Water cleansing and newts
The newts are being offered a new life in new ponds./The common newt was on the Norwegian Red List until 2015, but the population is now regarded as very healthy.
Photo: Ecofact AS
Ecofact personnel capturing newts at Kvithei.
Photo: Erik Thoring
Newts on the move
A housing development is being built at Kvithei near Hålandsmarka in Sola. This is taking place in a coastal heathland landscape with peat bogs and a large tarn. The tarn houses a colony of common newts, and development includes plans to infill the tarn prior to building. The developers were directed to conduct a comprehensive collection of newts during 2018 and 2019. Almost 1,000 newts were removed to two new replacement pond habitats in the west of the Kvithei site. At the same time, four overwintering hotels were built, as well as a 150- to 200-metre concrete wall to prevent the newts from wandering back to their old home. So far, this compensatory measure appears to have been successful.
In 2017, two replacement ponds were dug for the newts at Kvithei.
Photo: Ecofact AS
A water cleansing park with a sedimentation basin being built close to Litle Stokkavatn lake.
Photo: Erik Thoring
More water in a blue-green city
Normally, rainwater in Stavanger has been drained into underground pipes. But when the pipes are unable to accommodate surplus water, this may result in flood damage. Instead of installing wider-diameter pipes, it may be possible to conduct the water into sedimentation basins and from there to biological cleansing parks. In recent years, two such parks have been installed to cleanse surface water drained from housing areas. One is at Texaslunden near Mosvatn lake, and the other at Litle Stokkavatn lake. These ‘blue-green’ cleansing parks also offer benefits for biological diversity and nature experiences.
Water cleansing parks promote good climate change adaptation, a better water environment and boost biological diversity.
Photo: Erik Thoring