Revitalization of the Billerbeck
Development goal
The Billerbeck and the adjacent floodplain areas should develop into a natural habitat that is valuable for flora and fauna and typical of the natural area.
The model for the stream is a natural and structurally rich Geest stream that can develop dynamically after its creation (taking water management concerns into account).
The stream:
The Billerbeck is an originally gravel-filled lowland stream and a tributary of the Lune with a length of around 11 km and a catchment area of around 41.33 km². Before the compensation measures were carried out, the Billerbeck was a straightened, deepened body of water that mainly ran in a standard profile and therefore had little structural diversity and hardly any plant growth in the water.
The following measures were used to initially create the natural and diverse structure: -> relocation of the course of the water in a meander and creation of diverse water cross-sections > installation of gravel in sections as a natural bed substrate > installation of dead wood, base sills and flow guides to raise the bed and increase structural diversity > construction of sand traps to reduce harmful sand deposits in the stream > natural redesign of the Stubbengraben and Oldendorfer Bach tributaries.
The floodplain area: In the floodplain area on both sides of the Billerbeck, a mosaic of different habitats is planned, each characterized by a high degree of moisture and low intensity of use or no use at all.
The following habitat types are to be developed: mesophilic grassland, wet and wet grassland, moist to wet woodland, fallow land, reed beds and temporary and permanent still waters.
As part of the construction work, still waters and clearings with different depths and woody plantings were created. Extensive use is also intended to create species-rich grassland habitats. In addition, fallow areas are planned that can develop without any use at all.
The design and implementation plan for the measures was drawn up by the engineering group agwa GmbH from Hanover. The structural implementation was carried out by ARGE CSK Schlichtmann Kulturbau GmbH / Georg Grube GmbH, which also took care of the construction of these signs and the forest sofa.