Database

Clean the ditches

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

Climate models indicate increased precipitation in Estonia, making it necessary to establish and maintain a high-quality drainage system to adapt to climate change. Draining wet grasslands ensures their productivity while also creating water-related habitats.

Description of the action

Clean ditches while avoiding steepening slopes.

Why?

Drainage networks perform vital functions in soil management and help create favorable soil conditions. Ditches support many animals, plants, and insects. The best ditches have gentle slopes and stepped edges with natural vegetation. The best time to clean ditches is in autumn and winter. The frequency of cleaning depends on the drainage function and the rate of sediment accumulation. Gradual cleaning should be preferred to allow local species to recolonize the area.