Background and Objectives
Within the framework of the funded EAFRD project, practical implementation as well as technical and conservation‑related monitoring of measures for peat soil protection and improved water retention will be carried out in the catchment area of the Lindauer Nuthe, upstream of Lindau (City of Zerbst/Anhalt, West Fläming; Saxony‑Anhalt). The site serves as a representative example of agriculturally used peatlands in Saxony‑Anhalt, allowing the project to examine approaches, implementation steps, and procedural workflows in a real‑world setting.
The overarching objective of the project is to develop a transferable, sustainable land‑use concept for the upper Lindauer Nuthe region. Building on the current status quo, this concept will integrate planned measures for peat soil protection, increased water retention, and sustainable agricultural use, in close coordination with cooperation partners and local stakeholders.
Sub‑Objectives
- Testing the feasibility of rewetting measures under the climatic conditions and the changing water balance of Central Germany, while maintaining agricultural grassland use
- Scientific monitoring of ecological impacts
- Revitalisation of sections of the “Nedlitzer Niederung” fen and its peat body through water retention, as well as adaptation of the management concept for rewetted grassland sites
- Testing the integration of the regional water maintenance association (UHV Nuthe/Rossel) in the implementation of regional water‑retention measures
Methodological Approach
- Analysis and continuous monitoring of the current ecological status of the area (peat thickness, peat quality, carbon release, flora)
- Establishment of the legal and infrastructural prerequisites for increasing water retention (weir and water‑level management)
- Installation and operation of a monitoring network to record ecological effects and impacts on the peat body resulting from enhanced water retention in the area
- Assessment of feasible impoundment levels to ensure rewetting while maintaining the manageability of grassland areas, including measurement of environmental impacts (seasonal dynamics of groundwater levels in the peatland, discharge measurements, nutrient and carbon export via runoff and gas emissions, forage quality assessment, vegetation surveys)
Expected Results
- Improvement of the ecological and hydrological functions of peatland areas
- Implementation of an ecologically compatible and sustainable land‑use concept for grassland areas in close cooperation with land users
- Assessment of environmental impacts and climate relevance of the implemented measures
- Awareness‑raising and capacity building among the public, authorities, and other stakeholder groups regarding the objectives and implementation of the EU Nature Restoration Law
- Development of a guideline catalogue for peatland restoration in Saxony‑Anhalt, including testing the implementation of measures through a regional water maintenance association
