Water board Drents Overijsselse Delta (WDODelta) raises the water levels in ditches, waterways and canals in part of its working area to above the normal maximum level.
This way, extra water is retained and supplied to the area. In this way, the water board wants to build a buffer to meet the water demand for as long as possible in the event of persistent drought.
The water level of the IJssel, the Vecht and the IJsselmeer is still sufficient to take this action, but WDODelta sees a tipping point coming. “That’s why we don’t want to wait, but act immediately,” says director Nicole Koks. “Otherwise, in addition to precious time, we also lose precious water.”
The water board also raised the water level during previous dry summers. This turned out to have a positive influence on the availability of water for agriculture, horticulture and nature.