Rewetting peatlands in the Ore Mountains – LISA UV in use for carbon monitoring

As part of MooReSax, a peatland rewetting project funded by the Forest Climate Fund, the state-owned company Sachsenforst is using the TriOS photometer LISA UV to monitor organic carbon in the Erzgebirge. The background to this is the concern of drinking water suppliers that rewetting could lead to increased carbon inputs into neighbouring drinking water reservoirs.
To this end, weirs were erected in the Red River moor and the Zeisiggesang moor and the sensors were mounted on so-called ‘gallows’. The measuring stations are energy self-sufficient with the help of solar panels and data loggers. As a result, the water quality has been continuously monitored since 2023, even before the first measures were taken, in order to detect and minimise changes in water quality and potential risks to the drinking water supply at an early stage.
The project is a contribution to climate protection, as the rewetting of moors is considered an effective measure for reducing CO₂ emissions. MooReSax was funded by the Forest Climate Fund of the BMEL and BMUV.