A special embankment on the IJsselmeer coast is intended to protect bird nests from flooding during the breeding season. A so-called storm breeding barrier is being constructed, which can help thousands of birds each year.
A storm surge barrier is a structure that protects our country against high water and flooding. Nature management organization It Fryske Gea has now started building a so-called storm brood barrier. This should strengthen the IJsselmeer coast at the Warkumerwaard nature reserve. Increasingly large parts of the coast are being washed away by erosion, the organization reports.
The special embankment is intended to ensure that the meadows behind the IJsselmeer remain dry in the spring. Birds can then breed there. Ultimately, the construction should help thousands of birds each year, such as the ringed plover, the tern and meadow birds such as the black-tailed godwit.
The embankment is constructed in such a way that the meadows can still flood before and after the breeding season.
In addition to the storm hatch barrier, It Fryske Gea is also working on the restoration of gullies and ditches. The organization wants to improve the water management in the area, so that fish can live there.
“With these measures we ensure that this special nature reserve is preserved and becomes even more attractive for birds and fish,” says Germ van der Burg, district head of It Fryske Gea. “With this we strengthen the Frisian IJsselmeer coast and make a nice contribution to the natural value of the IJsselmeer.”
