Meegroeidijk: protecting our coastline

With the Meegroeidijk, we are responding to sea-level rises without making major changes to the dyke. Whereas dyke reinforcement normally takes years, we are building up the dyke layer by layer from the top. We use silt from the port of Lauwersoog. In doing so, we are contributing to better water quality in the Wadden Sea.

How does the dyke respond to a layer of silt?

We are studying how the grass cover reacts to the applied silt. Does it simply grow through the new clay layer? How strong is the new turf? Are there any special grass mixtures that perform particularly well? The silt we applied earlier has already matured into clay and adheres to the grass cover. That is promising.

The Meegroeidijk is a collaboration between the Brabantse Delta Water Authority and the Rijnland Water Authority. The Meegroeidijk is largely financed by STOWA, the Flood Protection Programme, and the Interreg project BONSAI. Four countries participate in Bonsai: Belgium, Germany, France, and the Netherlands. The project will run until 2029. The total joint budget is €10,699,561.10, of which €6,419,736.62 comes from EU subsidies.