Sandimirov S.S. Catalogue of lakes in the Russian, Finnish and Norwegian Border Area. Finland, Jyvaskyla: Kopijyva Oy, 2008.

INTRODUCTION The catalogue of lakes represents a collection of data on baseline conditions in the aquatic ecosystems of small lakes in the joint Finnish, Norwegian and Russian border region, which is an area subjected to considerable levels of anthropogenic pollution. The catalogue contains descriptions of 38 lakes (19 lakes in Russia, 14 lakes in Norway and 5 lakes in Finland) (Fig. 1-1). Most of them are small lakes with an area of less than 1 km2, but there are several larger lakes. The lakes and rivers are located at altitudes of 100 - 300 m above sea level, and the terrain in the watershed ranges from forest to open fell areas. The lakes included in the study are of the headwater, drainage or closed type. The catalogue is meant for a wide audience: the local population, people involved in economic activities in the border area, recreationists, students, governmental authori­ ties, environmental organizations and ecologists. The catalogue will form a basis for further studies in the region and provide a platform for developing an integrated, har­ monised monitoring programme. The data will also assist in developing cost-effective, biological monitoring procedures for the lakes in the region. All the lakes have so far been included in long-term, joint monitoring programmes. In the future, the reports on changes in the environmental conditions in the border area will be based primarily on the results of observations made in these lakes. The documentation and analysis of data on individual water bodies, collected over several years, will make a considerable contribution to reports covering all aspects of the natural environment. The catalogue is based on the data, collected in connection with the Interreg IIIA Kolarctic project “Development and implementation of an environmental monitoring and assessment programme in the joint Finnish, Norwegian and Russian border area”, carried out during 2003-2006, as well as on data from earlier studies in the region. Detailed information about the structure and organization of the monitoring sys­ tems in the three countries, as well as the results of studies and observations conducted within the framework of the project, can be found in the following publications: Environmental Monitoring Programme in the Norwegian, Finnish and Russian border area. Implementation guidelines. (www.pasvikmonitoring.org -> more information -> publications 2003-2008) State of the Environment in the Norwegian, Finnish and Russian Border Area. The Finnish Environm ent 6/2007. (www.ymparisto.fi -> publications ->The Finnish Environment) And also on the web-page of the current monitoring programme www/pasvikmonitoring.org. The catalogue was compiled by researchers from the Institute of the North Indus­ trial Ecology Problems, Kola Science Center RAS, Russia, in collaboration with the Lapland Regional Environment Center, Finland, within the framework of the Interreg IIIA Kolarctic project “Dissemination of information about the state of the environ­ ment and monitoring activities in the River Paz catchment area”. The lake studies described in the catalogue were conducted with the support and participation of: •The Institute of the North Industrial Ecology problems of the North KSC RAS, Russia •The Lapland Regional Environment Centre, Finland • The Office of the Finnmark County Governor, Norway • The Murmansk Department for Hydrometeorology and Environmental Monitoring, Russia • The Norwegian Institute for Environmental Research, Norway Catalogue ofLakes in the Russian, Finnish and Norwegian BorderArea