Noorderhaaks

Template: Infobox Island / Maintenance / height missing

The Noorderhaaks, also called Razende Bol, is a sand bank ( " plate" ) with an area of ​​5 km ², which is caused by the tidal currents between the North Sea and the island of Texel. The at low tide from the Marsdiep, the strait between Texel and Den Helder, flowing water meets the rising tide of the North Sea, the two currents neutralize each other, and the sand in North Sea water decreases. Sand flats of this type migrate slowly in the direction of flood flow. About a century ago, was on the site of the present Noorderhaaks another sandbank, Onrust, which followed the beginning of the 20th century to the southern end of Texel.

With a speed of 100 meters per year, the Noorderhaaks moved toward Molengat ( which is about 650 m wide passage between Texel and Noorderhaaks ) and Marsdiep, but it is not sure whether he - will also connect to Texel - without human intervention. The flow in the Molengat is still quite strong, and the distance between Texel and the Noorderhaaks has not diminished in recent years. It therefore seems more likely that the Noorderhaaks will spread along the coast of Texel to the north.

The higher-lying areas of the sandbar are flooded only during storm surges. Because the rest are on the Noorderhaaks seals, gray seals and birds permanent guests. However, the sandbar is also training area of the Dutch armed forces. Since 2006, a part of the sandbank is temporarily closed to the public so as not to interfere in particular the 120 there dormant gray seals. Similarly, the winter shooting practice of the Navy were stopped so that the gray seals are not scared with her cubs.

The Noorderhaaks and the further south Zuiderhaaks together form the so-called Haaksgronden. They are also water management so far untouched and not part of coastal defense, which is unusual in the Netherlands.

Proposal for coastal protection

To protect against erosion Texel and save the high cost of annual sand nourishments at the southern tip of the island ( annually about 4.5 million euros ), suggested the landscape architect Lieneke van Campen (born 1973 ), her final project at the Academy of Architecture in Amsterdam 2005 to divide the Noorderhaaks into two parts. Due to its northern extension would with cutter dredgers a seven-meter deep channel dug, and the sand thus gained would be piled up on the north side of the new channel, up to a height of about 15 meters. The southern, larger part of the Noorderhaaks would remain relatively stable in its current location, while the separated northern piece increases with the sand out of the channel, join in the course of about 20 years by wind erosion and other sand deposits on Texel would.