The Brabantse Delta Water Board is dissatisfied with the new national rules for mowing ditches and streams. The Union of Water Boards adjusted the method in April, intended to better protect plants and animals. But the new way of mowing leads to problems according to the Brabantse Delta Water Board. They will talk this week and want ‘a strong evaluation’.
The Brabantse Delta Water Board started in September with the autumn round of mowing, in the new way. For example, clay mowing is now forbidden, which, according to the Brabant Delta, causes major problems. “With clay mowing, grass and plants are very nicely beaten. Because this is no longer allowed, we use other machines that make the cuttle less pleasant,” says acting Dijkgraaf Rian Govers.
“As a result, the cuttings remain coarser and looks different than before. We are now placing it in larger pieces on the side of the ditch or stream.” Without the clapping there will remain large mountains with cuttings on the banks. “This then drops back into the water, which can lead to blockages and malfunctions in our equipment,” Govers explains.
According to Brabantse Delta, this new way of maintenance ensures extra work, costs and sometimes problems. “Especially in wet weather, cleaning up is difficult. The cuttings remains and hinders the work on the land. The mowing maintenance is also more difficult for the water board itself.”
Stricter rules
Other water boards recognize the problems. “There are much stricter rules that we have to take into account,” says Marsha van den Heuvel of Water Board De Dommel. “We hardly did clapper mowing anymore, so that adjustment is less large for us.”
According to De Dommel, it is difficult to say what the code of conduct really does. “It takes a lot of time to implement the new way of mowing. Because we have had a very dry period, there are many streams dry and we see no problems yet. That can suddenly be very different in autumn.”
Van den Heuvel says that the new code of conduct feels a bit contradictory. “On the one hand there is the new legislation on protecting flora and fauna, on the other hand you have the duty of care to protect residents against flooding. The two are opposed to each other, which makes it difficult for us.”
Evaluation
In recent weeks, the Brabantse Delta Water Board received various signals from residents, farmers and employees of the water board about the consequences of the new mowing.
A national evaluation about the code of conduct will follow at the end of this year, but Brabantse Delta already has a conversation with the Union of Water Boards this week.
“Of course we follow the rules,” Rian Govers emphasizes. “At the same time, it must remain feasible in practice. We stand for nature -friendly management, but also for feasibility. That balance is now lost.”
