News Drought
Water board takes a stricter look at irrigation
From 1 January 2020, the Hunze en Aa's water board in Drenthe will enforce compliance with the rules for abstracting water for irrigation more consistently. It concerns irrigating crops in the Drentsche Aa area.
03/09: This message has been updated. The cultivation of onions also falls under the heading of 'high-earning crops'.
Water board Hunze and Aa's is halfway through this year started with stricter control of the rules. It previously had other priorities, which meant that enforcement was not always consistent. It understands that the sudden enforcement is being reported at an unfortunate time as we are in the midst of a very dry growing season, which is why it is announcing their 2020 policy early.
No fines handed out
"The 2 dry years (2018 and 2019) have contributed to the shift in priorities," says Jeannette Bolhuis, spokesperson at the Hunze en Aa's water board. According to her, it is not really news, because the general rules have always been in force. "An announcement is now made in advance and enforcement is actually taking place." She also notes that no fines have been handed out this year, but only talks have been held with farmers who did not comply with the rules.
Only high-balancing crops may be irrigated with groundwater in the Drentsche Aa area. This includes flower bulbs and flowers, onions, ornamental horticulture, fruit, trees, seed potatoes, grass seed and sod, chicory (greenhouse) horticulture and sports fields. Factory and consumption potatoes, grain, sugar beet and maize are not included.
Difference per crop
According to the water board, this is because the latter can recover sufficiently for a good yield after a drought. In high-netting crops, precipitation is necessary to be able to develop.
Onions are not specifically mentioned in the conditions, but according to the water board they fall under 'bulbs'. It is precisely this cultivation, potentially with a high balance, that has grown considerably in recent years Bickery has an (in Drenthe with 130%). Canned goods do not fall under the high-networking crops.
Irrigation with surface water is not an option, because in a period of drought too little water is available in the stream system of the Drentsche Aa. In their own words, the rules are now being clarified so that farmers can take this into account for the coming growing season. The agricultural entrepreneurs in the area rather see the rules as a permanent ban on irrigation if they are strictly enforced.
New policy coming
The extraction of groundwater will be discussed administratively within the water board next year. It is a subject of the management program, which is established once every 6 years. The Drentsche Aa covers 40 square kilometers and is a Natura 2000 area that extends over Drenthe and Groningen. The exact details about groundwater abstraction in the area can be found in this page document find.
Niels van der Boom
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