Denmark restored River Skjern, but lost habitats may take centuries to return

In 2001, Denmark began restoring 19 km of the straightened River Skjern by turning it into 26 km of winding river. Researchers later found that some of the habitats lost during decades of river engineering could take centuries to return. The large civil engineering project along the lower River Skjern in West Jutland aimed to repair serious environmental damage caused by state-sponsored drainage projects in the 1960s.A long-term study published in the journal Ecological Engineering (Volume 66) examined the river’s hydrological changes about a decade after construction was completed. Researchers studied the lower River Skjern at three main levels: changes in in-stream habitats, the stability of the river channel, and how well the river had reconnected with the surrounding floodplain.The study found that regular flooding has now reconnected the river with its floodplain. However, the engineered design still strongly controls how the water moves.