Beschrijving
LOCATION + COORDINATES
Gompeldijk, Mol (BE)
Natural river valley restoration: 51°11'43.5"N 5°08'31.5"E (Google Maps: 51.195402, 5.142085
CATEGORY
Demonstration sites for permanent natural water retention
DESCRIPTION SITE
The Scheppelijke Nete investment site lies within the catchment of the river Nete, upstream the city of Mol. Several small rivers pass through the city of Mol. The fast discharge, resulting from upstream land use changes over the past decades, results in low groundwater levels during drought spells, as well as inundations in the city of Mol during intense rainfall. In the investment site several recreational ponds were created (some used for commercial fish breeding) surrounded by dikes. As a result, a substantial part of the valley was excluded from water retention. The Province of Antwerp bought about 8.3 ha of valley ground (most of them former ponds). Restoring the natural river valley, including natural wetlands, and recreating a natural flood area herein, will increase the water retention and infiltration capacity. In doing so, both intense rainfall and drought spells will be buffered.
MEASURES
Removing the mineralrich topsoil, all the waste, cultivars, pinetrees and exotic species;
Removing dikes around the river and the ponds;
Building a walking trail/cycle path (will also be used for the maintenance of the buffer area);
Building a sediment trap, a dike (crosswise the area for generating buffer capacity) and a bridge.
