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13313

Mieczysław Hann, Leszek Piotrowski, Krzysztof

Woś

1

Maritime Academy in Szczecin (Poland)

Adaptation of the Oder River for the purposes

of inland water transport

2

Introduction

Whether inland water transport is among transport services on a market, is the matter of the existence of a waterway; other

factors only stimulate or limit its share in the transport system. In few European countries which have natural waterways, is

their meaning as marginal as in Poland. Reasons why the share of inland water transport in Polish transport market is so small

must be sought mainly in the bad condition of these waterways. One of the examples of inadequate exploitation of transport

potential of Polish rivers may be the Oder Waterway (Odrzańska Droga Wodna; ODW), which – despite being best-developed

of all – still remains unadapted for the purposes of inland water transport and the constant insufficiency of funds for it upkeep

causes further degradation of sections previously regulated.

Qualitative assessment of the Oder Waterway

Inland waterways deemed navigable are classified in Poland according to the size of ships or pushed convoys which may

navigate the river (table 1), taking into account the following:

•

the biggest length and width of a ship or a convoy, and

•

the minimum vertical clearance (height) under structures intersecting the waterways.

Tab. 1.

Polish classification of inland waterways

Waterway Class

Powered vessels and barges

Pushed convoys

Minimum

clearance

2)

under

bridges

over

HNWL

6)

Symbol

on a map

general characteristics

general characteristics

max

length

max

width

max

draft

1)

capacity

max

length

max

width

max

draft

1)

capacity

of

r

egi

on

al

imp

or

tan

ce

Ia

24

3.5

1.0

3.00

Ib

41

4.7

1.4

180

3.00

II

57

7.5–9.0

1.6

500

3.00

III

67–70

8.2–9.0

1.6-2.0

700

118–132 8.2–9.0

1.6–2.0

1000–

1200

4.00

of

in

te

rn

at

ion

al

imp

or

tan

ce

IV

80–85

9.5

2.5

1000–

1500

85

9.5

4)

2.5–2.8

1250–

1450

5.25

or 7.00

3)

Va

95–110

11.4

2.5–2.8

1500–

3000

95–110

5)

11.4

2.5–.0

1600–

3000

5.25

or 7.00

3)

Vb

172–

185

5)

11.4

2.5–3.0

3200–

4000

Notes:

1) The value of the draft is determined individually for a given waterway, taking into account local conditions.

2) Taking into account the safe distance of no less than 30 cm between the highest point of the vessel or cargo and the lowest edge of the

bridge, pipeline, or other construction intersecting the waterway.

3) For container transport the following figures are set:

- 5.25 m for ships carrying containers in two levels,

1

Maritime Academy in Szczecin, Engineering-Economy of Transport Faculty. Prof. dr hab. inż. M. Hann, dr inż. L. Piotrowski, dr kpt. ż.ś. K. Woś, e-mail:

[e-mail].

2

Reviewed paper.

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- 7.00 m for ships carrying containers in three levels.

50% of the containers may be empty, otherwise ballasting will be needed.

4) Some existing waterways may be recognised as belonging to Class IV due to the maximum length of ships and pushed convoys,

although their maximum width amounts to 11.4 m and the maximum draft to 3.0 m.

5) The first figure refers to the current state and the latter – to the perspective state and in some cases it takes into account current state.

6) HNWL – Highest Navigable Water Level, a set level of water over which navigation is forbidden.
Source: Council of Ministers Regulation of 7

th

May 2002 on the classification of inland waterways (Journal of Laws Dz. U. 2002, No 77,

item 695).

Classes from Ia to Vb can be divided into two main categories, i.e. of regional importance (classes Ia, Ib, II and III) and

of international importance (classes IV, Va and Vb). When developing or modernising a Class Ia, Ib or II waterway, the design

conditions are the maximum parameters of a directly higher class, and for classes III and IV – parameters for class Va and Vb

respectively (table 2).

Tab. 2.

Operating parameters of inland waterways according to the class of the waterway

No

Operating parameters

Value of the parameters:

Class:

Ia

Ib

II

III

IV

Va

Vb

1. Minimum dimensions of a navigable route in the river

unit

1.1 width of the route

1)

m

15

20

30

40

40

50

50

1.2 transit depth

2)

m

1.2

1.6

1.8

1.8

2.8

2.8

2.8

1.3 arc radius of the route axis

3)

m

100

200

300

500

650

650

800

2. Minimum dimensions of a canal

2.1 width of the route

1)

m

12

18

25

35

40

45

45

2.2 lowest water depth in the canal

2)

m

1.5

2.0

2.2

2.5

3.5

3.5

3.5

2.3 bend radius of the route axis

3)

m

150

250

400

600

650

650

800

3. Minimum dimensions of a lock

3.1 width of the lock

m

3.3

5.0

9.6

9.6

12.0

12.0

12.0

3.2 length of the lock

m

25

42

65

4)

72

120

4)

120

187

3.3 depth at the lower gate

2)

m

1.5

2.0

2.2

2.5

3.5

4.0

4.0

4. Vertical distance of the conductors of overhead power

lines by normal overhang over HNWL

5)

4.1 ungrounded of voltage under 1kV and grounded (regard-

less of voltage) and telecommunication wires

m

8

8

8

10

12

15

15

4.2 ungrounded with voltage over 1 kV, depending on the

rated voltage of the line (U)

m

10+U/150

12+U/150

14+U/150

17+U/150

Notes:

1) The width of a navigable route at the level of the ship bottom with maximum capacity at full draft.

2) The depth refers to the first value of the ship draft, defined for the class in a table in attachment No 1.

3) A route becomes wider at the bend depending on the length of the ship or pushed convoy and the radius of the bend.

4) Existing locks whose lengths amount to 56.6-57.4 m are included in Class II, and locks with the length of 85.0 m are included in Class

IV.

5) HNWL – Highest Navigable Water Level, a set level of water over which navigation is forbidden.
Source: Council of Ministers Regulation of 7

th

May 2002 on the classification of inland waterways (Journal of Laws Dz. U. 2002, No 77,

item 695).

The Oder river, despite being the best-developed waterway in Poland, remains a shipping route of regional importance.

It is an effect of many mistakes made during its development at the turn of 19th and 20th century; the works, however, have

never been finished. Additionally, the lack of funds for its maintenance has led to the decapitalisation of hydropower

constructions, which differ in the degree of wear of individual sections and in various operational parameters (table 3).

Hence the Oder does not constitute a uniform transport route but a collection of separate and qualitatively varied routes,

whose parameters in many sections do not correspond any longer to the parameters ascribed to them in the Regulation of the

Council of Ministers of 7th May 2002 on the classification of inland waterways (Journal of Laws Dz. U. of 2002, No 77, item

695).

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Tab. 3. The characteristics of chosen inland navigation routes in Poland

Name of the inland waterway

Length

[km]

Class

The Oder Waterway with the Gliwicki Canal and the Kędzierzyński Canal
THE KĘDZIERZYŃSKI CANAL

- from the Gliwicki Canal to Zakłady Azotowe “Kędzierzyn” S.A.

5.9

II

THE GLIWICKI CANAL

- from Gliwice to Kędzierzyn Koźle

41.2

II

THE ODER RIVER

- from Kędzierzyn-Koźle to Brzeg Dolny

- from Brzeg Dolny to the mouth of the Warta River

- from the mouth of the Warta River to Ognica

- from Ognica to Widuchowa

187.1

335.0

79.4

7.1

III

II

III

Vb

THE EAST ODER RIVER

- from Widuchowa to the Klucz-Ustowo Cutting

26.4

II

THE REGALICA RIVER

- from the Klucz-Ustowo Cutting to Lake Dąbie

11.1

III

LAKE DĄBIE

- from the mouth of the Regalica River to the border with the internal waters

9.5

Vb

THE WEST ODER RIVER

- from the mouth of the Regalica River to the border with the internal waters

36.6

Vb

Source: Authors’ own compilation, based on Attachment No 1 to the Council of Ministers Regulation of 7

th

May 2002 on the classification of

inland waterways (Journal of Laws Dz. U. 2002, No 77, item 695).

Condition and operating parameters of the Oder Waterway

Having considered the existing differences in development and operating parameters of the Oder Waterway, the following

navigation sections may be distinguished:

•

the upper Oder, canalized from Koźle to Brzeg Dolny, including the Gliwicki and Kędzierzyński Canals;

•

the middle Oder, free flowing from Brzeg Dolny to the mouth of the Lusatian Neisse;

•

the middle Oder, free flowing from the mouth of the Lusatian Neisse to the mouth of the Warta river;

•

the lower Oder, free flowing from the mouth of the Warta river to Szczecin, and the estuary section of the Oder, the so-

called Sea Oder (picture 1).

The Gliwicki Canal, which lengthens the Oder’s waterway towards Upper Silesia by 41.2 km, begins at the 98.1 km of the

Oder at the northern point of the Januszkowice barrage. The canal has gentle curves and the width of its bed at the bottom

amounts to ca. 20.0 m. Currently it is considerably muddy, although it is navigable for vessels with a draft of 1.6 m (similarly

to the canalized sections of the Oder). It bypasses a 43.6 m fall through a set of locks of 72.0 x 12.0 x 3.5 m dimensions. Out of

the 24 bridges intersecting the canal, the one limiting the vertical clearance for navigation is the road bridge in Blachownia

(at the 9.73 km), whose height amounts to 4.12 m (with respect to the HNWL

3

).

At the 9.1 km of the Gliwicki Canal, at the lock in Nowa Wieś, the Kędzierzyński Canal begins, which joins the Gliwicki

Canal with the port of the fertilizer plant Zakłady Azotowe “Kędzierzyn” S.A. The canal is 5.6 m long, 2.25 m deep and

15.0 m wide in its bed. It is intersected by two bridges, with the bridge in Kędzierzyn (1.14 km) being the limiting one as it is

4.7 m high in its navigable span

4

. From Koźle (95.6 km) to the lower outer harbour of the lock in Brzeg Dolny (282.6 km),

the Oder bypasses a 62.5 m fall via 23 barrages on the main navigation route. The falls on the barrages range from 1.75 to

7.06 m. In the whole section where the Oder is canalised, the transit depth of 1.8 m is provided throughout the navigation

season which lasts here on average 270 days a year. The only exception is a 4.0-km section of the river between Oława

and Ratowice, where the Oława lock is beyond the reach of Ratowice weir backflow and during low flow the depth decreases

to 1.4 m

5

.

3

Woś K., Kierunki aktywizacji działalności żeglugi śródlądowej w rejonie ujścia Odry w warunkach integracji Polski z Unią Europejską, Oficyna Wydaw-

nicza „Sadyba”. Warszawa 2005, s. 93.

4

Ibidem, p. 93.

5

Ibidem, p. 91.

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Pic. 1. The network of Polish inland waterways.

Source: Woś K.: Kierunki aktywizacji…, op. cit., p. 44.

Among the 38 bridges which intersect the Oder, 5 have their vertical clearance (i.e. the height of the navigable span with

respect to the water table during HNWL) lower than 4.0 m, and 10 have their horizontal clearance (the width of the navigation

route) of 9.6 m. The route has been shaped in curves (meanders) from 400.0 m to 3000.0 m, with 33 of the curves being less

than 600.0 m in their radius. The width of the navigational route ranges from 30.0 to 100.0 m

6

.

The section of the free flowing Oder from the lock in Brzeg Dolny (281.6 km) to the mouth of the Lusatian Neisse

(542.4 km) has been regulated with the use of repelling groynes for the mean water level. The Oder has in this section the

lowest transit depths, and the most difficult part to navigate through is the section directly below the barrage in Brzeg Dolny,

where – due to the progressive erosion of the river bed – the depths are lower than 1.0 m for the majority of the navigation

season. In this section all curves with radiuses of less than 400.0 m have been rebuilt but there are still 43 meanders left with

radiuses under 600.0 m. Among 14 bridges intersecting the Oder from Brzeg Dolny to the mouth of the Lusatian Neisse,

5 bridges have the vertical clearance of less than 4.0 m, and the limiting bridge is a road bridge in Krosno Odrzańskie

(514.1 km), whose navigable span is 3.28 m high.

In view of the operating parameter of the Gliwicki and Kędzierzyński Canals as well as the canalised Oder and middle

Oder from Brzeg Dolny to the mouth of the Lusatian Neisse, the maximum dimensions of vessel cannot exceed 71.0 m in

length and 9.0 m in width for individual self-propelled vessels and 118.0 m in length and 9.0 m in width for pushed convoys

7

.

The Oder is a border river (the Republic of Poland – the Federal Republic of Germany) from the mouth of the Lusatian

Neisse (542.4 km) to Widuchowa (704.1 km); then, in place where the river splits into two river beds, the border is constituted

by the West Oder which runs to Gryfino (17.1 km) and then continues on land. In the estuary area of the Oder, the state border

again runs through water: the Szczecin Lagoon, thereby dividing it into the so-called Small and Great Lagoons.

6

Ibidem, p. 92.

7

Ibidem, p. 94.

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Pic. 2.

External connections of the border and lower section of the Oder.

Source: Authors’ own compilation, based on Wasserstrassen von Elbe bis Oder. Band 10a: Die Oder. Nagel’sNauticVerlag. Berlin 1993, p. 3.

The section of the Oder free flowing from the mouth of the Lusatian Neisse to the mouth of the Warta river (617.6 km),

similarly to the free flowing section situated higher, has been regulated for the mean water level by the repelling groynes.

The width of the river bed ranges there form 64.0 to 80.0 m. The regulatory structures (groynes) have an adverse effect on the

morphology of the river bed in the entire section, as they create multiple inconvenient depositions which lower the transit

depths (picture 2). Among other obstacles one may list 4 meanders with a radius of 600.0 m, and among the five bridges

intersecting this section of the Oder, the limiting one is the railway bridge in Kostrzyn (615.1 km), whose navigable span

is 3.67 m high (by HNWL)

8

. The Oder in this section has a connection with the Oder-Spree Canal at 553.4 km

(Eisenhüttenstadt) and with the Vistula-Odra waterway at the 617.6 km (Kostrzyn).

The lower Oder begins at Kostrzyn and goes downriver to Szczecin. Its extension is the estuary section called “the Sea

Oder”. From Kostrzyn to Piasek, the Oder is regulated by repelling groynes. During this regulation, the river has been

exceedingly straightened, although 3 curves with the radius of 650.0 m have been left. The section in question is characterised

by the changeability of the flow and multiple depositions, which differ in duration, length and the degree to which they limit

the lowest depth. Below the 683.0 km there are no more groynes and the conditions of the flow are dependent on the sudden

decrease of the longitudinal slope which decreases to merely 3 cm/km. The effects of the sea backflow also begin to be

noticeable here.

The lower section of the Oder has a navigation connection with the Oder-Havel Canal at the 667.0 km (Hohensaaten) and,

via the Schwedt Canal at the 697.0 km (Ognica), with the Hohensaaten-Friedrichstahler-Wasserstrasse (HFW). The estuary

area of the Oder is in itself a rich and complex system of watercourses used for transport purposes; among them one can name

as the major ones: the West Oder, the East Oder along with Regalica, which is its extension, the Klucz-Ustowo Cutting and the

Szczecin water junction with Dąbie Lake. Thus defined estuary area of the Oder is complemented by the Szczecin Lagoon with

its three straits connecting it to the Pomeranian Bay.

Taking into account the operating parameters of the border and lower section of the Oder, the maximum dimensions of

ships and inland convoys cannot exceed 82.0 m in length and 11.45 m in width for individual self-propelled ships and 156.0 m

in length and 11.45 m in width for pushed convoys (not including local limitations resulting from the limiting widths of bridge

spans)

9

.

8

Woś K.: Kierunki aktywizacji…, op. cit., p. 94.

9

Ibidem, p. 99.

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Three bridges in the area of Szczecin water junction remain the greatest obstacle for inland navigation, as they limit and

sometimes even eliminate the possibility for inland water vessels to enter the port of Szczecin and other ports in the estuary

region of the Oder. They are

10

:

•

a railway bridge (with a movable span), situated on the 35.59 km of the West Oder, with two one-way navigable spans

with the width of 11.19 m and 12.25 m and the height of 3.79 m by HNWL;

•

a road bridge “Długi” (with a bascule span) situated at the 35.95 km of the west Oder, whose height amounts to 3.43 m

over HNWL and its width amounts to 17.5 m;

•

a railway bridge (with a bascule span) located on the 733.6 km of the Regalica River, whose bascule span is 12.73 m wide

and its permanent span is 2.96 m high over HNWL.

Two of those bridges situated on the west Oder, after some renovations have their bascule and movable spans

immobilised, i.e. they are used as fixed bridges. Also, the frequency with which the span on the Regalica river is moved

depends on the railway traffic and the waiting time may be as much as a few hours.

Within the internal sea routes, the water communication system is formed by the Szczecin-Świnoujście shipping route,

joining the marine ports in Szczecin, Police, and Świnoujście, approach fairways to smaller ports and harbours in the Szczecin

and Kamieński Lagoons and multiple town and factory wharfs (picture 3).

Pic. 3.

Internal waters of the estuary section of the Oder.

Source: K. Woś : Kierunki aktywizacji…op.cit., p. 130.

The entire length of the Szczecin-Świnoujście shipping route amounts to 68.0 km and its operating parameters, as well as

the operating parameters of port basins, are mostly artificially maintained, which allows the port of Świnoujście to accept ships

up to 235.0 m long and with the maximum draft of 12.9 m, and the port of Szczecin – 160.0 m and 9.15 m respectively

11

.

Inland water transport fleet may use the whole length of the Szczecin-Świnoujście shipping route if its draft exceeds 3.0 m.

Should the draft be less than 3.0 m, certain limitations resulting from port regulations must be observed

12

. The greatest

obstacle for the fleet are weather conditions, i.e. ice, fog, wind and resulting waves. The average number of days with ice in the

average winter is ca. 50 for the Szczecin Lagoon (and similarly for the lower Oder) and almost doubles during a harsh winter.

The average number of days with fog ranges from 17 to 35 per year, with fog defined as such weather conditions when the

visibility is below 2 km. But the most difficult for inland navigation are days (ca. 50 in a year) when the wind on the Szczecin

Lagoon is over force 4.0 of the Beaufort scale

13

.

10

Ibidem, p. 116.

11

Ibidem, p. 119.

12

Regulation No 4 of the Director of the Maritime Office in Szczecin of 17th September 2002 – Port regulations (Journal of Laws of the West Pomeranian

Voivodeship Dz. U. Województwa Zachodniopomorskiego, No 67, item 1429 as amended).

13

Woś K.: Kierunki aktywizacji.. op. cit., p. 120.

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The transport use of the Oder Waterway

The majority of inland water transport on all Polish waterways is performed on the Oder Waterway (table 4). However,

its share in the overall national transport systematically decreases. The worsening operating parameters of the middle section

of the Oder have caused the navigation to be moved to the upper, canalised section where permanent transit depths (1.6–1.8 m)

can be ensured, and to the lower section of the Oder, which is additionally supplied by waters of the Warta river in the region

of Kostrzyn (617.6 km) and by waters from the permanent sea backflow, whose effect may be felt as far as the Bielinek cross-

section (677.0 km). In the upper canalised section of the Oder the inland navigation shipped 346000 tonnes of cargo in 2012,

providing services mainly for natural aggregates mines and for heat and power stations. In the lower section of the Oder the

transport amounted to 551000 tonnes in 2012, and 1.1 m tonnes for international relations, mainly for the purposes of reloading

plants and sea and river ports.

Tab. 4.

Domestic transport via the Oder Waterway 2005-2012 (in thousands tonnes)

Voivodeships

Carriages

2005

2007

2009

2011

2012

Lower Silesian

Lower Silesian

1276

1513

197

174

179

Lower Silesian

West Pomeranian

0

0

6

0

0

Opole

Opole

840

645

123

64

8

Opole

Lower Silesian

0

0

4

0

0

Opole

Silesian

0

6

4

78

59

Opole

West Pomeranian

0

0

4

0

0

Śląskie

Lower Silesian

631

473

430

282

257

Śląskie

Silesian

54

0

9

0

0

Śląskie

West Pomeranian

0

0

10

0

0

West Pomeranian

West Pomeranian

889

884

723

520

551

TOTAL

3690

3521

1510

1118

1072

the share of ODW in domestic carriages

83%

88%

69%

59%

65%

Source: Authors’ own compilation based on Transport – Results of Operation in 2012. Central Statistics Office. Warsaw, 2005-2013 (Trans-

port-wyniki działalności w 2012r.. GUS. Warszawa, lata 2005-2013).

The quantitative and directional structure of international transport on the lower section of the Oder is well-illustrated by

the statistics of the Niederfinow Boat Lift, situated on the Oder-Havel Canal (table 5). The lack of directional balance is clearly

visible in international transport, i.e. export definitely dominates over import.

Tab. 5.

The quantitative and directional structure of ships passing through Niederfinow Boat Lift in 2005–2012

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

Cargo ships total

8833

8123

7219

8409

5660

5031

5733

3709

upwards

4386

4014

3574

4131

2774

2481

2825

1826

downwards

4447

4109

3645

4278

2886

2550

2908

1883

including empty ships

3138

3315

2966

3538

2577

1995

2413

1402

upwards

3046

3234

2843

3362

2263

1899

2306

1269

downwards

92

81

123

176

314

97

107

133

Pushers

3944

3516

2998

3587

2488

2037

2223

1371

Passenger ships

4261

3877

3911

4236

4280

3507

3543

3572

Sports boats

3944

3627

3840

3901

3991

3605

3949

3881

other ships

398

391

434

493

337

271

395

405

Tonnes of cargo

2617360

2201840

1939786

2225590

1427279

1411876

1579651

1101169

upwards

612129

343664

339474

352572

233150

267254

243736

262510

downwards

2005231

1858176

1600312

1873018

1194129

1144622

1335915

838659

Source: Authors’ own compilation based on the data of The Eberswalde Water and Shipping Authority (Germany).

When servicing the marine ports in Szczecin and Świnoujście, inland water transport carries out so-called fixed route and

dedicated transport. The fixed route transport is generally divided into two subtypes, namely local transport, performed in the

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are of Szczecin and Świnoujście, connected mainly with servicing ports, and long-distance transport, including international

transport. On the other hand, dedicated transport (also referred to as technological transport) is carried out by inland navigation

between reloading and storage bases of a port complex in order to cumulate cargo for the purposes of loading, unloading and

finishing loading up the bigger sea vessels which, due to the limited depth of the fairway (10.5 m) connecting both ports, need

to lighten some of its cargo in Świnoujście (when going to Szczecin) or not to load to their full capacity in the port of Szczecin

(when going to Świnoujście).

Tab. 6.

The share of individual branches of hinterland transport when servicing the port complex of Szczecin and Świnoujście in 1956–2013

Year

Total turnover

Rail transport

Road transport

Inland water transport

1000 tons

%

1000 tons

%

1000 tons

%

1000 tons

%

1956

5.170

100.0

4.490

86.8

–

–

680

13.2

1970

15.773

100.0

13.395

84.9

94

0.6

2.291

14.5

1980

22.670

100.0

19.503

86.0

137

0.6

3.030

13.4

1985

19.055

100.0

15.477

81.2

68

0.4

3.510

18.4

1990

14.593

100.0

12.539

86.0

130

0.9

1.924

13.2

1995

15.751

100.0

13.875

89.1

318

2.0

1.378

8.9

2000

15.565

100.0

14.122

90.7

484

3.1

959

6.2

2005

16.080

100.0

10.769

60.0

3.692

23.0

1.619

10.1

2011

17.299

100.0

8.007

46.3

8.221

47.5

1.070

6.2

2012

16.845

100.0

7.344

43.6

8.692

51.6

808

4.8

2013

18.926

100.0

9.302

49.1

8.843

46.7

780

4.1

Source: Authors’ own compilation based on the data of Szczecin and Świnoujście Seaports Authority.

In 1956–1990 the share of inland water transport in servicing the Szczecin-Świnoujście port complex was between 13.2%

and 18.4% and it fell systematically to 4.1% in 2013 (tab. 6).

Conclusions

Having considered the basic classifying indicators, the Oder Waterway with class II and III parameters on the majority of

the route, seems to remain a waterway of regional importance. Low operating parameters of navigational routes are the effect

of bad condition of hydropower constructions of the waterway which in turn is the result of many years of improper

investment. The main navigational obstacles, apart from limiting depths of the navigational route, especially in the free flowing

section under the barrage in Brzeg Dolny, are: too low vertical and horizontal clearances of some of bridge spans which limit

and sometimes eliminate the possibility of free navigation.

Should one want to take advantage of certain features of inland navigation, such as safety, low energy consumption and

high dead-weight tonnage of vessels to create multimodal transport chains, including intermodal and combined chains along

the Oder Transport Corridor, until the operating parameters of the waterway are improved, one has to use the means of road

and rail transport which would take cargo from vessels on those sections where free inland was not possible.

Abstract

The article presents the qualitative assessment of the Oder Waterway (Odrzańska Droga Wodna; ODW) based on the

Polish classification of inland waterways. Taking into account basic parameters of ships and convoys capable of navigating

on the Oder, the river is classified in most sections as a waterway of regional importance (Class II and III). Considering the

existing differences of development and operating parameters of the Oder Waterway, its navigational sections have been

distinguished and presented in detail in respect of their adaptation for the purposes of inland water transport. The section of the

free flowing Oder from the lock in Brzeg Dolny (281.6 km) to the estuary of the Lusatian Neisse (542.4 km) has the lowest

transit depths, and the most difficult section to navigate is the section directly below the barrage in Brzeg Dolny, where –

due to the progressive erosion of the river bed – the depths are lower than 1.0 m for the majority of the navigation season.

The dilapidation of structures built on the Oder causes the operating parameters to lower and consequently the level or the

transport use of the Oder. Should one want to take advantage of certain features of inland navigation, such as safety,

low energy consumption and high dead-weight tonnage of vessels to create multimodal transport chains, including intermodal

and combined chains along the Oder Transport Corridor, until the operating parameters of the waterway are improved, one has

to use the means of road and rail transport which would take cargo from vessels on those sections where free inland were not

possible.

Logistyka – nauka

Logistyka 6/2014

13321

R

EFERENCES

1. Data of Szczecin and Świnoujście Seaports Authority.
2. Data of The Eberswalde Water and Shipping Authority (Germany).
3. Regulation of 7

th

May 2002 on the classification of inland waterways (Journal of Laws Dz. U. 2002, No 77, item 695).

4. Regulation No 4 of the Director of the Maritime Office in Szczecin of 17

th

September 2002 – Port regulations (Journal of Laws of

the West Pomeranian Voivodeship Dz. U. Województwa Zachodniopomorskiego, No 67, item 1429 as amended).

5. Transport – wyniki działalności w 2012 r., GUS. Warszawa, lata 2005–2013.
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