Lauwersmeer
Encyclopedia
Lauwersmeer is a man-made lake in the north of the Netherlands
, on the border of the provinces of Groningen
and Friesland
. The lake was formed on 1969-05-23, when the dike between the bay called "Lauwers Sea" and the Wadden Sea
was closed.
On the eastern shores of the Lauwersmeer is the Marnewaard, an exercise area of the Royal Netherlands Army
. The central and eastern parts of the lake became Lauwersmeer National Park
, a national park
, on 2003-11-12.
, which flows along the border between the provinces of Groningen
and Friesland
. During the flood the mouth of the Lauwers river disappeared, and its tributaries the Reitdiep, the Dokkumerdiep, and the Ee flowed directly into the new bay. Many plans were made after this disaster to shut it off from the sea but none were ever put into effect. However, parts of it were empoldered
piecemeal, slowly reducing it from a large two-forked estuary to the nearly-square inlet seen on recent maps.
The first serious plans for draining the Lauwers Sea are from 1849. In the 1930s a commission came with several plans but all ended up in the drawer and were never accomplished.
The flood disaster of 1953
and the Christmas flood of 1954 made clear that something had to be done. In 1958 the New Delta Law ordered a reinforcement of the dikes in the north of the Netherlands. At the Lauwers Sea there were two options, to reinforce the existing dikes around the Lauwers Sea (32 km of dikes) or to make a dam of 13 km and separation of the Lauwers Sea and the Wadden Sea. After a study the 13 km dike plan was more expensive than the 32 km plan and the government decided to choose for the cheapest option.
The people living in the area came into resistance and a committee was formed (actiecomité "Lauwerszee"). They received 135.000 signatures of people that wanted to close the Lauwers Sea. In Leeuwarden was a big gathering to show the government that they didn't agree with their decision. At 10 June 1960 Kabinet-De Quay decided to enclose the Lauwers Sea on behold of the sharing of cost with the Provinces Groningen
and Friesland
. Also the Provinces needed to do the repairing if needed after finishing the dike. The provinces agreed and the planmaking started.
The 13 kilometres (8.1 mi) long dike has a sluice
s and a canal lock. A new harbour called Lauwersoog was built part-way along the dike. Final enclosure and separation from the Wadden Sea took place on 25 May 1969; since then it has been called Lauwersmeer.
New flora and fauna appeared as the Lauwerszee gradually became a freshwater lake, and to protect this new and young nature area, it was decided (12 November 2003) to designate the Lauwersmeer as a national park
. The ferry
to Schiermonnikoog
that had previously departed from Oostmahorn now leaves from Lauwersoog.
There is a lack of agreement about whether to spell the name as "Lauwersee" or "Lauwerszee". Some older maps show it as "Lauwerzee".
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
, on the border of the provinces of Groningen
Groningen (province)
Groningen [] is the northeasternmost province of the Netherlands. In the east it borders the German state of Niedersachsen , in the south Drenthe, in the west Friesland and in the north the Wadden Sea...
and Friesland
Friesland
Friesland is a province in the north of the Netherlands and part of the ancient region of Frisia.Until the end of 1996, the province bore Friesland as its official name. In 1997 this Dutch name lost its official status to the Frisian Fryslân...
. The lake was formed on 1969-05-23, when the dike between the bay called "Lauwers Sea" and the Wadden Sea
Wadden Sea
The Wadden Sea is an intertidal zone in the southeastern part of the North Sea. It lies between the coast of northwestern continental Europe and the range of Frisian Islands, forming a shallow body of water with tidal flats and wetlands. It is rich in biological diversity...
was closed.
On the eastern shores of the Lauwersmeer is the Marnewaard, an exercise area of the Royal Netherlands Army
Royal Netherlands Army
The Royal Netherlands Army is the land forces element of the military of the Netherlands.-Short history:The Royal Netherlands Army was raised on 9 January 1814, but its origins date back to 1572, when the so-called Staatse Leger was raised...
. The central and eastern parts of the lake became Lauwersmeer National Park
Lauwersmeer National Park
Nationaal Park Lauwersmeer is a national park in the provinces of Groningen and Friesland, the Netherlands. It consists of the southern and eastern parts of the Lauwersmeer .-History:...
, a national park
National park
A national park is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or owns. Although individual nations designate their own national parks differently A national park is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or...
, on 2003-11-12.
History
The Lauwers Sea (in Dutch: Lauwerszee) was formed by a flood in 1280, and named after the river LauwersLauwers
The Lauwers is a river in the Netherlands. It forms part of the border between the provinces of Friesland and Groningen. From the 730's to Widukind's defeat in 785 it was part of the border of the Frankish Empire....
, which flows along the border between the provinces of Groningen
Groningen (province)
Groningen [] is the northeasternmost province of the Netherlands. In the east it borders the German state of Niedersachsen , in the south Drenthe, in the west Friesland and in the north the Wadden Sea...
and Friesland
Friesland
Friesland is a province in the north of the Netherlands and part of the ancient region of Frisia.Until the end of 1996, the province bore Friesland as its official name. In 1997 this Dutch name lost its official status to the Frisian Fryslân...
. During the flood the mouth of the Lauwers river disappeared, and its tributaries the Reitdiep, the Dokkumerdiep, and the Ee flowed directly into the new bay. Many plans were made after this disaster to shut it off from the sea but none were ever put into effect. However, parts of it were empoldered
Polder
A polder is a low-lying tract of land enclosed by embankments known as dikes, that forms an artificial hydrological entity, meaning it has no connection with outside water other than through manually-operated devices...
piecemeal, slowly reducing it from a large two-forked estuary to the nearly-square inlet seen on recent maps.
The first serious plans for draining the Lauwers Sea are from 1849. In the 1930s a commission came with several plans but all ended up in the drawer and were never accomplished.
The flood disaster of 1953
North Sea flood of 1953
The 1953 North Sea flood was a major flood caused by a heavy storm, that occurred on the night of Saturday 31 January 1953 and morning of 1 February 1953. The floods struck the Netherlands, Belgium, England and Scotland.A combination of a high spring tide and a severe European windstorm caused a...
and the Christmas flood of 1954 made clear that something had to be done. In 1958 the New Delta Law ordered a reinforcement of the dikes in the north of the Netherlands. At the Lauwers Sea there were two options, to reinforce the existing dikes around the Lauwers Sea (32 km of dikes) or to make a dam of 13 km and separation of the Lauwers Sea and the Wadden Sea. After a study the 13 km dike plan was more expensive than the 32 km plan and the government decided to choose for the cheapest option.
The people living in the area came into resistance and a committee was formed (actiecomité "Lauwerszee"). They received 135.000 signatures of people that wanted to close the Lauwers Sea. In Leeuwarden was a big gathering to show the government that they didn't agree with their decision. At 10 June 1960 Kabinet-De Quay decided to enclose the Lauwers Sea on behold of the sharing of cost with the Provinces Groningen
Groningen (province)
Groningen [] is the northeasternmost province of the Netherlands. In the east it borders the German state of Niedersachsen , in the south Drenthe, in the west Friesland and in the north the Wadden Sea...
and Friesland
Friesland
Friesland is a province in the north of the Netherlands and part of the ancient region of Frisia.Until the end of 1996, the province bore Friesland as its official name. In 1997 this Dutch name lost its official status to the Frisian Fryslân...
. Also the Provinces needed to do the repairing if needed after finishing the dike. The provinces agreed and the planmaking started.
The 13 kilometres (8.1 mi) long dike has a sluice
Sluice
A sluice is a water channel that is controlled at its head by a gate . For example, a millrace is a sluice that channels water toward a water mill...
s and a canal lock. A new harbour called Lauwersoog was built part-way along the dike. Final enclosure and separation from the Wadden Sea took place on 25 May 1969; since then it has been called Lauwersmeer.
New flora and fauna appeared as the Lauwerszee gradually became a freshwater lake, and to protect this new and young nature area, it was decided (12 November 2003) to designate the Lauwersmeer as a national park
National park
A national park is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or owns. Although individual nations designate their own national parks differently A national park is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or...
. The ferry
Ferry
A ferry is a form of transportation, usually a boat, but sometimes a ship, used to carry primarily passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo as well, across a body of water. Most ferries operate on regular, frequent, return services...
to Schiermonnikoog
Schiermonnikoog
Schiermonnikoog is an island, a municipality, and a national park in the northern Netherlands. Schiermonnikoog is one of the West Frisian Islands, and is part of the province of Friesland....
that had previously departed from Oostmahorn now leaves from Lauwersoog.
There is a lack of agreement about whether to spell the name as "Lauwersee" or "Lauwerszee". Some older maps show it as "Lauwerzee".
See also
- Delta WorksDelta WorksThe Delta Works is a series of construction projects in the southwest of the Netherlands to protect a large area of land around the Rhine-Meuse-Scheldt delta from the sea. The works consist of dams, sluices, locks, dikes, levees, and storm surge barriers...
for another major waterworks project in the Netherlands. - Zuiderzee WorksZuiderzee WorksThe Zuiderzee Works are a manmade system of dams, land reclamation and water drainage works, the largest hydraulic engineering project undertaken by the Netherlands during the twentieth century. The project involved the damming of the Zuiderzee, a large, shallow inlet of the North Sea, and the...
- Flood control in the NetherlandsFlood control in the NetherlandsFlood control in the Netherlands is an important issue for the Netherlands as about two thirds of the country is vulnerable to flooding while at the same time the country is among the most densely populated on earth. Natural sand dunes and man made dikes, dams and floodgates provide defense against...