The Groenlose Slinge is a strongly channelized brook in Gelderland, the Netherlands. It forms part of the Berkel watersystem, that stretches from the German border, west to the IJssel River, and constitutes a main feature of the landscape in this region.
The Berkel and almost all connected brooks are channelised, normalised and broadened. Also, the water is managed such that even the wettest depressions along the streams can be used for agriculture all year round.
Because of these characteristics:
- the streams and the landscape have no recreational value because of the unattractive appearance
- in wet periods the water is discharged with high peaks which leads to periodical flooding downstream
- at various locations, moisture deficits for agricultural development and nature occur
- the dammed streams have poor ecological value for water flora and fauna (because water is standing still in the over-sized streams, dams are not passable for fish, and the banks are too steep)
The Berkel project aims to counter these problems. The project is funded by the national government, the province of Gelderland and the European Fund for Regional Development. It contains 7 different subproject along the stretch of the River, of which the Groelose Slinge is a classic example.
The Groenlose Slinge was appointed by the province as part of the Ecological Main Structure. As part of the Berkel project, the spatial structure was rearranged, the brook itself was remeandered, and weirs were converted to fish passes.
On the former terrain of the Grolsch brewery, historically one of the main users of water in the area, 1 km of sewer has been removed and relocated, and 700 meters of new watercourse was created. In an area of 10 hectares, soil was excavated to improve water retention. The restoration of this water system was performed in close cooperation with the consortium that was developing a residential area on the former brewery, consisting of the municipality of Oost-Gelre, the province of Gelderland and the private project developer involved.