Here you can watch the Information movie The Breakthrough.
It will be ready in 2014, the thirteen kilometers long brook: the Breakthrough. The breakthrough is an extensive project with far reaching consequences in the areas of town planning, farming, environment and recreation.
A new waterway, with an impressive length of 13 kilometers is not constructed without good reasons.
Firstly, the brook will provide an extra drainage possibility for excessive water, ensuring that the safety of a sizable area will be improved. Water from very heavy rains needs to be stored and then drained in phases. Presently such drainage is done via the Lateraal Canal and the Banis pumping station in Almelo.
Secondly, the construction of the Brook is good for some types of plants and animals because the Breakthrough forms an ecological connection zone between Twente and Salland. Water plays an important role for the animals and plants that live there. Rivers and streams form pathways between living areas, along which plants and animals can spread.
The Breakthrough runs straight through the Twente urban belt and creates a link between the countryside of East and West Twente. This is a powerful stimulus for the countryside and the ecology.
"The Breakthrough is ecologically important. The organisms that are now connected with North East Twente exist with organisms that can now be now found here in the Regge. Consider then fish that use North East Twente to lay their eggs and rear their young. They now head in the direction of the IJsselmeer but they can also return again later. But also think of specific amphibian species such as the great crested newt, the tree frog, and the spadefoot, which can now remain in the Regge but also in other parts of Twente. From an ecological viewpoint, animals and plants are offered the chance to alternate. Think of butterflies, bats, birds, and also other species that can use the Breakthrough as a connection zone. "
Thirdly is the aspect of water quality improvement in the region. The new brook will be constructed to separate water flows. The water board want to divide the water system in Twente into two different quality streams. Town and city water has a lower quality level. This water will be drained separately to the Lateraal canal and then to the river Vecht, eventually ending up in the IJsselmeer. The breakthrough will drain the relatively clean water from the countryside into the river Regge. This enables the restoration and preservation of the natural environment and the countryside and provides clean water for agriculture. In truth, the original situation is being restored. In the past these brooks were part of the tributaries of the river Regge, but human activities resulted in them being closed off.
The breakthrough follows, as much as possible, the existing Tusvelder and Bornerbroekse water conduits. Mostly the waterway will be 15 to 20 meters across but in the event of heavy rains there will be room to accommodate the extra water.
"We stand here at the location Krikkenhaar where the name Doorbraak (Breakthrough) originates. To create the Breakthrough we had to dig very deep into the landscape. The level of the water here is 2 meters below the surface. This sand ridge formed a barrier, of which there used to be more. Among others the junction with the A35, the junction with the Twente Canal, the crossing with the railroad. It took a lot of creativity to achieve all this. Besides the technical details it was also important to create support for such an operation, and also to acquire the land itself: it all takes time. And these are only a few examples of the things that require a lot of time and much attention. But it is a wonderful project, you're always busy with new issues that also require new solutions"
The total cost of this project is about 40 million Euro. These costs will be paid by the Water Board Regge and Dinkel, the Province of Overijssel, the Ministry of LNV and several subsidy providers including the European Union.
