Water Act (No. 587 of 2011).

This Act makes provision with respect to a wide variety of matters concerning the management, utilization and conservation of water resources. The purpose of this Act is to: 1) promote, organise and coordinate the use of water resources and the aquatic environment, so as to render it socially, economically and ecologically sustainable; 2) prevent and reduce the adverse effects of water and the use of the aquatic environment; and 3) improve the state of water resources and the aquatic environment. At the outset, the relationship of this Act with other legislation, and in particular with the Environmental Protection Act in respect of water pollution, is defined. The Act is divided into 19 Chapters: General provisions (1); Public rights, obligations and restrictions (2); Water resources management projects subject to a permit (3); Abstraction of water (4); Ditch drainage (5); Permanent alteration of the mean water level; (6); Regulation of water bodies (7); Utilisation of hydropower (8); Timber floating (9); Channels and other navigation areas (10); Application procedure (11); Corporation under water law (12); Compensations (13); Supervision and administrative enforcement (14); Appeal and implementation of a decision (15); Penal provisions (16); Provisions related to real estate law (17); Miscellaneous provisions (18); Entry into force (19). The provisions laid down in this Act on water bodies shall also apply to Finland’s territorial waters and exclusive economic zone. They shall also apply to water bodies and waters on the national border, unless otherwise provided on the basis of an agreement concluded with a foreign state. The Act also concerns protection of certain aquatic habitat types.
As for administration, the regional state administrative agency serves as the permit authority referred to in this Act. The Centre for economic development, transport and the environment (state supervisory authority) and municipal environmental protection authority serve as the supervisory authorities referred to in this Act. The Centre shall also serve as the fisheries authority referred to in this Act. Chapter 9, deals among other things, with rules of a timber floating corporation. The Act deals with the protection of fish resources from damage that may be caused by water projects. It introduces the concept of a fisheries obligation and fisheries fee for this purpose. The party responsible for the project shall prepare a detailed plan for implementing the fisheries obligation provided in the permit (implementation plan for a fisheries obligation). The implementation plan for a fisheries obligation is approved by the fisheries authority.
Various types of corporations for specific purposes may be established under this Act (for ditch drainage under Chapter 5; for permanent alteration of the mean water level under Chapter 6; for the regulation of a water body under Chapter 7; for timber floating under Chapter 9.