Deadwood in bodies of water

Deadwood fulfils many important functions in watercourses. It serves as a habitat and food source for a variety of organisms and leads to the formation of near-natural structures in and around watercourses.

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

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

The requirements of the Water Framework Directive are now bringing about a change, so that in many places more deadwood is being reintroduced into watercourses or left in them.

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