North pumping station
The pumping station is the largest of the six stations built when the Skjern River was regulated and drained in the 1960s. The building stands as a monument to the large land reclamation project, which aimed to provide new farmland. From the top of the pumping station there is an impressive view of the flat landscape of the Skjern River valley, which before the dewatering was used for haymaking. To the far west lies the river delta, which, due to the large material transport in the river, is constantly moving further and further out into the fjord. Between the mouth of the regulated river and Søndre Kanal is an elongated bird sanctuary. Access to the outer part of the delta is via the dike at the pumping station.
Today, the fjord is heavily polluted by ochre, leached nutrients and wastewater from the Skjernå River and its tributaries. It will take several decades before the ecological balance is restored. However, improved wastewater treatment plants in the towns in the river's hinterland have made the discharged wastewater very clean, and the ochre load has decreased. The Danish Parliament has decided to launch a large-scale and long-term nature restoration project in the Skjern river valley. The main aim is to restore the river's self-cleaning effect. This will be achieved by allowing large areas of the river valley to be flooded. The Danish Forest and Nature Agency has therefore initiated the purchase of land from landowners.
