DECISION OF THE WATER COURT The Water court of the Northern Finland gave 29.2.2000 permission to dam the upper part of the Kemi river and construct a 240 km2 big so called Vuotos reservoir. One out of the four members of the court opposed the project. He stated that it fulfils the criteria of absolutely forbidden construction on basis of large ecological damage. At this stage, the Water court gave only a very restrected permission for deforestation to the power company Kemijoki to ensure that the ecological values would not be destroyed while the legal process moves on to higher courts. The decision of the Vaasa court