Expansion of balancing lake and protective measures for De Onlanden
Over the past six months, a study was conducted to determine in which areas within and around De Onlanden balancing lake additional balancing lake would be balancing lake and financially viable. De Onlanden serves two equally important functions: nature conservation and balancing lake. A decision was made yesterday: in extreme situations, the excess water will be retained within De Onlanden itself. This was agreed upon by the directors of water authority , the site managers Natuurmonumenten (Dutch Society for Nature Conservation), Staatsbosbeheer (Dutch Forestry Commission) Stichting Het Drentse Landschap), the provinces of Drenthe and Groningen, and the councils and Tynaarlo. The additional storage capacity must be ready for use by January 1, 2025, at the latest.
Temporary retention in case of extreme precipitation
The De Onlanden area already serves to collect water when necessary. To be prepared for heavy and prolonged rainfall in the future, we want to be able to temporarily store more water in extreme situations. This will protect residents in the region from possible flooding. The water can then be temporarily retained (for a number of days) before being discharged back into the sea.
Protecting vulnerable nature
In some parts of De Onlanden, it is not desirable for nature to collect water from the surrounding area, for example in the quaking bogs. This is because the water from surrounding agricultural areas is richer in nutrients. We want to protect these areas for as long as possible. We are investigating the possibility of working with compartments during high water levels: first collecting the water in the least vulnerable areas. And only if there is no other option, in the area with the more vulnerable nature. An environmental impact assessment will investigate the effects of this measure.
What will happen in the near future and in the long term?
Now that the authorities have decided that the additional balancing space will be located in De Onlanden balancing lake, the province of Drenthe can initiate the environmental impact assessment (EIA) and the project decision. The local community will be involved in the project at various stages. Further information about the project, the procedures, and opportunities for contact with the local community will be posted on the website. In the longer term, the parties are looking for more integrated solutions for the entire stream valley. They are examining how the balancing task can be combined with nature developments in the lower course of the Peizerdiep and in the upper course in the Fochteloërveen that were already planned. Prolander is working on behalf of the Drenthe provincial executive in both areas to implement the Natural Countryside program.
Questions?
Do you have any questions about the De Onlanden Optimization project? Please send an email to optimalisatieonlanden@noorderzijlvest.nl.