Agriculture and sufficient freshwater

The Future Agenda for Lake Lauwersmeer stipulates that the northern part of the lake will become brackish, allowing us to restore the original natural environment there. The southern part will remain fresh for agricultural purposes.

For the time being, lake Lauwersmeer will remain freshwater and livestock grazing around Lauwersmeer will be able to continue drinking from it. If we allow more saltwater into the northern part of the lake, livestock there may need another source of freshwater.  

 

A sufficient supply of freshwater cannot always be guaranteed in the future. Freshwater flows from Friesland and Groningen to lake Lauwersmeer and the Wadden Sea. During dry periods, freshwater is drawn from lake IJsselmeer to maintain the water level and prevent salinisation.   
 
The water authority cannot guarantee that sufficient freshwater will always be available. Climate change is causing more frequent droughts, reducing the supply of freshwater and increasing demand. At present, enough water still comes from lake IJsselmeer during dry periods. This will change in the future and, if no measures are taken, we may face water shortages more often. 

Read more about:
Water retention
The National Delta Plan, freshwater theme 

For the saltwater monitoring network, we are assuming approximately 50 measuring points, around 40 of which will be located on farms. The monitoring wells will be located in and around the lake. We will discuss with each farmer around the lake Lauwersmeer area where a monitoring well could be installed. We are planning informal discussions, during which we will look for a suitable location together. These discussions will take place in the summer of 2025. Farmers will receive a letter from the water authority about this.

Water is scarce at times. For example hot, dry summers are becoming more common. To have enough water in every season, more measures are needed to retain water in the area for longer. We are studying how we can retain water upstream (in higher areas) in order to better withstand dry periods. We are already taking certain measures to achieve this, such as the use of pumping stations, weirs, and inlets that push water further into our area through smaller ditches and streams. We can also allow ditches to meander more or deliberately make them shallower to drain the water more slowly. 

Read more about water retention