Autumn Watch

Give water space, check your ditch! 

The autumn inspection is the biggest inspection of the year. From the third Monday in October we check whether the ditches in Hollands Noorderkwartier are sufficiently maintained. A ditch must be free of (water) plants and debris that can impede the flow of water. It is important that the supply, drainage and storage of water is well regulated within our area. This way we prevent flooding, or water shortage.

Do you own a plot along a ditch?

Then you are at least responsible for the maintenance of the side of the ditch and in many cases also for the maintenance of the ditch itself. You can check that out in the Watershed Levy, about which more is explained below. In fact, you must maintain the ditch and ditch side throughout the year, but keep in mind the nature legislation (see frequently asked questions). By the third Monday in October at the latest, the ditch must be in order. On that day our inspectors go out and start the autumn inspection. If you cannot or do not want to do the maintenance yourself, you can hire an agricultural contractor or gardener.

Legger Waters

The legger Wateren is an online Map of the water system, describing each ditch or canal, storage area and associated structures such as culverts, bridges and baffles. You can see the minimum dimensions at which everything must be maintained, whether you have a maintenance obligation and how much vegetation you are allowed to leave. 

What is the chimney master looking at?

  • Whether the ditch is free of debris;
  • Whether reeds and aquatic plants do not impede the ditch's water supply and drainage;
  • Whether the walkways are in good condition;
  • Whether the shoring is well maintained;
  • Whether the structures such as culverts, bridges and baffles are clean and in good condition. The owner of the structure is responsible for maintaining the ditch up to 3 meters on either side of the structure. Also on the side of the public road;
  • Whether trees and plants are pruned above the water surface, at least to 3 meters above the waterline.

Learn more about ditch maintenance

More room for growth

It is important that the supply and drainage of water is well regulated. We also consider biodiversity very important. Therefore all ditches are calculated to see how much vegetation is allowed to remain in order to guarantee a good supply and drainage. You can see for yourself whether there is room for growth in your ditch in the Watershed Management Plan. 

What may remain?

Go to the Watershed Layout, there you can enter your address and view the maintenance rules. Follow these steps:

  1. Select the "by maximum vegetation level" tab.
  2. Click on the magnifying glass in the upper right corner.
  3. Enter your address.
  4. Click on the blue line on the Map, which shows the ditch along your plot.
  5. A window opens, scroll all the way down to see how much overgrowth is allowed to remain; the overgrowth rate.

More information on vegetation cover  

Suppose you are allowed to leave 50%. Then you can do that in several ways, as you can see in the drawings below. 

Has your ditch not been maintained?

If the ditch is inadequately maintained, you will receive an intention for administrative enforcement. You then have two weeks to put the ditch in order. From that date the inspectors will check again. If the ditch still does not comply, the area manager will contact you for a final deadline. If it is still not done after this deadline, HHNK will have the work done at your expense. Additional costs will be charged.

Learn more

Check the frequently asked questions below to see if your question is answered there. You can also contact. The chimney team can be reached every weekday at 072-582 8282, or via the contact form.

Frequently asked questions fall chimney

What is the fall chase?

Plants such as reeds and grasses grow in and along almost all ditches. Plants can impede the flow and drainage of water. To prevent flooding, ditches must be kept sufficiently clean and spacious.

The autumn inspection is the inspection of ditches that starts annually on the third Monday of October. Inspectors then check whether all ditches in our management area are sufficiently maintained.

When should ditch maintenance be finished?

No later than the 3rd Monday in October. In fact, you must maintain the ditch throughout the year. We check for this during the fall inspection.

Please note that from March 15 to June 1, you may not perform maintenance due to nature protection legislationOmgevingswet). Is ditch maintenance necessary for the proper functioning of water management? Then maintenance may only be carried out in consultation with and by order of the Water Board. 

Is every ditch equally important for flow?

Every ditch captures water during heavy precipitation. But not every ditch is critical to the flow of the water system. The so-called primary and secondary ditches are. In the legger Wateren you can see what kind of ditch borders your plot, who is the maintainer and what the fixed dimensions are for the water concerned. 

Frequently asked questions ditch maintenance and survey

Who should maintain the locks?

The district water board, the province of North Holland, municipalities, nature organizations, the railroad manager and the Department of Public Works (Rijkswaterstaat) have a maintenance obligation for most ditches in North Holland. But there are also ditches that half must be maintained by the owner of the plot along the ditch. If you live next to a ditch, you must maintain half of the ditch that borders your plot. The owner of the parcel across the street should maintain the other half. Cooperation is important then.

If a parcel abuts a large, wide ditch, a main watercourse, the parcel owner often must maintain only the walkways. The middle of the ditch is maintained by the water board or another agency.

Who exactly maintains which ditch and what type of ditch your plot borders on is laid down in the Maintenance Ordinance and the legger waterways. If you have questions about the maintenance obligation, please contact the inspection team.

When is a ditch well maintained?

A ditch is well maintained if: 

  • the ditch is free of flotsam or construction debris;
  • reeds and aquatic plants do not impede the water supply and drainage of the ditch;
  • the walkways are in good condition;
  • the shoring is well maintained;
  • the structures (such as culverts, bridges and baffles) are clean and in good condition. The owner of the structure is responsible for maintaining the ditch up to 3.0 meters on either side of the structure. Also on the side of the public road;
  • trees and plants are pruned above the water surface, at least to 3.0 meters above the waterline. 

Nature protection legislation

When carrying out ditch maintenance, you must take into account nature protection legislationOmgevingswet). You must not harm any protected animals or plants and you must take breeding birds into account. If part of the ditch cannot be maintained due to breeding birds or protected animals or plants, please report this to the survey team.

For more information on this, please refer to the Ministry of Economic Affairs website(Information Nature Protection Act).

Should I also clean culverts, and if so, how do I do that?

Culverts are very important for water supply and drainage. If dredging or other debris accumulates in the culvert, it can no longer fulfill its function. Culverts can be cleaned using water pressure.

What is a healthy ditch environment?

A healthy ditch needs oxygen. For the fish, plants and other living organisms, but also to process dead aquatic plants and tree leaves on the bottom; the decay process. The remains of the decay process remain on the bottom and form the silt layer, or dredge.

When there is little water in the ditch, oxygen is quickly depleted. Fish, plants and other living organisms can no longer live there. The quality of the water then deteriorates rapidly. So for a healthy ditch environment, it is important to have enough water in the ditch.

I am going to clean the ditch manually. What tools can I use?

  • duckweed hook: for picking up flap and duckweed
  • edge scythe: for cutting off riparian plants
  • grass shears: to clean up the slope
  • high-pressure sprayer: to hose down divers

I have a tractor or will hire an agricultural contractor. So what machinery do you use?

  • cutting basket: to remove aquatic plants from the ditch
  • mowing boat: if a ditch is too wide, you can (have) maintenance done from the water.

Did my (over)neighbors also receive a letter?

If your (over)neighbors' plot and your plot border the same ditch and both sides of the ditch need maintenance, they probably received a letter as well. However, this varies per schouw and per 'violation'. For your specific question, please contact the schouw team.

The card accompanying the letter is not correct/is not clear.

Contact the survey team and they will check your information and may be able to provide clarification on the map.

The ditch is not there (anymore).

In some cases, our Maps and aerial photos are out of date or an error has crept in. Please contact the survey team and they will check your information.

The ditch has already been cleaned.

You received a letter asking you to clean the ditch, but you have just done so. At the revisit date, you will find that the ditch is clean. You do not need to take any action.

I have commissioned a contracting company to do the maintenance, but they have not done it yet.

Contact the area manager at the general number 072 - 582 8282. Only he or she can grant extensions in certain situations.

I no longer own this plot.

If you are no longer the owner of the plot on the first inspection date, the new owner is responsible for the maintenance of the ditch. However, if you are still the owner of the plot on the first inspection date, the maintenance is yours.

Our system is connected to the data the Land Registry. It can sometimes take a while for the Land Registry to process the data. Please contact the survey team and they will check your data.

I disagree with the letter.

Contact the chimney team and they will check your information and can provide an explanation of the letter and your personal situation. The chimney staff will do their best to work with you to reach a mutually satisfactory solution. Should you still wish to object, the staff can inform you about the further procedure. You can also find the procedure on the page Objecting to a board decision.

I haven't had a letter.

Contact the chimney team, they can verify your information.

This person does not live (anymore) at this address.

You can send the letter "return to sender" giving reasons. Have you recently become the owner of a plot adjacent to a ditch and want to know if you are responsible for maintenance? Contact the inspection team, they will check your details.

I am not liable for maintenance.

Every owner of a plot adjacent to a ditch, whether agencies, businesses or individuals, is liable for maintenance for their half of the ditch.

If a parcel borders a large, wide ditch (a main watercourse), the parcel owner often only has to maintain the slope (embankment). The middle of the ditch is maintained by the water board or another agency.

Who exactly maintains which ditch and what kind of ditch your plot borders on is laid down in the Maintenance Ordinance and the legger waterways. For questions about the maintenance obligation, please contact the inspection team.

I want to object.

Contact the chimney team and they will check your information and can explain your personal situation. The chimney staff will do their best to work with you to reach a mutually satisfactory solution to the situation. Should you still wish to object, the employees can inform you about the further procedure. You can also find the procedure on the page Objecting to a board decision.

I want to request a postponement.

We assume the maintenance was done before the inspection date. Are there crops on the land that cannot be harvested before the inspection date? Postponement of maintenance can be requested from the relevant area manager via the general telephone number 072-582 8282. With clean ditches, together we ensure that we keep water manageable in wet and dry weather.