News Drought
Water board asks to report irrigation
The Hollandse Delta water board (WSHD) on the South Holland Islands asks farmers to report if they are going to irrigate. This will be done early this spring, in order to help the crops emerge.
The reason for this voluntary notification requirement is that the water board can then provide sufficient water in the ditch. However, this is only possible if it is indicated in time that irrigation will take place, such as writes it.
Little water supply
River discharges are currently very low, which also affects water quality. The water board notes that farmers are concerned about the availability of water in the coming months, because it is again (or still) very dry.
Timely notification of the ditches from which water is extracted helps the water board to plan the supply. Anyone extracting less than 20 cubic meters per hour is not obliged to report. Those who extract up to 300 cubic meters per hour must report this at least 24 hours before watering. This is a commitment† If you want to extract even more, you need a permit from the water board.
salinization
One concern is the salinity in the water. If there is too little water that is loaded, the irrigation water in the polders becomes salinated. If water is nevertheless irrigated when there is little supply, the ditches will mainly be filled with saline or salt seepage water.
Last year, the Hollandse Delta water board deployed extra pumps to supply the polders with extra freshwater. At the time, there was no irrigation ban on the South Holland Islands.
Niels van der Boom
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