Gouverneurspolder

The Governor's Polder is located on the northern bank of the Waal between the villages of Dodewaard and Ochten. On the other side of the Waal lies the core Druten.

The Governor's Polder has been partly diked after a series of dike breaches in the 18th century. As a result, the area is divided by a summer levee into a high- and low-dynamic area (respectively outside and the levee). Apart from an old terp house (formerly a farm) and a dike house (formerly a restaurant), there are no buildings in the floodplain. The abandoned clay pits and an inland stone factory reveal the historical use of the floodplains as an extraction area. In addition to several clay pits, there are also old side channels and remnants of riverbeds in the area. The water level in these outer dike waters can be regulated by an existing sluice.

The immediate surroundings exhibit the characteristic features of the river landscape: parallel structures, enclosed/built-up river ridges and open/unbuilt lowlands, dike with pools and remnants of riverbeds or side channels in the floodplains. A notable feature is the 'old dike' between Ochten and Dodewaard, with characteristic buildings and atmosphere referring to the former dike village Eldik. A footpath runs along the summer levee, creating a continuous route through the floodplain. The floodplain functions as a flow and storage area during high river discharges, and the growth of vegetation is therefore limited.

The natural value of the Governor's Polder is currently still low given the intensive agricultural use.

The Governor's Polder project is part of the Midden-Waal project, a spatial development that is a total of 12 km long. The floodplains between Dodewaard and the Amsterdam-Rijn Canal at Tiel will transform into a water-rich nature area in the coming years.

The Governor's Polder project can contribute to the nature goals for the Waal from the Programmatic Approach to Major Water Bodies, among other things, by creating nature-friendly banks and flowing channels. It is also being investigated how the spatial planning can meet the conservation objectives of the Natura 2000 area Rijnstreek and the development of the Gelderland Nature Network and Green Development Zone.

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