Disclaimer:
The authors are solely responsible for the content of this report. Material included herein does not represent the opinion of the European Community, and the European Community is not responsible for any use that might be made of it.
Back to overview measures
The creation of new ecologically valuable intertidal wetlands can contribute to estuarine restoration as it enables habitat development and biodiversity. Success factors are related to the improvement of estuarine processes (such as sedimentation-erosion, creek formation and soil development).
Step 2: Degree of target achievement
Overall, the restoration of the Heusden LO wetland succeeded in the aim to create an ecological valuable intertidal freshwater wetland. Initially the site only inundated at spring tides and it was not drained at low tide. Later two breaches to MLW were added where the old sluices used to be, connecting to ditches. It then had every aspect of a breached site with a strongly accentuated spring tide/neap tide differentiation in the inundation regime. Nevertheless, some areas remained inundated at low tide and the southern part where the sand stock for the dike construction works was not completely removed remained supratidal. As a result of this design a site with a great variety of habitat types was created, with permanent pools, mudflats and all stages of typical tidal marsh vegetation. The vegetation gradient from low marsh to supratidal was uninterrupted because of the absence of fortifications.
Unfortunately the area was recently colonised by Floating marsh pennywort (Hydrocotyle ranunculoides), an invasive species. Chances are that this species will soon invade the complete tidal area.
Back to top
Heusden LO wetland - small scale tidal wetland restoration in the freshwater zone of the Sea Scheldt
Table of content
- 1. Description of measure
- 1a. Measure description
- 1b. Monitoring
- 1c. Monitoring results
- 2. Execution of main effectiveness criteria
- 2a. Effectiveness according to development targets of measure
- 2b. Impact on ecosystem services
- 2c. Degree of synergistic effects and conflicts according to uses
- 3. Additional evaluation criteria in view of EU environmental law
- 3a. Degree of synergistic effects and conflicts according to WFD aims
- 3b. Degree of synergistic effects and conflicts according to Natura 2000 aims
- 4. Crux of the matter
- 5. References
Additional information
for this measure:
No further information available.
for this measure:
No further information available.
Effectiveness according to development targets of measure
Step 1: Definition of development targetThe creation of new ecologically valuable intertidal wetlands can contribute to estuarine restoration as it enables habitat development and biodiversity. Success factors are related to the improvement of estuarine processes (such as sedimentation-erosion, creek formation and soil development).
Step 2: Degree of target achievement
Overall, the restoration of the Heusden LO wetland succeeded in the aim to create an ecological valuable intertidal freshwater wetland. Initially the site only inundated at spring tides and it was not drained at low tide. Later two breaches to MLW were added where the old sluices used to be, connecting to ditches. It then had every aspect of a breached site with a strongly accentuated spring tide/neap tide differentiation in the inundation regime. Nevertheless, some areas remained inundated at low tide and the southern part where the sand stock for the dike construction works was not completely removed remained supratidal. As a result of this design a site with a great variety of habitat types was created, with permanent pools, mudflats and all stages of typical tidal marsh vegetation. The vegetation gradient from low marsh to supratidal was uninterrupted because of the absence of fortifications.
Unfortunately the area was recently colonised by Floating marsh pennywort (Hydrocotyle ranunculoides), an invasive species. Chances are that this species will soon invade the complete tidal area.