Løgstør Bredning (the north-western project site)

 

Drone photo from 2022 of Løgstør Bredning

One of the consequences of the reduced eelgrass distribution, removed scattered stone reefs and reduced oyster banks is that for many years there has been a strong erosion and sand transport in the northern part of Løgstør Bredning. As a consequence a major part of islets that previously existed outside the coastline, today have disappeared. The islets originally formed a barrier against the forces of the Limfjord on the system of lagoons, lochs and salt meadows, which formed the transition to the extensive meadows on land. With the disappearance of the islets, the lagoons and lochs has been greatly reduced. At the same time, dikes, drainage and cultivation has changed the meadows to agricultural land only leaving a narrow fringe of salt meadow between the marine Limfjord and the drained and cultivated agricultural areas.

Aerial photo of parts of the project site in Løgstør Bredning from 2016

Map of Løgstør Bredning from 1842 – 1899

 

The goal of Coastal LIFE in Løgstør Bredning is to bring as well the previous salt meadow areas as the original marine habitats back to former conditions. This will be done by the following project measures:

 

• Establishment of islets/barrier islands at depths between 1 and 2 meters along the coast.
• Periodically flooded lochs and lagoons inside the islets to ensure a dynamic shallow coastal zone.
• Expansion of existing stone reef formations.
• Establishment of stone reef formations along and outside the islets.
• Establishment of oyster and mussel beds.
• Establishment of eel grass between islets and coastline.
• Optimizing the botanical conditions on the re-established salt meadows.

Løgstør Bredning. Preliminary location of stone reefs (purple), islets/barrier islands (red), area for mussel and oyster banks (dark green), eel grass (light green), wetland project (yellow) in Løgstør Bredning.