Implementation of Lauwersmeer dike-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 unveiled a special poem about the dyke reinforcement. This was followed by the sounding of a 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 dike and additional tasks for nature, recreation, economy, and traffic safety will be completed in 2026. Reinforcement of the dike is necessary because it no longer meets water safety standards. Once the work is complete, the dike will once again protect against higher sea levels and extreme weather conditions caused by climate change for the next 50 years.
Most sustainable dike
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 board to reduce CO2 emissions by up to 95%. The sea dike towards Westpolder and along the Vierhuizergat will be raised and reinforced with clay and stone cladding. Material from the current dike will be reused and new material will come from the region. In the harbor, the dike will be reinforced and raised with sheet piling. The Waddenkwartier consortium, formed by GMB and Heijmans, is carrying out the dike reinforcement.
Dike with tasks for nature, traffic, and recreation
The dyke reinforcement will also strengthen the Wadden Sea nature, stimulate 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 along the Vierhuizergat. With regard to nature, a salt marsh will be formed as a natural transition from the dike to the mudflats. A dike passage with 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 dike 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 Systems), and Groninger Landschap, also on behalf of nature organizations Natuurmonumenten, Staatsbosbeheer, and Natuur en Milieufederatie Groningen. Eisse Luitjens, portfolio holder for the Noorderzijlvest Water Authority: "I am particularly proud of the broad and enjoyable collaboration surrounding this dike reinforcement. Together with government authorities, nature organizations, and residents, we have added extras for nature, traffic, and recreation to a strong dike. Together with the market, we are reinforcing the dike with significantly lower emissions and smart (re)use of raw materials. In this way, we are building the most sustainable dike in 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 general board of 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. Seawalls are assessed for water safety every twelve years. The height of the dike and the water-side revetment no longer meet the standards for this. Once the dike reinforcement has been completed, this section of the dike will again meet the safety requirements for the next fifty years to protect against higher sea levels and extreme weather as a result of climate change. By 2050, all Dutch flood defenses must comply with the new safety standards. That is why, over the next thirty years, approximately 1,100 kilometers of dykes will be reinforced and 500 locks and pumping stations will be improved. We are doing this as part of the national Flood Protection Program (HWBP), which is part of the national Delta Program.
Nature development Grote Wateren
With its nature measures, the dike reinforcement 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.
