428 hectares of additional freshwater tidal nature: that was one of the goals of LIFE Sparc. After all, restoring nature increases the resilience of the Scheldt Valley in the event of flooding. How is our nature doing eight years later?
The tidal area of the Scheldt is unique. The river itself is one of the busiest waterways for ships in Europe and is an economic lifeline for Flanders. At the same time, it has one of the last natural river estuaries in Western Europe, where saltwater and freshwater meet. The rhythm of the tides makes the area particularly suitable for wetland nature.
This nature is vital. Over the past fifty years, around 75 percent of Flanders’ wetlands have been lost. For centuries, we have claimed floodplains and drained wetlands for agriculture, industry or housing. Global warming is accelerating this desiccation.
Tidal nature as an ally
In the LIFE Sparc areas, we are giving the river more space. Between 2017 and 2026 – the last areas will be completed after the project officially ends – we started work in eight areas. Five areas were depoldered: the existing dyke was pierced and a new, higher dyke was built further inland. Three areas were given a ring dyke as well as smart locks in the existing dykes: at high tide, water flows in through the locks and at storm tide, excess water can flow over the lowered overflow dyke, into the area.
This creates mud flats: muddy plains which are flooded twice a day. These are followed by salt marshes: higher-lying areas that are only flooded during spring tides and become overgrown. Eventually, willow floodplain forests emerge – often described as the ‘mangroves’ of the Scheldt. Such freshwater marshes have become rare in Europe, but they are coming back to life in LIFE Sparc areas such as Groot Schoor Hamme, De Bunt, Groot and Klein Broek, Wal-Zwijn and Vlassenbroek.
Home for fauna and flora
Nature responded quickly to our work. Mudflats and salt marshes – the lungs and kidneys of a river – filter nitrogen and phosphorus from the water and enrich it with oxygen. By 2022, it was clear that the oxygen content in the Scheldt had risen spectacularly.
This attracts life. In Wal-Zwijn, (rare) breeding birds found a safe haven thanks to temporary management measures. In 2023, we were able to confirm that otters have once again made their way to live in the Scheldt Valley.
Meanwhile, we are also seeing a lot of bats: from common and whiskered pipistrels to red bats, serotine bats, long-eared bats, Daubenton’s bats and pond bats. Fish species are becoming more diverse, including smelt, brackish water goby, flounder and thickhead. Water birds such as the shelduck, pochard, gadwall, teal, pintail and lapwing spend the winter in the project areas or migrate through them. The moustached owl, bittern, spoonbill and avocet use the area to breed and find food. Smaller species such as the long-spined stickleback, common shrimp and striped shrimp also feel at home here.
An impressive result, but the work does not stop here. Discover how we intend to allow this nature to flourish in the future in the LIFE Sparc’s Layman’s Report!
