In the making: the ecological target image
18 November 2025
Ecologists from various organisations are working on a target vision for the freshwater-saltwater transition of lake 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?
The lake 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 specific steps for a more natural transition between the Wadden Sea and lake Lauwersmeer.
Better for nature
Lake Lauwersmeer is now a freshwater lake, but it was once the Lauwers sea, where freshwater and saltwater met. The closure in the 1960s has provided us with better protection against flooding, but it also caused that dynamic to disappear, resulting in a loss of biodiversity. A natural transition between freshwater and saltwater increases the variety of habitats and enhances the biodiversity of fish, birds, plants, and aquatic 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 lake 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 benefit nature and the climate, as well as agriculture, the economy, and recreation.
The target vision will be ready in the spring of 2026.
Ecologists from Rijkswaterstaat Noord Nederland, Noorderzijlvest, and Staatsbosbeheer (Dutch Forestry Commission) are currently working out the ecological target vision for lake Lauwersmeer. They are assisted by the 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 lake Lauwersmeer fits the national target and the target for the Wadden Sea.