Omrop Fryslân The salt marsh with the church of Wierum in the background
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Omrop Fryslân
NOS Nieuws•vandaag, 13:53
Rijkswaterstaat will take care of the salt marsh between Wierum and Nes in North Friesland in early 2024. This responds to the concerns of local residents and nature lovers about the nature reserve outside the dike.
Because no maintenance has been carried out for a long time, the rice dam and the pier have fallen into disrepair and the salt marsh no longer receives the necessary protection, says Pim de Wit of the Save the salt marsh working group. “The nature reserve is becoming smaller and smaller. The tide nibbles at the salt marsh edge and during storms entire sections are swept away,” he says. Omrop Fryslân.
The working group started a petition to draw attention to the preservation of the salt marsh, which was handed over to Rijkswaterstaat. “The salt marsh has always been connected to the village. Wierum without the salt marsh is a bit the same as Wierum without the church,” says De Wit.
View the current state of the salt marsh here:
North Frisian salt marsh is being saved after all
In addition, according to him, it is an important place for birds, among other things. They choose the salt marsh to rest and breed, but this is becoming increasingly difficult under the current circumstances. “One meter is lost every year, so it is actually becoming too small for birds and to maintain the rest of nature. That is why it is important that something is done now,” he says.
At the beginning of next year, Rijkswaterstaat will replace the old, partly demolished dikes with new ones. As a result, waves are broken and the salt marsh is better protected against erosion. This way the birds get their resting and breeding place back.
Not what it used to be anymore
However, according to De Wit, the salt marsh will no longer be what it was before: “Unfortunately, the salt marsh will prove to be too small for recreation. That will never come back and that is a great shame for the village.”
The working group does have plans for an alternative, so that people can continue to enjoy the place. For example, they are considering the placement of a pier at the Wadden Sea, where people can learn from nature. “About what lives in the sea and which birds fly around here. We are working to still achieve that bit of nature experience.”
2023-12-29 12:53:36
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