Start procedure for expansion of De Onlanden balancing lake

Our water authority will expand De Onlanden balancing lake. The aim is to prevent flooding in the region as much as possible. This is necessary because heavy rainfall is becoming increasingly common.

To make this feasible from a spatial planning perspective, we have asked the Province of Drenthe to initiate a project procedure and an environmental impact assessment procedure. Provincial Executive to this today and will initiate a project decision under the new Environment and Planning Act. We have chosen this procedure because De Onlanden councils multiple councils , and also because the final decision-making process is expected Environment and Planning Act under the new Environment and Planning Act .

Information meetings

We are closely involving the local community in our plan to expand De Onlanden balancing lake. 

  • There will be a digital meeting on March 22.
  • And on March 29, April 5, and April 7, there will be information meetings in Eelderwolde, Roderwolde, and Peize.

The plans and possible measures will be discussed here. We will also explain the procedure so that everyone knows what is going to happen and when you can respond. We will also engage in discussions with various interest groups in the area. 

Responding to the plan

From Friday, March 11, through May 5, the “Explanatory Notes on the Project Decision and Environmental Impact Assessment” will be available for public review. During this period, anyone who wishes to do so may submit comments. Comments should be sent to Provincial Executive the Province of Drenthe. 

The ‘Explanatory notes on the project decision and environmental impact assessment’ can be found at officielebekendmakingen.nl. 

Why do we need to expand the balancing lake?

De Onlanden is a nature reserve that also collects water during heavy rainfall. The past few weeks are a good example. There was a lot of rain during that period. The water from the Kop van Drenthe then flows to De Onlanden, because this area is lower. As a result, many places in De Onlanden were flooded. 
Climate scenarios predict increasingly frequent heavy and prolonged rainfall. That is why more space for water is needed. De Onlanden can now collect 7.5 million cubic metres of water. The plans for expanding the balancing lake allow for another 5.2 million cubic metres of water. This will allow more water to be collected temporarily (for a number of days) in extreme situations before it is discharged into the sea. In addition, the most vulnerable areas will be the last to collect extra water. The area must be ready to store extra water by 2025.

Parties involved

Noorderzijlvest Water Authority , as the project initiator, Noorderzijlvest Water Authority the Province of Drenthe, as the competent authority, are collaborating with the Province of Groningen and the councils and Noordenveld on the construction of balancing lake additional balancing lake De Onlanden. site managers fromStaatsbosbeheer (Dutch Forestry Commission), Natuurmonumenten (Dutch Society for Nature Conservation) Stichting Het Drentse Landschap are also involved in the discussions. Last fall, the boards of these parties decided to further develop plans for the construction of the balancing lake the boundaries of De Onlanden, with a focus on protecting the vulnerable natural environment. This decision was made after it became clear that alternatives outside the boundaries of De Onlanden were not feasible in the short term. The parties involved will also continue their dialogue regarding the longer term. A vision for the future of the water system outside De Onlanden will be developed, incorporating other themes such as agricultural transition and nature conservation goals.