The Delta Works are a number of constructions that were built between 1950 and 1997 in the southwest of the Netherlands to protect a large area of land from the sea. The works consist of dams, sluices, locks, dikes, and storm surge barriers. The aim of the dams, sluices, and storm surge barriers was to shorten the Dutch coastline, thus reducing the number of dikes that had to be heightened. Year 1950 (MCML) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... For the band, see 1997 (band). ... Motto: Je Maintiendrai (Dutch: Ik zal handhaven, English: I Shall Uphold) Anthem: Wilhelmus van Nassouwe Capital Amsterdam1 Largest city Amsterdam Official language(s) Dutch2 Government Parliamentary democracy Constitutional monarchy  - Queen Beatrix  - Prime minister Jan Peter Balkenende Independence Eighty Years War   - Declared July 26, 1581   - Recognised January 30, 1648 (by Spain... This article is about structures for water impoundment. ... Sluice gates near Henley, on the River Thames A small wooden sluice in Magome, Japan, used to power a waterwheel. ... Canal locks in England. ... Afsluitdijk, a 32 km dike in the Netherlands. ... Tokyo floodgates to protect from typhoon surges. ...

The American Society of Civil Engineers has declared the works to be one of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World. “ASCE” redirects here. ... For other uses, see Wonders of the World (disambiguation). ...

History

The estuaries of the rivers Rhine, Meuse and Scheldt have been subject to many floodings over the centuries. After building the Afsluitdijk, the Dutch started studying the damming of the Rhine-Meuse Delta. Plans were developed for shortening the coastline and turning the estuary into freshwater lakes. By shortening the coastline fewer dikes would have to be reinforced. For other meanings, see Estuary (disambiguation) Río de la Plata estuary An estuary is a semi-enclosed coastal body of water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea. ... For other uses, see Rhine (disambiguation). ... Meuse is a département in northeast France, named after the Meuse River. ... The Scheldt (Dutch: Schelde, French Escaut) is a 350 km[1] long river in northern France, western Belgium and the southwestern part of the Netherlands. ... Afsluitdijk The Afsluitdijk (Closure-dike) is a major dam in the Netherlands, constructed between 1927 and 1933 and running from Den Oever on Wieringen in North Holland province, to the village of Zurich (mun. ...

Due to indecision and the Second World War, these plans remained studies and little action was taken. In 1950 two small estuary mouths, the Brielse Gat near Brielle and the Botlek near Vlaardingen were dammed. After the North Sea flood of 1953, a commission was installed which had to come up with a plan to research the causes and seek measures to prevent such disasters in future. They revised some of the old plans and came up with the so called "Deltaplan". Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... Coordinates: , Country Netherlands Province South Holland Area (2006)  - Municipality 31. ... Nickname: Coordinates: , Country Province Area (2006)  - Total 26. ... The North Sea flood of 1953 and the associated storm combined to create a major natural disaster which affected the coastlines of the Netherlands and England on the night of 31 January 1953 – 1 February 1953. ...

The plan consisted of blocking the estuary-mouths of the Oosterschelde, the Haringvliet and the Grevelingen. This reduced the amount of dykes exposed to the sea by approximately 400 miles. The estuary-mouths of the Nieuwe Waterweg and the Westerschelde were to remain open because of the shipping routes to the ports of Rotterdam and Antwerp. The dikes along these waterways were to be heightened and strengthened. The works would be combined with road and waterway infrastructure to stimulate the economy of the province of Zeeland and improve the connection between the port of Rotterdam and Antwerp. Satellite image of the Scheldt delta showing the Oosterschelde estuary (i) The Oosterschelde (Eastern Scheldt) is an estuary in Zeeland, the Netherlands, between Schouwen-Duiveland and Tholen on the north and Noord-Beveland and Zuid-Beveland on the south. ... The Haringvliet is a large inlet of the North Sea, in the province of South Holland in the Netherlands. ... Categories: Lakes of the Netherlands | Rhine-Meuse-Scheldt delta | Netherlands geography stubs ... Satellite image of the northwest part of the Rhine-Meuse delta showing the Nieuwe Waterweg (t) The Nieuwe Waterweg (New Waterway) is a ship canal in the Netherlands from het Scheur (a branch of the Rhine-Meuse delta) west of the town of Maassluis to the North Sea at Hook... Satellite image of the Scheldt delta showing the Western Scheldt (b) The Western Scheldt (Westerschelde) in the province Zeeland in the southwestern Netherlands, is an estuary of the Scheldt river. ... Nickname: Motto: Sterker door strijd (Stronger through Struggle) Location of Rotterdam Coordinates: , Country Province Government  - Mayor Ivo Opstelten  - Aldermen Jeannette Baljeu Hamit Karakus Orhan Kaya Lucas Bolsius Jantine Kriens Dominic Schrijer Roelf de Boer Leonard Geluk Area [1]  - Total 319 km² (123. ... The port of Antwerp is a capesize port in the heart of Europe. ... Capital Middelburg Largest city Terneuzen Queens Commissioner Karla Peijs Religion (1999) Protestant 35% Catholic 23% Area  â€¢ Land  â€¢ Water   1,788 km² (10th) 1,146 km² Population (2006)  â€¢ Total  â€¢ Density 380,186 (11th) 213/km² (10th) Anthem Zeeuws volkslied ISO NL-ZE Official website www. ...

Alterations to the plan during the execution of the Works

During the execution of the works alterations were made due to pressure from society. In the Nieuwe Waterweg heightening and the associated widening of the dikes proved very difficult because of many historic buildings that would have to be destroyed. Therefore, a storm surge barrier would be built (the Maeslantkering) and dikes were only partly heightened. Maeslant Barrier closed during testing. ...

Oosterscheldekering, the largest of 13 Delta Works' dams.

The Oosterschelde was originally to be dammed and turned into a fresh water lake, leading to the loss of the saltwater nature and, consequently, the fishing of oysters. Environmentalists and fishermen combined their efforts to prevent the closure and successfully pressed parliament to make amendments to the original plan. Instead of completely damming the estuary mouth, a storm surge barrier would be built. This exists today as a collection of very large valves. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1024x760, 201 KB) File links The following pages link to this file: Delta Works ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1024x760, 201 KB) File links The following pages link to this file: Delta Works ... The Oosterscheldekering (Eastern Scheldt storm surge barrier), between the islands Schouwen-Duiveland and Noord-Beveland, is the largest of the 13 ambitious Delta works series of dams, designed to protect a large part of the Netherlands from flooding. ...

The storm surge barrier only closes when the sea-level is expected to rise above 3 meters above mean sea-level. Under normal conditions the estuary mouth is open and salt water flows in and out with the tide. Consequently, the weak dikes along the Oosterschelde needed to be strengthened. This strengthening had not been done yet because the Oosterschelde would be dammed. Over 200 km of dike needed new revetments. The connections between the Eastern Scheldt and the neighboring Haringvliet had to be dammed to limit the effect of the salt water. Extra dams and locks were needed at the east part of the Oosterschelde to create a shipping route between the ports of Rotterdam and Antwerp. The Haringvliet is a large inlet of the North Sea, in the province of South Holland in the Netherlands. ...

Current status

The works were finished after almost fifty years in 1997 with the completion of the Maeslantkering and the Hartelkering. The Dutch government often cites the Delta Works project as the world's largest flood protection project. With over 10,250 miles of dikes (1,500 miles designated as primary dikes and 8,750 miles as secondary dikes) and 300 structures, the project is one of the most extensive engineering projects in the world.

Due to climate change and relative sea-level rise dikes will eventually have to be made higher and wider. This is a long term uphill battle against the sea. The needed level of flood-protection and the resulting costs are a recurring subject of debate. Currently reinforcement of the dyke revetments along the Oosterschelde and Westerschelde is underway. The revetments have proven to be insufficient and need to be replaced. These works started in 1996 and should be finished in 2015. In that period the Ministry of Public Works and Water Management in cooperation with the waterboards will have reinforced over 400 km of dikes.[1]

List of constructions

Satellite image of the Scheldt delta

The works that are part of the Delta Works are listed in chronological order with their year of completion: South part of the Rhine-Meuse-Scheldt delta in the Netherlands, focusing on the Scheldt-influenced bit and showing most of the province of Zeeland. ... South part of the Rhine-Meuse-Scheldt delta in the Netherlands, focusing on the Scheldt-influenced bit and showing most of the province of Zeeland. ... The Scheldt (Dutch: Schelde, French Escaut) is a 350 km[1] long river in northern France, western Belgium and the southwestern part of the Netherlands. ...

• Brielsegatdam (1950)
• Stormvloedkering Hollandse IJssel (1958)
• Zandkreekdam (1960)
• Veersegatdam (1961)
• Grevelingendam (1965)
• Volkerakdam (1969)
• Haringvliet sluices (1971)
• Brouwersdam (1971)
• Markiezaatskade (1983)
• Eastern Scheldt Storm Surge Barrier (1986)
• Oesterdam (1987)
• Philipsdam (1987)
• Spuisluis (1987)
• Hartelkering (1997)
• Maeslantkering (1997)

The Haringvliet sluices are a construction that closed of the estuary of the Haringvliet as part of the Delta Works. ... The Oosterscheldekering (Eastern Scheldt storm surge barrier), between the islands Schouwen-Duiveland and Noord-Beveland, is the largest of the 13 ambitious Delta works series of dams, designed to protect a large part of the Netherlands from flooding. ... Maeslant Barrier closed during testing. ...

See also

• Zuiderzee Works
• Flood control in the Netherlands
• Thames Barrier

The 32 km long Afsluitdijk separates the IJsselmeer from the North Sea, protecting thousands of km² of land. ... Blue: Areas below sea level or vulnerable to flooding, either by sea or by rivers. ... The Thames Barrier is a flood control structure on the River Thames, constructed between 1974 and 1984 at Woolwich Reach, London. ...

External links

• DeltaWorks.org / Deltawerken.com — official website for the Delta Works.
• Dutch History Pages

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Delta Works

Coordinates: 51.65° N 3.72° E Map of Earth showing lines of latitude (horizontally) and longitude (vertically), Eckert VI projection; large version (pdf, 1. ...