Nature restoration
Life DELTA is a project funded with European money that aims to improve the habitats of endangered species. This landscape, which was made by humans, will be remade by human hands. Not only will this improve the habitats of various animal and plant species, it will also increase the experience value and water safety for people.
Bezoekerscentrum Webbekomsbroek
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Schulensbroek
The photo montage shows what the landscape will look like after the Life action. One of the actions creates a reed marsh and gently sloping bank zones.
The sand deposits and the large island will be excavated to just below the water level. The soil will be used on site to make the shore zones of the lake shallower. This will create a combination of gently sloping banks and a large shallow zone in and around the lake.
In this shallow zone, a reed marsh will develop, where birds such as Eurasian bittern, Little bittern, Marsh harrier and Bluethroat will feel at home. The reed marsh contains a network of canals and shallow open water. These are ideal spawning grounds for many fish species, such as the Weather loach and Pike.
Current situation
When plans were made in the 1970s to excavate the lake 'Schulensmeer' for the construction of the E314 motorway, ecological values were hardly taken into account.
The banks were excavated steeply. And the sand deposits that were created are now - 40 years later - completely overgrown with willows.
Webbekomsbroek
The photo montage shows what the landscape will look like after the Life action. One of the actions creates open grasslands with many meadow birds.
The poplars will be cut down and the historical grasslands restored. At this spot, you will get a transition from reed to wet grassland. These gradual transitions are an ideal habitat for many (meadow) birds such as Corncrake, Spotted crake, Common snipe and Marsh harrier.
You will be able to enjoy the openness of the Demer valley and the typical ancient hay meadows with their flowery herbs.
Current situation
Due to the intensification of agriculture, haying of grasslands became unprofitable from the middle of the 20th century onwards. Therefore, poplars were planted on many valley grasslands in our country. These production trees grow quickly and are ready for harvest after about 25 to 30 years.
In the Webbekomsbroek, too, poplars were planted in the grasslands fed with seepage water. The poplars in the wettest part have died off, while the trees in the drier part are ready for harvesting.