Restore wetlands

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Restore wetlands

Restore wetlands08. Floodplains/off-channel/lateral connectivity habitats improvement

General description

Wetland restoration refers to measure aiming to restore former wetlands and their specific functions. Wetland restoration refers to measure aiming to restore former wetlands and their specific functions. Wetland restoration aims to reestablish ecological processes and functions in damaged or destroyed wetlands, including the creation of new wildlife habitat, increased flood storage, and the improvement of water quality. Most wetland restoration projects involve simple techniques such as breaking the dikes in order to restore the hydrology of an area. Once the hydrology has been restored, wetland vegetation re-develope and the wildlife can utilize the restored aquatic habitat.

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Applicability

Wetland restoration projects are not conceived to create deep water ponds or alter existing natural wetlands. Depressions or low lying areas, and areas that are seasonally wet and generally inappropriate for agriculture, are often good potential restoration sites. Re-opening of unprofitable polders, embanked in the past for agriculture, forestry or fish culture may help to restore river-floodpalin interactions (Buijse et al, 2002). The wetland restoration is complementary with the measure ,,Reconnect backwaters and wetlands”, both aiming to re-vitalize natural processes induces by the river ,,flood pulse” (Junk et al., 1989; Tockner et al., 2000).

Expected effect of measure on (including literature citations):

  • HYMO (general and specified per HYMO element)
  • physico � chemical parameters
  • Biota (general and specified per Biological quality elements)

Temporal and spatial response

Pressures that can be addressed by this measure

Cost-efficiency

Case studies where this measure has been applied

Useful references

Other relevant information