Denmark

In the Waterdrive project the catchment area of Odense Fjord has been selected as a case area. The catchment area of Odense Fjord is a part of the main water catchment area of Odense Fjord and constitutes an area of 105.600 ha, of which the agricultural area constitutes approximately 63.960 ha.
”According to the River Basin Management Plan, nitrogen emissions to Odense Fjord must be reduced by a total of 549,3 tonnes N. Of this, a reduction of 345,8 tonnes N has to be reached by 2021. The remaining reduction requirement has been postponed to the third Water Plan period. The reduction requirements cor-respond a reduction of agricultural nitrogen emission by 38 % before 2021 and by a full 64 % in total. It is a very extensive reduction requirement with major consequences for agricultural production, if most of the effort is to take place on cultivated land. For this reason, it is relevant to examine the options of either completely or partially replacing restrictions on cultivated land with nitrogen measures on the edge of or outside of cultivated land.”
The Waterdrive project collaborates with landowners in two selected sub-catchments to Odense Fjord, as it is impossible to work with all landowners in this very large catchment area. Instead we have decided to fo-cus on a smaller area, which according to the program SCALGO should be potentially well suited for the establishment of drainage measures and wetlands. In Denmark, we have approximately 3000 sub-catch-ments called ID 15 each of them with an individual number. The areas are called ID 15 because they each represent approximately 1500 hectares and the main purpose is to use the retention in the specific area in the action plan.

Conclusions and findings

Theoretically it is possible in the catchment 42.320.119 to establish approximately 6 hectares of constructed wetlands with an effect of 2.478 kg N/year and 20,4 – 23,3 kg P/year at a cost of approx. 591.000 €. Realistically, it is unlikely that this amount of hectares will be realized. The reasons for this may vary between places and landowners.

Theoretically there are many possibilities of placing the measures, and the farmers are generally positive towards making the measures, but in reality, we meet many challenges. Based on this project and my job as a catchment officer my experience is that some of the reasons are:

1. The demands to the catchment area of having 80% area with crops in rotation
2. Deep drains – are pumps the solution to this?
3. 3 protected nature where we are not allowed to place constructed wetlands
4. Possible costs to pumps for 10 years – are “pump-unions” the answer to this?
5. Open drain ditches protected by § 3 in Nature Conservation Act, so we are not allowed to lead the water through a constructed wetland
6. Obtaining permits from the municipalities sometimes takes a very long time

I think it would promote solutions, if first of all rules were less strict, if we had more possibilities and if we (advisors and representatives from the municipality and sthe state) generally learned to cooperate more closely in order to see all possibilities and choose the best. We ought to have the same goals.

• Implementation & investment plans (Planning and implementation plan for the Odense case area)
• Waterdrive case area in the catchment area of Odense Fjord (Background information for the Odense case area and selected measures)
• Environmental measures with N & P effect in 2 ID 15 catchments at Funen (PPT with Scalgo tool maps and more information on selected measures)
• Meeting in the catchment to Odense Fjord – 16. June 2020 (Pictures used in stakeholder meeting 2020)
• Midterm case area Odense Fjord in Denmark (PPT mid-term report presenting the Odense Fjord case area)
• Midterm case area Denmark (Project mid-term report from Odense case area)
• Policy recommendations Denmark (Policy recommendations for Denmark)
• Environmental measures with N&P Effect in 2 ID 15 catchments at Funen – focus on the economy (PPT presenting also economic assessments for the Odense case area)