The case in summary The State Administrator in Vestfold and Telemark is in the process of restoring bog areas in Skien, which retain large amounts of water. Researcher Anders Lyngstad at NINA believes that the bog can have a flood dampening effect, especially in steep terrain. Norway’s Directorate of Waterways and Energy (NVE) is skeptical about the mire’s flood-mitigating effect and is calling for more research. Hege Hisdal, director of hydrology at NVE, believes that the marsh areas will not have an impact on the large floods with major damage. Lyngstad points out that the restoration of bogs is positive for nature and the climate, and for the entire watercourse and how it functions. The state administrator in Vestfold and Telemark will continue to restore bog areas because it is good for biodiversity and gives hope for the future. The summary is made by an AI service from OpenAI. The content has been reviewed by news’s journalists before publication. – Yesterday they started making this dam system and today the marsh holds large amounts of water. The effect is quite immediate, says Oda Sofie Dahle. She is a project manager at the Statsforvalteren in Vestfold and Telemark, which is in full swing restoring bog areas in Skien. Project manager Oda Sofie Dahle at the State Administrator in Vestfold and Telemark. Photo: Lars Tore Endresen / Lars Tore Endresen / news – Holds the water – Myra will hold much more water, like a sponge, instead of the water flowing down a stream and out into Skien. The water is retained in these ponds and in the peat in the ground, Dahle explains. In research circles, however, the flood mitigation effect is debated. – At some point the marsh will be full, but it can take the flood peaks, says researcher Anders Lyngstad at the Norwegian Institute for Natural Research (NINA). NINA researcher Anders Lyngstad. Photo: Erlend Lånke Solbu He believes it can have a positive effect, especially on steep terrain. – When you restore a steep bog, you get a positive effect by delaying the water a little. It is a little more uncertain with flat bogs, says Lyngstad. NVE is skeptical The Norwegian Directorate of Water Resources and Energy (NVE) is skeptical and calls for more research into how to mitigate floods. – Bogs have a very limited flood mitigation effect. It acts as a flood control on small floods in small rivers, but not otherwise. That’s what Hege Hisdal, director of hydrology at NVE, says. She believes the marsh areas will not have an impact on the large floods with major damage. Hege Hisdal at NVE is skeptical about bogs as a flood mitigation measure. Photo: Eirik Pessl-Kleiven / news – First of all, more research and development is needed to find out which solutions have the best effect. We must be able to quantify it to see where we will get the most return for the investments we make to mitigate floods, says Hisdal. – We can fix nature Lyngstad nevertheless points out that the restoration of bogs is very positive for nature and the climate, and for the entire watercourse and how it works. – During a drought, the water will be released slowly. This means that you will not get as dry conditions in the waterways afterwards. It can also be good for the hydropower industry that the water comes more evenly. The work to restore Sommersetermyr in Skien is in full swing. Photo: Lars Tore Endresen / Lars Tore Endresen / news And at the State Administrator in Vestfold and Telemark, they will continue to restore bog areas anyway. – It is good for biodiversity and for wading birds and insects. It gives hope for the future and for young people who believe that nature has been destroyed. We can actually fix it, smiles project manager Dahle. Published 23/09/2024, at 19.25 Updated 23.09.2024, at 19.42
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Scientists disagree about bogs as flood stoppers – news Vestfold and Telemark – Local news, TV and radio
