Exhaust

There is no shortage of water in Diest and its surroundings. In this region, the Zwarte Beek, the Velpe, the Begijnenbeek, and the Leugebeek flow into the Demer. Over the past decades, there have been regular flooding issues in large parts of the Demer basin. It was not the Demer itself, but especially the tributaries that posed problems regarding water drainage, with all the consequences that entails. Downstream, there were frequently floods during heavy rainfall. The Flemish government decided to carry out drastic works to tackle the flooding issues. Retention basins that can overflow in a controlled manner are designed to prevent flooding in other places. Today, three retention basins are operational: Schulensbroek, Webbekoms Broek, and Hoeleden. The basin in the Schulensmeer is intended to capture floodwater from the Demer, the Mangelbeek, and the Herk. The retention basin at Hoeleden is responsible for capturing water from the Velpe. Here, at Webbekoms Broek, the excess water from the Velpe, the Leugebeek, and the Begijnenbeek is collected. You are standing here at the outlet, where the water from the basin is released in a controlled manner through the Zwarte Beek into the Demer.

Agentschap voor Natuur en Bos