Limburg Farmers Barred from Pumping Water Amid Severe Drought

Farmers in several areas of Limburg, Belgium, are now prohibited from drawing water for irrigation purposes as local water levels have dropped to critical lows. The ban affects numerous non-navigable watercourses within the Maas, Demer, and Netebekken river basins.

This measure comes in response to the persistent drought and high temperatures that have severely depleted water levels across a significant portion of Limburg's waterways. While some recent heavy rainfall has occurred, it has provided little relief to the parched landscape and dwindling water supplies.

The provincial governor, Jos Lantmeeters, has enacted these restrictions to safeguard the remaining aquatic life and vegetation in these water bodies. The ban, effective immediately, prohibits farmers from pumping water from a large number of streams and rivers, specifically detailing affected areas within the Dommel, Prinsenloop, Warmbeek, and other tributaries of the Maas, as well as the entire Netebekken and parts of the Demer basin.

Specific areas under the water-pumping ban include river systems like the Dommel, Prinsenloop, Warmbeek, and Beverbeek within the Maas basin. In the Netebekken, the Grote Laak and Molse Nete are affected, along with drainage areas of the Beverlo and Bocholt-Herentals canals. For the Demer basin, the restrictions apply to the Zwarte Beek, Grotebeek, and the Demer upstream of Rentfortstraat in Bilzen-Hoeselt, as well as the Molenbeek and Melsterbeek systems.