The work in Graminhais helps the recovery of the Peatbog

During the summer, the Life Sustainable Laurel project team worked in the Planalto dos Graminhais closing drainage ditches to help the recovery of the peatbogs, throught increasing the retention and water infiltration. Also, some of the accesses opened inside the peatbogs, that became places of great water and erosion seepage, where closed.

Access path to the peatbogs with signs of erosion

To make this work possible it was necessary to reinforce the team with 5 more people and a machine that made practically all of the dykes that closed the drainage ditches and paths. To date, in this first stage of work, 105 dykes were built.


Around this time of the year, most dykes built until the end of the summer are already fulfilling their purpose, retaining part of the water and distributing the rest in a more homogenous way through the peatbogs. The dykes were built of terrain and then covered with vegetation, stayed on average with 3 to 4m long and about 90cm deep. In specific locations, like in the paths zone, some of the walls had to be a little bit bigger, though the largest one has about 70m long and in the deepest spot has about 1.50m.


This was, without a doubt, an extremely difficult work, however it’s already possible to see the results of these dykes construction and to notice that some of the dry parts have now more peatbog and in some areas the dykes have recovered in a remarkable way. We expect this to be a big step in the recovery of the Planalto dos Graminhais Peatbogs.