Māra’s Pond

Māra’s Pond covers an area of 4.3 ha and is artificially dug, located in the Alekšupīte floodplain between the Alekšupīte stream and Dzirnavu Street. This part of the floodplain was once the bed of a larger water reservoir, as evidenced by the Dzirnavu Street dam and sluices.

On the 1797 map of Kuldīga, this site is marked as Dzirnavu Pond (Mühlen Teich) along with a water mill, which is believed to have been operational since the 17th century. Later, a sawmill and a wool-processing factory were established here, which in the 1920s–1930s became widely known as A. Vinteler’s Kuldīga Wool Factory. The water mill was called the City Mill, as it belonged to Kuldīga until the early 19th century. The road from the mill to the town center eventually became Dzirnavu Street.

Alekšupīte is a small left-bank tributary of the Venta River. It originates near Pelči, flows through Kuldīga, and empties into the Venta near the Kuldīga Brick Bridge. Alekšupīte is less than six kilometers long, with a catchment area slightly over 30 km². Its upper and middle reaches have been modified into a water channel, while the lower course, which passes through Kuldīga’s old town, has artificially reinforced banks. Migratory fish are blocked by a waterfall over four meters high in the lower course, as well as by several small artificial weirs and the Māra’s Pond dam.

Fish surveys conducted in Alekšupīte (according to BIOR data) have recorded 11 fish species: perch (Perca fluviatilis), bleak (Leucaspius delineatus), stone loach (Barbatula barbatula), nine-spined stickleback (Pungitius pungitius), gudgeon (Gobio gobio), carp (Cyprinus carpio), pike (Esox lucius), tench (Tinca tinca), European bullhead (Cottus gobio), brown trout (Salmo trutta), and burbot (Lota lota), as well as brook lamprey (Lampetra planeri) and spiny-cheek crayfish (Orconectes limosus). Downstream of the Māra’s Pond dam, minnows (Phoxinus phoxinus) and other species typical of small, fast-flowing streams are also found.

The ecological status of Māra’s Pond reflects that of a small eutrophic water body. Six fish species are dominant: tench (Tinca tinca), roach (Rutilus rutilus), rudd (Scardinius erythrophthalmus), perch (Perca fluviatilis), pike (Esox lucius), and bleak (Leucaspius delineatus). Hydromorphologically, the pond is classified as a shallow, polymictic water body with an average depth of less than 3 meters.

The pond is covered with macrophytes (aquatic plants). The invertebrate fauna is typical for such a small water body, dominated by oligochaetes, crustaceans (Asellus), snails, mayflies, and insect larvae. No protected species have been recorded. Among aquatic plants, submerged hornwort, floating pondweed, and broad-leaved pondweed are dominant. Although the number of plant species is limited, less common species form small clusters rather than single individuals.

Maintenance and cleaning of Māra’s Pond — including the removal of sediments, fallen debris, and excessive macrophytes — improves the ecological condition, enhances biodiversity, and reduces eutrophication over time.