OPTAIN : Kråkstad Catchment [Norway]

Year of issue
2025
Summary

The Kråkstadelva catchment, as case study area, is located within the Hobølelva watershed, located ca. 30km S-SE of Oslo, Norway. The area of the Kråkstadelva catchment is approximately 51 km². Agricultural land covers circa 43% of the catchment (22km²) and it is dominated by cereal production. Forest covers ca. 45% of the catchment. Heavy clay soils dominate in the area (up to 80% of clay content). Mean annual temperature is 5.3°C and average annual precipitation is ca. 864 mm. Floods of varied magnitude occur frequently in the catchment, typically during spring snow melt and autumn rainstorms. The main challenge in the area is water quality (incl. high phosphorus pollution) and soil erosion (incl. riverbank erosion and quick-clay landslides). There is already high focus on environmental mitigation measures, for example reduced tillage (no tillage in autumn), buffer zones (grassed bufferzones, in addition to natural buffer zones, in cropland along streams and lakes), grass-covered water ways, constructed wetlands and the use of catch-crops.

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Project
OPTAIN
National ID
NO_01
Sector
Hydromorphology
Implementation status
Modeled
Contact
Nibio, Division of Environment and Natural Resources

Overview

Location of the project
Kråkstad catchment
Country
Norway
NUTS2 Code
Viken
Sponge measures implemented in the case study
Ponds and scrapes
Buffer strips and hedges
Swales
Wetland restoration and management
Minimum tillage

Site Information

Climate Zone
Cool temperate moist
Precipitation
800.00 mm
Temperature (°C)
5.30 °C
Runoff
4.70 mm
Elevation range
50 - 300 m a.s.l.
Slope range
Various as we model whole catchment
Soil type
Stagnosols
Vegetation class
Agricultural land covers around 43% of the catchment (22km²) and is dominated by cereal production. Forest covers around 45% of the catchment.
WFD Ecological status
Moderate
WFD Chemical status
Failing to achieve good

Design and Implementation

Project scale
Meso
Project scale specifications
Catchment scale modeling
Project area
51 km2
Project area specifications
Agricultural land covers ca. 43% of the catchment (22km²) and it is dominated by cereal production. Forest covers ca. 45% of the catchment.

Policy and Governance

Policy description
Local involvement has been extensive since around 1990 as catchment has been used as a study site in many projects, e.g., EU FP7 Refresh, EuroHarp, H2020 Recare). NIBIO has arranged many workshops with stakeholders of this catchment:
- Farmers and land owners;
- Water boards: local (for the catchment) and regional (for the river basin of Glomma);
- Municipalities;
- Boaters, canoes (mainly in the lake), local communities;
- Drinking water supply company (MOVAR);
- Environmentalists (f.ex., SABIMA);
- Hunting and fishing associations;
- Tourist association (Turistforeningen);etc.
Policy targets
Erosion Control
Peak-flow reduction
Pollutants Removal
Improved Biodiversity
Requirement directive
Requirement directive Specification
Nitrate Directive (NiD) 91/676/EEC NOTE: we do not follow this directives directly in Norway, but our national environmental targets are in agreement with EU directives
Water Framework Directive (WFD) 2000/60/EC NOTE: we do not follow this directives directly in Norway, but our national environmental targets are in agreement with EU directives
Part of a wider plan
Yes
Wider plan
Wider plan focus Name
Agriculture Common Agriculture Policy
Public consultation
Yes
Consultation activities
Activity stage Activity type Comments
Screening phase MARGs workshops NIBIO has arranged many workshops with stakeholders in the case study catchment: - Farmers and land owners; - Water boards: local (for the catchment) and regional (for the river basin of Glomma); - Municipalities; - Boaters, canoes (mainly in the lake), local communities; - Hunting and fishing associations; - Tourist association (Turistforeningen);etc.
Has contractual arrangements
No

Sources