Lowland Project Heltzen

The lowland project ”Heltzen Pumpelag og Enge” is located in Nørre Ådal, southeast of Ørum, midway between  Randers and Viborg in Viborg Municipality. The project area is located in Natura 2000-site 30: ”Lovns Bredning, Hjarbæk Fjord, Simested og Nørre Ådale samt Skravad Bæk” i Natureman subregion N30-11.

The low-land project "Heltzen Pumpelag and Enge" covers a 140 ha area in Nørreådalen east of Viborg. The water level is raised in the project area by the removal of three pumping stations and the breakthrough of dikes along existing land and pump channels, to establish inlets and outlets at new lakes. In addition, 51 drainage wells, seven drainage systems and 33 ditches with a total length of about 8700 meters have been removed.

The project will detain 3450 tons of CO2 equivalents annually. At the same time, the project will reduce nitrogen emissions to Randers Fjord by 5.4 tones N per year and reduce phosphorus emissions to the fjord by 770 kg per year. The project will improve the biodiversity, the cohesion of habitats and types of habitats in the Natura 2000-site.

The project have been completed in autumn 2018 by voluntary agreements with the farmers and a consolidation consisting of 6 properties and 142 ha.

The Danish Nature Agency has completed the project in collaboration with Viborg Municipality.