Start procedure for additional water storage in De Onlanden
Our water board wants to create additional water storage capacity in De Onlanden. 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 spatially possible, we have asked the province of Drenthe to follow a project procedure and an environmental impact assessment procedure. The Provincial Executive agreed to this today and will initiate a project decision under the new Environment Act. We have opted for this procedure because De Onlanden crosses several municipalities. And also because the final decision-making is expected to fall under the new Environment Act.
Information meetings
We are closely involving the local community in our plan to create additional water storage capacity in De Onlanden.
- 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 inspection. During this period, anyone who wishes to do so may submit a response. This response must be sent to the Provincial Executive of the province of Drenthe.
The ‘Explanatory notes on the project decision and environmental impact assessment’ can be found at www.officielebekendmakingen.nl.
Why additional water storage?
De Onlanden is a nature reserve that also collects water during heavy rainfall. The past few weeks are a good example of this. There was a lot of rain during that period. The water from the northern part of Drenthe then flows to De Onlanden, because this area is lower. As a result, many places in De Onlanden were flooded.
Climate scenarios increasingly predict heavy and prolonged rainfall. That is why more space for water is needed. De Onlanden can now collect 7.5 million cubic meters of water. The plans for additional water storage will provide space for another 5.2 million cubic meters 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
Initiator Noorderzijlvest Water Authority and competent authority Province of Drenthe are working together with the Province of Groningen and the municipalities of Tynaarlo and Noordenveld to realize additional water storage in De Onlanden. Land managers Staatsbosbeheer, Natuurmonumenten, and Stichting Het Drentse Landschap are also involved in the discussions. Last fall, the boards of these parties decided to further develop the realization of water storage within the boundaries of De Onlanden, with attention to the vulnerable nature. This happened after it became clear that alternatives outside the boundaries of De Onlanden are not feasible in the short term. The parties involved will also continue to consult with each other in the longer term. A vision for the future of the water system outside De Onlanden will be developed, which will also include other themes such as agricultural transition and nature conservation goals.