Landwirtschaft in Wasserschutzgebieten: Lösung von Nutzungskonflikten in einem dynamischen Prozess

In many cases there is a conflict of usage between water protection and agriculture. Besides commandments and interdictions being laid down in water protection regulations voluntary cooperation is a way to solve this conflict which has been followed intensively for more than ten years in Hessia. Hessenwasser GmbH & Co. KG, founded in 2001, runs 31 water works with 253 wells and source captures in the region between Vogelsberg,Taunus and the Hessian Reed. At present Hessenwasser runs an agricultural cooperation in the protection area of Fischborn source water catchment facility, being established in the year 2000. In the protection areas of Eschollbrucken and Pfungstadt water works the cooperation between Hessenwasser and the local cultivators there is about to be contracted in the near future. Experiences from the cooperation work of several years are being described as an intermediate balance. Besides strategic aspects from ressource protection experiences from agricultural consultants with firsthand contact to cultivators are being considered. From the insights gathered up to now consequences are drawn for the further cooperation work.