GEPN: Exploring the Black Grouse Clay

On the 19th of August 2012, the Exploring Sub-Warsaw Diving Group carried out a dive in the Cietrzewia Glinka located in the Włochy district of Warsaw. The weather was great, and the dive site was visited by more than 10 divers willing to take part in underwater reconnaissance before the planned April clean-up to commemorate the Water Cleanliness Week.

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In 1842, the first brickyard was established in Włochy to exploit the local clay deposits. After clay extraction ceased, the pits were used to store ice during the summer. These were the so-called ice houses. After the excavation ceased, they were flooded and got their present appearance.

The ponds were not developed and were a refuge for aquatic wildlife. In the 1990s the area of the ponds was developed, alleys were created, play areas for children. The discharge of waste water ceased. Another quite recent modernisation of the park created ideal conditions for family recreation. In addition to new benches and alleys, a playground and toilet facilities were set up in the park.

For us, too, the conditions proved comfortable for changing freely and entering the water. The bank of the reservoir is protected by a wooden band, which served as a place to put the equipment. Additionally, there are wooden piers for anglers, which, of course, were also important for us.

Diving conditions were better than expected. Up to 4-5 metres visibility was up to a maximum of 1 metre, but mostly less than half a metre. From 6-7 metres darkness prevailed and visibility improved to about 2 metres. The bottom of the reservoir is like a spongy black desert. The greatest depths logged were 9.2 and 9.5 metres, which is quite close to the information obtained from the bathymetric map giving the 10-metre depth of the reservoir. At about 4-5 metres there is a clearly perceptible thermocline, under which the temperature is between 4 and 6 degrees C.

We observed bottles, cans, plastic waste and car tyres under the water, so we decided to locate the April Clean Water Week here. The Department of Environmental Protection of the Warsaw-Włochy District Office has granted permission for the action and will be responsible for providing bags and removing the collected waste. The tentative date of the action is the 7th of April 2013. We suggest to save the date now and more information will appear in time on www.gepn.pl and www.facebook.com/GEPN.POLSKA. Please check back regularly.

Photo Jan Michniewski (www.facebook.com/HerStarrPhotography), Michał Gorzelak, underwater photo Kamil Jaczyński