Agriculture and sufficient fresh water

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

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

 

A sufficient supply of fresh water cannot always be guaranteed in the future. Fresh water flows from Friesland and Groningen to Lauwersmeer and the Wadden Sea. During dry periods, fresh water is supplied from the IJsselmeer to maintain the water level and prevent salinization.   
 
The water board cannot guarantee that sufficient fresh water will always be available. Climate change is causing more frequent droughts, reducing the supply of fresh water and increasing demand. At present, there is still enough water coming from the 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 both in and around the lake. We will discuss with each farmer around the Lauwersmeer area where a monitoring well could be installed. To this end, 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 board about this.

Water is sometimes scarce. Think of hot, dry summers, which are becoming more common. To maintain sufficient water in every season, more measures are needed to retain water in the area for longer. We are investigating how we can retain water upstream (in higher areas) in order to better withstand dry periods. We are also already taking certain measures to achieve this, such as the use of pumping stations, weirs, and inlets to push water further into our area via 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 aboutwater retention