Project part-financed by the European Union (European Regional Development Fund)

The Interreg IVB North Sea Region Programme


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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.
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Managing Reiherstieg sluice to improve oxygen conditions

Expected effect

Before the model was set up it was expected that a longer lasting opening of the sluice could improve the oxygen conditions of the basin due to the water movement and fresh water discharge. However there is a risk of higher sediment circulation which could counteract the measure.

The model results showed that the opening of the sluice under the given conditions led to a slightly lower oxygen concentration with the exception of the southern part of the ’Reiherstieg‘. Here longer lasting higher oxygen concentrations could be reached. However it should be noted that the model took unlimited sediment remobilization into account. That means that additional oxygen consumption as a result of the degradation of the organic compounds of the remobilized sediment occurs continuously.

A positive effect of the modeled management of the sluice will be the renewal of the water volume and that a modified operating of the sluice could be successful. However the model could not show whether the high oxygen consumption rate was rather related to the re-suspension of sediments.

In conclusion there has to be an interaction between the largest possible water exchange and the lowest rate of sediment re-suspension in order to adapt an operative management of the sluice aiming at improving the oxygen conditions in southern part of the ’Reiherstieg‘.


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Report: Management measures analysis and comparison