Restoration of Lake the Leijen - The Netherlands
Author | : T.H.L. Claassen |
Publisher | : |
Total Pages | : 24 |
Release | : 2008 |
ISBN-10 | : OCLC:1012568190 |
ISBN-13 | : |
Rating | : 4/5 (90 Downloads) |
Book excerpt: The implementation of the in December 2000 adopted EU Water Framework Directive (WFD) is a huge operation in the various countries concerned. Many practical aspects of the WFD still have to be worked out. In this respect many organisations in six different EU countries tried to execute pilot projects to be linked up to each other, focused on the implementation of the WFD. Lake the Leijen (LL) in the northern Netherlands is the Dutch pilot area. LL is a rather small and shallow semi -stagnant lake. It's part of a large lakes system in the province of Friesland. There is a fixed man-made water table of half a meter below mean sea level throughout the year. In- and outflow of water supports the local water management in the surrounding, mainly agricultural, polder areas. Because of extreme loading of nutrients (during the last decennia) the lake is strongly eutrophicated. Phytoplankton is dominated by blue-greens, submerged water plants are absent and the fish-stock is dominated by bream. General water quality standards are exceeded. Water (quality and quantity) management is a task of Friesland Water Authority, while the State Forestry Service is concerned with the lake shorelines. The province has defined the policy for this lake, with the main function "Water for Nature". Besides, there is a limited recreational use of this lake. Related to these functions and the bad water quality in mind LL has been selected as the Dutch NOLIMP pilot project. In corporation with various regional and local partners it's tried to realise the necessary measures to reach a water quality, linked to the good ecological potential (GEP) according to the WFD. A preliminary qualification of that GEP is given in this paper, beside some general limnological features and the measures planned to realise in the coming years. This NOLIMP illustration project (see also www.nolimp.org ) should not only give an idea of the (troubles of the) implementation of the WFD, but also result in an improved aquatic -clear water- ecosystem in Lake the Leijen.