Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research

daphne.van.der.wal@nioz.nl 1

Case study Netherlands

Case site: the Netherlands

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Living in the Dutch delta...

Zagwijn

Living in the Dutch delta ... Storm surge 1953

inundating 150 000 ha of land causing the death of 1835 people

Anp archief

Knmi.nl

Living in the Dutch delta ... Delta works

5Slide T. Ysebaert

6http://www.sev.nl/

Today “designed” flooding risks

Delta area, Netherlands

7Slide From T. Ysebaert / RWS?

Delta area, Netherlands

Van der Spek

Westerschelde, a typical funnel-shaped estuary

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Westerschelde: dredging

Maintenance (1900 – 1970) 1st deepening => 1970 - 1975 Maintenance (1975 – 1997) 2nd deepening => 1997 - 2001 Maintenance (2001-2009) 3rd deepening => 2010-2011 Maintenance (present)

Geoplein.nl

Current velocity

Pethick, 1984

mud mud, sand

sand

CHANNEL

Westerschelde: cross-shore gradients

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Low marsh – pioneer (Spartina anglica)

Middle marsh (Atriplex portulacoides)

Middle marsh (Puccinellia)

False colour aerial photographs

HoofdplaatThomaespolder

Paulinapolder

Zuidgors

Hellegatpolder

Biezelingsche Ham

ZimmermanpolderBaarland

Westerschelde

Terneuzen

Vlissingen Yerseke

Van der Wal, Wielemaker-van den Dool, Herman, Est. Coast. Shelf Sci. 2008

Westerschelde: saltmarsh dynamics

Westerschelde: saltmarsh dynamics Paulina

Van der Wal et al., 2008 ECSS

Westerschelde: setup transect EU FAST

Westerschelde: saltmarsh dynamics Paulina

Westerschelde: Hellegatpolder

Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research

daphne.van.der.wal@nioz.nl 19

Thank you for your attention!