On June 19th, 2025, the three Danish partners of the Interlayer project – GEUS, the University of Copenhagen, and the Capital Region of Denmark – conducted a field visit to the Danish Living Lab in the Værebro River catchment. The purpose was to explore areas within the Municipality of Egedal with potential for implementing slow hydrology interventions. The field trip also benefitted from the participation of two biologists from the Municipality of Egedal, who guided the partners through selected locations. Ahead of the visit, the University of Copenhagen had mapped out twenty-three priority areas for possible slow hydrology measures to improve baseflow and improve water quality (Detention ponds; Treatment ponds). This mapping also included the identification of key contributing streams using the Strahler stream order classification, some of which were verified during the field trip.
During the visit, eight sites were examined, including points along the Damvad stream, the Tungegårdsgrøften restoration area, and an area where groundwater is extracted to supply drinking water to the city of Copenhagen. The field trip provided an excellent opportunity to further characterize these areas and assess their suitability for innovative slow hydrology-based solutions aimed at enhancing local resilience to climate change impacts and supporting water quality and biodiversity.
The presence of the biologists from Egedal municipality added significant value by offering local insights and a deeper understanding of the area’s geography and environmental context relevant for the feasibility of slow hydrology solutions. Municipal officers noted that they typically engage in projects of 100–200 ha with a strong focus on bio-restoration. INTERLAYER’s smaller pond initiatives may fall outside this range, so further discussions will be needed to explore potential collaboration. With several mapped sites still to be visited, the Danish partners agreed that an additional field trip later in the year would be highly beneficial. Continued collaboration with local stakeholders, notably landowners, is also essential to ensure the relevance and feasibility of future interventions.
