Database

Clean the kraave

Habitat	Function	Type of work
Water bodies	Living environment, Nutrient cycle	Waterbody management

Based on climate models, precipitation is increasing in Estonia, making it necessary to establish and maintain a high quality drainage system and ditching to adapt to climate change. Drainage of wet grasslands ensures grassland productivity, but also creates water-related habitats.

Description of the action

Clean out ditches, avoiding subsidence of ditch slopes.

Why?

Ditch networks provide vital drainage functions and help create favourable soil conditions. Ditches support a wide range of animals, plants and insects. The best ditches are shallow-sloped and stepped-edged with natural vegetation. The best time to clean ditches is in the autumn and winter months. The frequency of cleaning depends on the drainage function and the rate of siltation of the ditch. When cleaning ditches, a gradual approach should be preferred to allow for recolonisation by the inhabitants.

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