Flowing water erosion control measures – Application for a grant

Erosion Control

According to the Act on Erosion Control, Land and Forest Iceland is responsible for reducing or preventing soil erosion and other damage to land, land resources, and infrastructure by implementing measures against erosion caused by rivers and streams.

Measures to Prevent Erosion

Measures to counteract erosion caused by watercourses may include bank protection, the construction of embankments, or other interventions designed to stabilise river channels and regulate water flow.

• Bank protection generally involves placing rock or gravel fill along riverbanks to prevent further erosion.

• Such measures usually have less impact on river flow and are less visually intrusive than embankments.

• Embankments, on the other hand, may be necessary where sediment accumulation causes rivers to overflow their natural channels.

• Implementation of Erosion Control Projects

Land and Forest Iceland works closely with the Icelandic Road and Coastal Administration (IRCA) on the implementation of erosion control projects.

• When protective measures are intended to safeguard both vegetated land and transport infrastructure, the two agencies share the costs.

• The IRCA is responsible for projects protecting roads, bridges, and other transport structures.

• When Land and Forest Iceland undertakes complex or large-scale reinforcement works, the IRCA provides engineering design, tendering, and project supervision.

• The Icelandic Maritime Administration is responsible for the construction of sea defences against coastal erosion.

Main Projects

In recent years, 70–80 million ISK have been allocated annually from the national budget to riverbank reinforcement projects.

• Urgent projects are carried out at various watercourses across the country, in addition to maintenance of existing embankments.

• Only a portion of the requests for assistance received each year can be met.

• Priority is given to measures where cultivated land, buildings, or other infrastructure are threatened by river action.

Each year, erosion control works are carried out at around 40–50 sites nationwide. The largest projects are located along the rivers Markarfljót in Rangárvallasýsla, Héraðsvötn in Skagafjörður, Skaftá, Jökulsá á Fjöllum, and Jökulsá í Lóni.