#49: Regulation on protection of water protection areas

Regulation to protect water protection areas includes limitation of nitrogen supply to fertiliser requirement, prohibition of certain uses in protected areas and monitoring duties for nitrogen and phosphorus input, nutrient content of the soil and expected yield.

The law defines the different protection zones of the water protection area, e.g. in which areas which agricultural activities are allowed or not, if infrastructure extensions are forbidden or the storage and use of water-hazardous substances. Furthermore, the location and size of the water protection area is defined.

The German Ordinance on protection provision in water protection areas (SchuVO) establishes that cultivators of agricultural or commercial horticultural areas are obliged to record nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations, as well as the presence in the soil of other chemicals mentioned in the German Chemicals Ordinance (DüV) and consequently store these data for a period of at least seven years starting from the end of the period of fertilization. When operating in water protection areas, cultivators must carefully measure the amount of fertilizers with the yearly-issued fertilization requirements published by the Lower Saxony Chamber of Agriculture.