Plan for attractive Heulebeek with less flooding

But the cities and towns through which the stream flows have now signed a river contract. In this way, we want to work together with the province and other organizations on quick solutions.

With a contract, cities and municipalities promise to make the Heulebeek more attractive. Together, and with the manager of Die Heulebeek: the Flemish Environment Agency.

“As a water manager, we cannot solve the problems only within the bed,” says Maarten Goegebeur of the Flemish Environment Agency. “That should actually be tackled throughout the valley and everyone should contribute to that.”

“I think it is a first step with many partners in the story, but we also have to consult with the residents and I think it is reinforcing that we can go for it with such a large group,” says Stijn Tant. alderman for Green Policy in Wevelgem.

Against flooding

The problems are not minor: drought in the summer, it stinks because of the poor water quality, but we know the Heulebeek mainly from the flooding. But the river contract contains 26 action points for this.

“We have agreed with all those partners that we will be working on over the next five years: these include large projects, such as we are going to open a part of the Heulebeek. These are complex projects, sometimes a contractor still has to be appointed. take a while, other projects may become visible in the short term.”

Some municipalities had been looking for a concrete action plan for some time. Last year an impatient mayor of Moorslede Ward Vergote put it this way:

“We’ve been talking about it for two years, so I think I might see some action.”

With a commitment on the table, it sounds like this today: “I’m still a bit hungry, it’s the actions that count for me. But the river contract contains actions that can lead to the result we want, that we want keep your feet dry,” said the mayor.

Plans become actions

The Moorslede and Dadizele region has been flooded more often in the past, because the Heulebeek could not absorb the water. “The most urgent thing is the dredging of the Heulebeek at the buffer basin and the Mandellaan, that there will be a thorough maintenance of that bed, also a large buffer at the Dadi Park of 45,000 cubic meters.”

Plans are therefore gradually becoming actions, although we should not have any illusions: before all problems are solved, some water will still flow through the Heulebeek.