The Wieden and the Weerribben

The national park, comprising over 10,000 hectares of contiguous lowland peat bog, is the largest in north-western Europe. We were able to apply our expertise to carry out nature restoration work. For the LIFE II project, we cleared woodland in the Weerribben and dug peat pits. The excavated material was pumped to the Wetering-west storage site via a 7 km long pressure pipeline.

The Kiersche Wijde and Kerkgracht (die Wieden) were part of the major LIFE II project. Here, we dug channels and ponds, cleared woodland and excavated pits to create a riparian habitat. The pits were dug to various depths. The excavated material was pumped via a pressure pipe to a sand extraction site, so that this could be made shallower.

As part of the De Wieden habitat plan, peat pits and drainage ditches have been restored. The excavated material was pumped to the island of “Voornpol” using the Shredder pontoon.

In this area of cultural and historical significance, a great deal of effort is being put into preserving the diversity of ponds, lakes, swamp forests, large reed beds and hay meadows, along with their flora and fauna. We can look back on a wonderful and unique nature restoration project that we have carried out.

Would you like to find out more about the Shredder Dredger and how this machine could be of use in your project? Please feel free to contact one of our dedicated staff members.