Implementation of Lauwersmeerdijk-Vierhuizergat reinforcement project commences
Wednesday, April 5, marked the start of the Lauwersmeerdijk-Vierhuizergat dyke reinforcement project, which was celebrated in the port of Lauwersoog. On the sea dyke , residents, administrators, and entrepreneurs sea dyke a special poem about the dyke reinforcement. This was followed by the sounding of the ship's horn by grades 7/8 of the Mandegoud primary school in Kloosterburen. This signaled the start of tomorrow's dike reinforcement. After the festive start, young and old alike enjoyed an open house with information and activities.
Water safety
The reinforcement of the dyke additional tasks for nature, recreation, economy, and traffic safety will be completed in 2026. Reinforcement of the dyke necessary because it no longer meets water safety standards. Once the work is complete, the dyke will once again protect against higher sea levels and extreme weather conditions caused by climate change dyke next 50 years.
Most sustainable dyke
In carrying out this dyke reinforcement, explicit attention is being paid to the reuse of materials and the reduction of emissions. For example, emission-free electrical equipment is being used, as well as renewable and fossil-free HVO diesel. This will enable the water authority to reduce water authority by up to 95%. The sea dyke Westpolder and along the Vierhuizergat will be raised and reinforced with clay and stone cladding. Material from the current dyke reused and new material will come from the region. In the harbor, the dyke will be dyke and raised with sheet piling. The Waddenkwartier consortium, formed by GMB and Heijmans, is carrying out the dyke reinforcement work.
Dyke tasks for nature, traffic, and recreation
The dyke reinforcement will also strengthen the Wadden Sea nature, dyke recreation around the dyke , and improve traffic safety. The latter involves the construction of a second access road to the port of Lauwersoog. There will also be a walking boulevard along the port, a cycle path, and a Wadden Sea viewing platform on the rural dyke the Vierhuizergat. With regard to nature, a salt marsh will be formed as a natural transition from the dyke the mudflats. A dyke passage an inner dike tidal area in the Marnewaard of approximately 70 hectares will also be created. Furthermore, a pilot project with reef elements is underway off the coast. The measures linked to this dyke reinforcement will ensure a more natural transition between land, mudflats, and water. We are realizing these additional tasks together with the municipality of Het Hogeland, the province of Groningen, Rijkswaterstaat (on behalf of the Programmatic Approach to Large Water Bodies), and Groninger Landschap, also on behalf of nature organizations Natuurmonumenten, Staatsbosbeheer, and Natuur en Milieufederatie Groningen. Eisse Luitjens, councillor with special responsibilities Noorderzijlvest councillor with special responsibilities : "I am particularly proud of the broad and enjoyable collaboration surrounding this dyke reinforcement. Together with government authorities, nature organizations, and residents, we have added extras for nature, traffic, and recreation to a strong dyke. Together with the market, we are reinforcing the dyke significantly lower emissions and smart (re)use of raw materials. In this way, we are building the most sustainable dyke the Netherlands together. I warmly invite everyone to follow and visit this project over the next four years!"
Financing
A total of €158 million has been set aside for this project. On February 15, 2023, the Bestuur of Directors the Noorderzijlvest Water Authority made €136 million available for the dike reinforcement. The Flood Protection Program is contributing 90% of the costs for the water safety project. The municipality of Het Hogeland is financing the second access road to the port. Funding for nature development is available from the Wadden Fund, the Programmatic Approach to Large Water Bodies (PAGW), and the province of Groningen.
Why reinforce the dike?
The nine-kilometer-long Lauwersmeer dike, stretching from the R.J. Cleveringsluizen to the Westpolder, has been protecting the Lauwersmeer area and parts of the Groningen and Friesland hinterland from flooding for more than 50 years. Sea dikes are assessed for water safety every twelve years. The height of the dyke the water-side revetment no longer meet the relevant standards. Once the dike reinforcement has been completed, this section of the dyke will again meet the safety requirements dyke next fifty years to protect against higher sea levels and extreme weather as a result of climate change. By 2050, all Dutch flood defences must flood defences with the new safety standards. That is why, over the next thirty years, approximately 1,100 kilometres dyke will be dyke and 500 sluices and pumping stations . We are doing this as part of the national Flood Protection Programme (HWBP), which is part of the national Delta Programme.
Nature development Grote Wateren
With its nature conservation measures, the dike reinforcement project contributes to achieving the statutory objectives for Natura 2000 and the Water Framework Directive. The Ministries of Infrastructure and Water Management and Agriculture, Nature, and Food Quality have launched a separate investment program for this purpose, the Programmatic Approach to Large Water Bodies (PAGW). Rijkswaterstaat (RWS), the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO), and Staatsbosbeheer are working on behalf of the PAGW with the aforementioned project parties and, in parallel with the dike reinforcement, on measures to make the Wadden Sea nature more climate-proof and robust. The main goal is to restore the ecosystem of the Wadden Sea.
