Natural design ensures resilience of Enters Reggedal valley
In the Enters Reggedal valley, several partners are collaborating on a more natural design of an 11.5 km stretch of the River Regge. The Regge used to be a narrow, straight river; these adaptations will give it a meandering character. In addition, water storage will be created in the Reggedal valley, capable of collecting 350,000 m3 of water in periods of heavy precipitation.
Image: River Regge before commencement of the work (left) and after completion of the project (right)
Information meetings and kitchen table talks
Several information meetings for interested parties had been organised before the work commenced. The visitors could take a look at the draft design for the Enters Reggedal valley. Vechtstromen district water board staff and (future) managers of the nature reserve were present to answer questions. The district water board has held “kitchen table talks” with the owners of lots directly adjacent to the Enters Reggedal valley. Wherever possible, ambitions and ideas raised during these talks have been taken into account in the design.
Image: meeting for interested parties with presentation of draft designs
Results
Resilient Enters Reggedal valley
The Enters Reggedal valley will be provided with water storage to collect 350,000 m3 of water in periods of heavy precipitation. In dry periods, this water can be used to irrigate the natural environment and farmland. This will boost the resilience of the Enters Reggedal water system.
One of the objectives of the additional water storage is to prevent farmland from flooding during extreme precipitation, as inundated farmland can cause nitrate (and ammonium) to be flushed into groundwater and surface water. The prevention/reduction of such flushing benefits people, animals, and nature.
New nature reserve
In addition, the province of Overijssel has commissioned the realisation of no less than 115 hectares of new nature. An important precondition in this respect is to ensure a proper balance between a River Regge that is as natural as possible and efficient water levels for, inter alia, agriculture, leisure activities, and nature. The water level being pursued involves, therefore, an assessment in favour of good agriculture and nature. Furthermore, the navigability of the Enterse Zomp (between the Lee and the Exoo) will be improved. The construction of a fish passage facility near the Twickelervaart mouth should ensure the comfort of fish in the Regge and enable them to swim upstream.
Lessons to be learned from the project
Communication and support constituted the main success factors in this project. The use of social media and involvement of the press have played a key role in this respect.
Contact person
Jan van Klompenburg
Waterschap Vechtstromen
j.van.klompenburg@vechtstromen.nl
088 220 33 33