Water board De Dommel pumps a small layer of groundwater to the stream Reusel in Lage Mierde. This is to prevent vulnerable animal species such as dragonflies and damselflies from not surviving the drought. The emergency measure is a result of the dry summer. The water board calls it survival water.
Since Tuesday, a few centimeters of water has been pumped into the stream. The groundwater comes from a nearby well. The extra layer ensures a minimal amount of flowing water over a few kilometers in length. Some species of dragonflies and damselflies cannot live without running water.
The water board uses the water to allow rare fish, plants and animal species such as brook lamprey, dragonflies and damselflies to survive. De Reusel is located in the Dommel area, which is largely dependent on rainwater. Due to the dry summer there is much less water in the stream.
“It remains a temporary emergency measure.”
“We are taking this emergency measure to prevent permanent damage to nature. We have seen that it helps in recent dry summers. But it remains a temporary emergency measure and not a structural solution,” says Martijn Tholen, director of the water board.
The organization has five streams with vulnerable and rare nature in the working area. The water board keeps a close eye on the situation in the other streams in order to be able to save nature there in time with survival water.