Over the years, peat was extracted from Selisoo Bog, where drainage ditches were dug as well. To stop water from flowing out of Selisoo, Estonia's State Forest Management Center (RMK) is now building dams along its edges.

As the bog is located within Alutaguse National Park, this extensive excavation work must be done especially carefully.

"Over 500 dams will be built, ranging from 3 to 45 meters in length," said Märt Reha, director of nature protection works at RMK.

"We have to ensure that the dams are built to the correct specifications and using the designated tracks," Reha explained. "And around the dams, we need to ensure that water doesn't start flowing over or around [them]."

The success of the project is linked to the nearby Estonia oil shale mine.

"The most significant benefits will likely become evident only after mining has ceased," acknowledged RMK conservation specialist Helen Tuusti. "But we're laying the groundwork for the water regime to be restored."

In addition to the dams, RMK is also working on repairing parts of Selisoo Hiking Trail's more than four-kilometer-long boardwalk, which may mean some inconvenience for folks visiting the popular bog trail during the next couple of months.

"We are currently rebuilding around 750 meters of the trail," Tuusti noted. "Meaning we're removing the old trail. We'll also be raising part of the newer trail along Suurlauka, because we're hoping the Suurlauka's water level will rise, but that could flood the trail. So we're raising it."

The work being done in Selisoo Bog this fall and winter, supported by EU funding, will cost more than €340,000.

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