Oostmalle (BE)
LOCATION
Oostmalle (BE), privately owned land
CATEGORY
Demonstration sites for permanent natural water retention
Demonstration sites for temporal natural water retention
DESCRIPTION SITE
In Oostmalle, Salphenbos is a privately owned area along the river 'De Delfte Beek', within the catchment of the river Nete. It is situated near a drink water abstraction site of Pidpa and is part of the Natura 2000 network. The preservation and restoration of the wet forest areas in the vicinity of the drink water abstraction site is beneficial to the groundwater quality and quantity. Surrounding intensively drained farmlands, pine plantations and urban areas limit the capacity for water retention and infiltration. In close collaboration with the land owner, Pidpa restores wet Alder forest and a permanent water pool (previously used as farmland). This will improve the temporal and permanent water retention capacity, the self-purification function and connectivity between other Alder forest patches in the area. Moreover, the denitrification potential will increase and the site will act as an important sink for greenhouse gas emissions.
MEASURES
Restoration of wet Alder forest (Alder carr) to a good condition, preferably by afforestation on former farmland and alternatively through improvement of existing degraded wet alder forest patches.
MORE INFO
TIMING
2019 - 2022
BUDGET
€ 354 855 in TOTAL for the Grobbendonk and Oostmalle investment sites
PARTNERS
Pidpa