Dornmühlenbach in Rödinghausen has undergone significant natural transformation.

News Article: Weser-Werre-Else Water Development Project Achieves Success

The Water Development Project Weser-Werre-Else (WWE) has completed a significant milestone in its efforts to restore flowing waters to their natural conditions. The project, which started in 2004 and involves the cities and municipalities of Minden, Lübbecke, Herford, Bad Oeynhausen, and parts of the district of Lippe in Germany, is a shining example of successful networking of employment initiatives, economic promotion, nature conservation, and intermunicipal cooperation.

The Dornmühlenbach's side channel in Rödinghausen has been ecologically enhanced as part of the project. The stream, which had been altered due to straightening and channeling, has been freed from old piping over about 80 meters and dense shrubs removed. The natural restoration of the waterway involved the removal of existing piping and the creation of a new, structured riverbed.

Timo Schubert from the Lower Nature Conservation Authority, Nora Wurms from the Lower Water Authority, and Zia Paul from the WWE project are satisfied with the result of the work. They noted that the "open channel" of the stream was designed flat and oriented to the already exposed eastern section in 2021. Dead wood elements were integrated as flow deflectors in the newly shaped flowing water, and the bank edges show varying angles.

These changes are part of the project's goal to ecologically improve flowing waters. Regular interventions and maintenance work in the self-dynamic water development will be reduced to a necessary minimum, creating conditions for a natural self-development that leads to an improvement in the quality of life of the "water" habitat.

The project is integrated into the European Water Framework Directive, which prescribes a "good ecological status" for waters by 2027 at the latest. The efforts are part of a broader social and legal change of thought that gives more attention to flowing waters. Elger Marten, the owner of the site, suggested the renaturalization of the stream, contributing to the project's success.

The project's work is intended to help achieve a "good ecological status" for waters by 2027, in line with the European Water Framework Directive. The WWE project is a testament to the power of collaboration and the commitment to preserving and improving our waterways for future generations.