Deadwood in water bodies

Deadwood fulfils many important functions in flowing waters. It serves as a habitat and food base for a variety of organisms and it leads to the formation of near-natural structures in and around the watercourse.

Nevertheless, deadwood is still removed in many watercourses. The aim is to maintain the proper flow of the watercourse and to prevent damage to structures or adjacent areas. As a result, many watercourses have a low degree of naturalness and biodiversity.

If deadwood is selectively introduced or left in place, the maintenance effort can be reduced in the long term and the quality of the water bodies can be increased at the same time. 

With the requirements of the Water Framework Directive, a change is now taking place so that in many places more deadwood is being introduced into watercourses or left there.

When introducing deadwood, care should be taken to ensure that the material comes from the immediate surroundings if possible and, if this is not possible, wood from species typical of the area should be used. Do you have questions on this topic or need advice on the professional implementation of a watercourse restoration? Our competent teams of the M&P Group will be happy to advise you.