Floating Green Islands

Artificial floating islands with vegetation (hereinafter referred to as artificial floating islands) are a current and innovative technology that largely uses natural processes that take place in natural wetlands. Artificial floating islands are mainly used for cleaning surface waters, promoting habitats and biodiversity, protecting shores and coastlines, or creating long-term sustainable landscapes. The first artificial floating islands began to be used to protect aquatic habitats at the beginning of the 20th century (USA). However, their potential for biological water purification only began to be explored since the 1990s, when the importance of microbial communities was first emphasized.

The names of artificial floating islands are very diverse, and the professional terminology is changing rapidly in light of the current development of ecological engineering. In the English-language literature, the designations artificial floating island (AFI), artificial floating wetlands/beds/gardens, floating treatment wetlands (FTW), floating plant bed system, integrated ecological floating bed (IEFB), floating ecosystem modules, biohavens, etc. are often used. They are used, for example, in lakes, ponds, reservoirs, tidal areas, rivers, or waste water retention wells from urbanized areas, airports, agricultural operations, mining works, refineries, etc. Also, the design solutions are quite diverse.

Within the framework of the project co-financed by TAČR number TH02030633 entitled “Floating Green Islands, a Prospective Alternative for Improving Ecological Potential and Promoting the Development of Coastal Communities on Water Reservoirs”, various design solutions for floating islands were tested and developed in the conditions of our reservoirs, especially at Lipno reservoir. The aim of the project was to find a structure that would be sufficiently mechanically resistant in the harsh climatic conditions of our reservoirs, while at the same time making it possible to partially replace the functions of the littoral zone, which in most of our reservoirs are completely absent or severely limited. Also, the goal was to find an affordable design with a long service life. An equally important result is the verification of the biological functions of the islands in connection with the promotion of the good ecological potential of our reservoirs, which lack a littoral zone due to regular fluctuations in the level.

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