Geoconservation of springs in Poland

Springs are unique phenomena that document water circulation conditions. Their economic importance and use often gives rise to the degradation of their natural features. But they should be understood as a form of natural heritage and protected like other abiotic elements of nature. According to the Polish Act for Nature Conservation (2004), nature parks and nature reserves are the most effective legal means of protecting springs. Springs are the most valuable elements of the several nature reserves located in the Polish mountains, uplands, and lowlands. The most popular type of legal protection of individual springs is that of "nature monument". At the beginning of 2008, 134 springs were protected in this way - representing 7% of abiotic nature monuments and 0.4% of the total number of monuments in Poland. The number of monuments of this type has increased greatly in recent times due to the activity of several scientific groups and that of local governments as well. The distribution of springs as nature monuments varies greatly in Poland. Most of them are located in the Carpathian Mountains and in the southern Polish uplands. The legal protection of springs should help prevent their persistent destruction, especially if it stimulates the consciousness of local residents as well as authorities