In the past, the Molse Nete caused flooding both locally and in the center of Mol. The province of Antwerp manages the watercourse and started looking for a solution. This was created in 2018 with the construction of a flood area south of the Molse Nete, between the Dessel-Kwaadmechelen canal and the railway to Balen. In September of that year the works were completed and the area was named Molderbroek.

Dry where necessary, wet where possible

In the valley of the Molse Nete we found an area that is already naturally flooded. With a few adjustments we turned it into a controlled flood area. The Mole Nete can store its excess water in it. It remains there for a while and then flows slowly to the Oude Nete (Molderloop). A silt trap ensures that the flood area does not sand up too quickly. Because this new flood area holds more water than the previous situation, it will be drier in other places. And that is exactly as it should be.

You also enjoy it

Integrated water policy aims to be more than just managing water flows. Stimulating nature is also an important goal. This flood area may fully develop into a swamp forest, a swampy forest so to speak. A mysterious biotope that used to be common here, but has now been suppressed. We obviously hope that native animals and plants will soon flourish here. The valley is part of an extensive nature reserve that has been managed by Natuurpunt for more than 20 years. When constructing Molderbroek, accessibility for local residents was an important requirement. You will become acquainted with this flood area via a beautiful walking loop. After all, it is not without reason that we built new walking dikes, two boardwalks and a bridge!

Below you will find a handy map to guide your walk. The tour starts at Dreef 1 in Mol.