A project to use historic water mills to keep the water level in nature areas in the right direction has been awarded more than three million euros.
The project revolves around three water mills. The one in Opwetten, in the municipalities of Nuenen and Eindhoven, a water mill in Spoordonk near Oirschot and near Venbergen in Valkenswaard.
“What makes the project unique is the way in which buildings with great cultural-historical value are used for nature conservation,” says a spokesman for the province.
“The water mills used to be used to generate energy. We are now going to power them with electricity. By running them, or not, we can maintain the water level in the area. With a lot of rainfall, we can ensure that the water ends up in designated places in the nature reserve,” says the spokesperson.
‘Retain water longer’
“The approach creates at least three to four hundred hectares of valuable stream landscape. In wet periods, extra space is created for water storage. In dry periods, watermill landscapes can retain water longer through flexible level raising. This prevents the desiccation of nature and agricultural land and contributes to the prevention of flooding downstream,” says the spokesperson.
Source: Studio040
