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Another good example of ecological engineering is river and wetlands restoration. The Skjern, Denmark’s largest river by water flow, once had a huge expanse of marshland at its mouth, full of meandering watercourses, reed beds, and meadows. It was a habitat for thousands of migratory birds, along with stable breeding populations of local birds, plus otters and Atlantic salmon.

All this was virtually destroyed following a campaign of land reclamation and river channelization in the 1960s. Part of the river was straightened into a canal - see the picture below. The wetlands were drained for agricultural purposes.

In only 25 years the area lost its agricultural value. The drained peat soils subsided and degraded, and the farmland was not productive enough to justify its maintenance costs. The channelization also caused sedimentation and eutrophication at the river’s outflow. The rationale for restoration was therefore clear. The goals were to reinstate the natural flow conditions, allow species to return, and develop the area’s recreational and tourist potential.

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