Mowing waterways
Locks, lakes, streams, and canals serve an important function. They retain water and transport it to and from other areas. To prevent waterways from becoming overgrown, we mow the banks, slopes, and waterbeds.
Why do we mow?
Every year, we mow along and in waterways. We do this to ensure that there is enough space in waterways to supply water when there is a shortage. Water that is of sufficient quality to irrigate crops. There must also be enough space to drain excess water when there is a lot of rainfall.
We mow to prevent flooding and drought. And to keep the water clean and healthy. For example, we don't mow everything away. We also want to give nature space. The more different plants and animal species there are near and in the water, the cleaner the water becomes.
How do we mow?
We mow approximately 2,500 kilometers of waterways. We have determined what we mow and how often per year for each waterway. For mowing, we use tractors with mowers, mowing rakes, and cranes with mowing baskets or mowing boats.
We mow along waterways so that we can see what we are doing when we remove aquatic plants from the waterway. This allows our people to work safely.
Do we have sufficient visibility? Then we will not mow the embankments in advance. Are we unable to see what we are doing properly? Then we will mow the embankment on one side.
Sometimes a waterway is very narrow. We need to be able to access these areas too, to ensure that the waterway does not become overgrown. In these cases, we mow both sides. In many cases, we can leave reeds standing on one side during each mowing season. This improves the living environment for plants and animals in and around the water.
Code of Conduct Flora and Fauna Act for Water Authorities
From April 1, 2025, the water boards in the Netherlands will once again have a code of conduct for flora and fauna. This code of conduct contains agreements for the management and maintenance of ditches, canals, and other waterways. The agreements in the code of conduct are intended to enable work to be carried out with as little damage to plants and animals as possible.
Read more about the code of conduct at: https://www.noorderzijlvest.nl/nieuwe-gedragscode-flora-en-fauna-voor-beheer-en-onderhoud-waterschappen?
Combating exotic species
The giant water pennywort is an exotic species that causes waterways to become overgrown very quickly. In our working area, it is particularly prevalent in the Westerkwartier. Our aim is to prevent this exotic species from spreading further.
In 2021, we already started this in April.
More information about controlling invasive species:Controlling invasive species
