In the making: the ecological target image
November 18, 2025
Ecologists from various organizations are working on a target vision for the freshwater-saltwater transition of Lauwersmeer. The goal: healthy water quality, rich nature, and an area that is resistant to climate change. Fish, birds, and other aquatic life must flourish.
What is the target image?
The Lauwersmeer ecological target combines the ecological objectives of Natura 2000, the Water Framework Directive, and the Programmatic Approach to Large Water Bodies, translating them into concrete steps for a more natural transition between the Wadden Sea and Lauwersmeer.
Better for nature
The Lauwersmeer is now a freshwater lake, but it was once the Lauwerszee, where fresh and salt water met. The closure in the 1960s has made us better protected against flooding, but it also caused that dynamic to disappear, resulting in a loss of biodiversity. A natural transition between fresh and salt water increases the variety of habitats and enhances the biodiversity of fish, birds, plants, and underwater animals. It also makes the system more resilient to climate change, such as sea level rise and extreme weather.
By softening the hard boundary between Lauwersmeer and the Wadden Sea, fish migration and water quality will improve. This contributes to:
- The Water Framework Directive: better water quality
- Natura 2000: conservation of protected nature
- Birds and Habitats Directive: protection of species and habitats
Healthy ecosystems not only benefit nature and the climate, but also agriculture, the economy, and recreation.
The target vision will be ready in spring 2026.
Ecologists from Rijkswaterstaat Noord Nederland, Noorderzijlvest, and Staatsbosbeheer are currently working on the ecological target vision for Lauwersmeer, with the help of ecological consultancy firm Altenburg & Wymenga. Other experts and regional partners are also involved in this process. The target vision is expected to be ready in April 2026.
More about the national target for large water bodies
The ecological target is part of the Programmatic Approach to Large Water Bodies (PAGW). In this approach, the government is working toward the ambition of "future-proof large water bodies where high-quality nature coexists with a strong economy." Read on the PAGW website how the target for Lauwersmeer fits into the national target and the target for the Wadden Sea.