Case study:Marswetering
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Project overview
Status | Complete |
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Project web site | |
Themes | Environmental flows and water resources, Habitat and biodiversity, Hydromorphology, Monitoring, Water quality |
Country | Netherlands |
Main contact forename | Sander |
Main contact surname | Verheijen |
Main contact user ID | |
Contact organisation | Waterschep Drents Overijsselse Delta |
Contact organisation web site | http://www.wdodelta.nl |
Partner organisations | |
Parent multi-site project | |
This is a parent project encompassing the following projects |
No |
Project summary
The Marswetering is a slow flowing river in a region that is characterized by agriculture, woodland and rural estates. Its natural hydrological regime has been altered by withdrawals for agricultural purposes and by water level regulating structures. As a consequence, development of vegetation, macroinvertebrates and fish have been held back. The water authority has made an attempt to create more variation in morphology and flow structure of the Marswetering by introducing dead wood in the stream. The wood was introduced at five locations below the water line to create narrower stretches in the stream.
Additionally, the banks were divided into a green and a blue zone. In the blue zone, vegetation was regularly removed to ensure flow continuity. In the green zone, vegetation is removed less regulaly and in a way that contributes to a varied flow structure.
Fish passages have also been created in the Marswetering.
Further efforts are planned to broaden the waterway and recreate meanders.
Monitoring surveys and results
The effect of the measures on the abundance of macroinvertebrate and fish has been monitored. The dead wood experiments did not yield any favourable results, probably because the stream has a rather low discharge and is therefore less suitable for this type of measures.
Vegetation development is monitored by FLORON.
Macroinvertebrates are monitored at 3-4 locations per stream as part of a regional project in the Marswetering, Overijssels Kanaal and Beentjesgraven.
The overall ecological quality ratios of the stream has improved.
Lessons learnt
Although the dead wood method yielded no results in this particular location, it has since been applied in various other projects and is generally well received by society. An important lesson is that a sufficiently high discharge is required for this measure to function. Projects such as this one can be complicated by a shortage of available wood and problems cleaning out debris. It has also been noticed that willow wood is less suitable for this measure, as it degrades quickly and is likely to sprout.
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Other case studies in this subcatchment: Beentjesgraven, Beneden Regge, De Doorbraak, Deurningerbeek, Dinkel Noord, Jufferbeek, Living Vechte-Dinkel, Midden Regge, Oude Bornschebeek, Oude Diep... further results
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MonitoringHydromorphological quality elements
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