Ecohydrological study: basis for restoration measures for Nature Reserve De Zegge

How to preserve the oldest nature reserve in Belgium? Our new challenge awaits. We want to preserve and restore in a sustainable way the low-peat marshes, as well as the population of marsh birds.

The nature reserve De Zegge is part of the former low-peat area Geels Gebroekt, which suffers under intensive agriculture. The Agency for Nature and Forest has commissioned Witteveen+Bos - in partnership with the Soil Service of Belgium and the Dutch KWR Watercycle Research Institute - to conduct an ecohydrological study.

The Agency for Nature and Forest wants to investigate how to fulfil the European nature goals, specifically for this area. To meet the expectations of our client, the restoration measures must have a sound ecohydrological basis.

This project will start from February 2021, and will include aspects mentioned below:

• We produce a detailed description of the current hydrology.
• We quantify "historic" interventions, which have caused the erosion of the peat marsh.
• Based on that data, we will look for hydrological restoration measures.
• We will examine the impact of the proposed restoration work for the nature area.

To be able to determine all the possible hydrological restoration scenarios, the effects must be calculated. We will do this based on a groundwater model.

Witteveen+Bos will work on this project with a team of experienced ecohydrologists and geohydrologists. Would you like to be involved in prestigious projects like these? Check out our jobs.