#17. Source Area Black Stream

Discover how Flanders enhances open spaces for agriculture, nature, and forests. Step by step towards prettier landscapes with more nature and forest.

During this walk, you will get acquainted with the spatial implementation plan RUP Boven- en middenloop Zwarte Beek. Also discover the other walks of 'Step by Step'.

The RUP Boven- en middenloop Zwarte Beek was approved in 2005 and included the repurposing of the Zwarte Beek valley to nature area west (De Katers) and east (Zwart Water) of the North-South connection (N74) in Hechtel, which was constructed in the early 2000s. The transformation of about 100 ha of agricultural land to nature area was part of the nature compensations for the construction of the N74 through the Natura 2000 area of the Zwarte Beek valley.

The source area of the Zwarte Beek is located at the western edge of the Kempen Plateau at the height of the watershed between the Scheldt and Meuse basins. In the Resterheide area, the Bollissenbeek flows north towards the Dommel in Peer. The Zwart Water is a pond that was drained in the second half of the 19th century through a ditch to the Zwarte Beek to take the area into agricultural use. In 2006, the Flemish government restored the pond by partially filling in the ditch, creating a shallow water area again. At the Heergracht, Natuurpunt restored a piece of the heath of the former Resterheide in 2010. Now, the Resterheide is mainly a forest area. The Begijnenvijvers and Schuilenswijer are old fish ponds along the Bollissenbeek.

The garlic toad is a rare and endangered stinky frog that currently only occurs in a few places in the Resterheide and the adjacent agricultural area Bomerhei. Farmers help to maintain the species by creating ponds. They keep the existing ponds open, sow special grass mixtures on the plots around the ponds, and only mow during periods when the garlic toad is underground.

The approximately 300 ha of habitat directive area around the source area of the Zwarte Beek and the Bollissenbeek, which still have agricultural designation, will eventually also be repurposed to nature area to restore the entire source area hydrologically and to mitigate the negative impact of intensive agriculture on the ecosystem. The Flemish Government decided in 2022 to initiate a new RUP process for this.

The hike in short.
You start at De Hoef in Hechtel and walk past the municipal playground and a youth center to the edge of the military domain Kamp van Beverlo. You follow the forest path along the edge of the military domain to the left. Cross the Zwarte Beek valley for the first time and walk past the Katershoeve to Hasselstebaan, which you follow to the right for a while. Go under the N74 towards the bungalow park to the Zwart Water. Then, you follow a number of nature fields to the Resterheide and the Begijnenvijvers in the valley of the Bollissenbeek. Make a loop along the play forest and the oak arboretum with no less than 31 different species of oak to a large picnic meadow. Finally, return via the Schuilenswijer back to the starting point.

Want to know more:

RUP Boven- en middenloop Zwarte Beek.

Did you find this interesting? Also discover the other walks of 'Step by Step towards prettier landscapes with more nature and forest'.

(The routes have been carefully plotted. If you notice an error or have suggestions for improvement, please let us know at agnas@vlaanderen.be)