bolesławiec Water Management Authority at: 603 974 798 or the nearest police station.