Schoonwatervallei Castricum Climate Buffer
The “Schoonwatervallei Castricum” project is situated south of the city of Alkmaar, between Heiloo and Castricum. It involves an area of some 1000 hectares, located between the Noord-Hollands Duinreservaat dune reserve and the Alkmaardermeer lake, comprising the entire Schulpvaart catchment area. The ultimate aim is to have the entire catchment area consist of clean and area-specific water.
Results
The first phase, the climate buffer, covers the already delineated and partially developed section of the Ecological Main Structure between the dunes near Bakkum and the Alkmaardermeer lake near Akersloot. The goal of the project is to render the planning area self-sufficient, thus eliminating the need for letting in water from other storage basins. This is achieved by various measures, e.g., by separating the water systems of the farmland and those of the nature reserves, wherever possible, within the planning area. This will remove the influence of nutrient-rich farmland water on the nature reserves. The measures have already been rolled out across a surface area of some 120 hectares and will be completed in July 2013.
The measures implemented as yet pertain to:
- Improving seepage flows / influx of clean water to farmland and Nature lots;
- Retention and storage of water;
- Separating clean and nutrient-rich water;
- Gradual transformation of land use.
The Landschap Noord-Holland foundation for Nature preservation is currently working on the realisation of the remainder of the planning area. Within the planning area, it is acquiring new land. New sections are being developed under a compensation measure. Other sections are becoming available for development through parcel exchange.
The dunes and bay bars near the planning area are infiltration areas. Rainwater seeps into the soil here, emerging as seepage water in the inner fringe of the dunes. The collection of dune water for the drinking water supply of the adjacent dune area has diminished since 1990, whilst the aforementioned seepage flows have increased considerably. The inflowing clean (seepage) water is directed through the florid meadows in the area and kept separate from affected farmland water wherever possible. Several dune springs have now been restored in collaboration with the dune manager, PWN.
Contact person
Els Zwartendijk
Landschap Noord-Holland
+31(0)88-0064 438
e.zwartendijk@landschapnoordholland.nl