Restoring the Yzer Rivermouth - LIFE Nature project (LIFE96 NAT/B/003032)

During the 20th Century on the eastern bank of the river a military harbour was built and together with the dumping of material dredged from the harbour all the saltmarshes and sand dunes were destroyed. A plan to restore this area was drawn up in 1996 and put into practice from 1999 onwards as part of a "Integrated Coastal Conservation Initiative". The works involved removing the military buildings and harbour and the removal of the 'protecting' sea walls a form of managed realignment (Deboeuf & Herrier 2002). This phase of the work was only partially successful in re-creating saltmarsh as the absence of any protection (the sea walls were removed) resulted in erosion of the tidal levels within the site. The last phase of the work will involve excavating the dredged material. This will be done leaving some of the walls in situ to provide protection for the developing tidal flats.

Caveat: A new LIFE Nature project began in 2002 for completion in 2006 - FEYDRA: Fossil Estuary of the Yzer Dunes Restoration Action. Information via the Life web site http://europa.eu.int/comm/environment/life/project/index.htm.

References

Deboeuf, C. & Herrier, J-L. 2002. The restoration of mudflats, saltmarshes and dunes on the eastern bank of the Yzer-rivermouth, Nieuwpoort. In: Littoral 2002, 6th International Symposium. A Multi-disciplinary Symposium on Coastal Zone Research,, eds.Veloso-Gomes, F., Taveira-Pinto, F. & das Neves, L.Eurocoast & EUCC - The Coastal Union, 201-202.