Hollands Diep

Located in the Netherlands, Hollands Diep, also Hollands Diep ( German Dutch depth), is a broad, directed westward Stromarm in the course of the southern of the two main strands of the Rhine estuary. The Hollands Diep was until 1970 a bay of the North Sea.

Location and characteristics of

The approximately 21 -mile coastal inland waters is the penultimate section of the widest Rheinarms in branched Rhine-Meuse delta. It begins in the east as a continuation of the New Merwede, in turn, a continuation of the Waal ( the main line of the Rhine ). At this point opens the Amer, which is the lowest portion of the Meuse ( Maas Bergsche ). In the mouth angle is partly natural landscape of the Delta Biesbosch.

The ästuarartig flared Hollands Diep bifurcates at its western end in the two waters Volkerak in the southwest ( separated by locks ) and Haring Vliet in the West. Both, and thus the Hollands Diep, were dammed in the construction of the Delta Works of the North Sea. All of these waters were transformed by 1970 of salty or brackish, under tidal influence estuaries in freshwater lakes. The ongoing since 2010 cautious re Verbrackung only affects the western part of neighboring Haring Vliet.

The Hollands Diep is on the border between the Dutch provinces of South Holland in the North and North Brabant in the south. In the north of the Hollands Diep is the Hoeksche Waard and the island of Dordrecht; between them represents the Dordtse Kil connects to the Oude Maas and the New Waterway.

Formation

The flood of 1216 struck Voorne a gap in the coastal fringe of the dunes accompanying whereby first the neighboring Haring Vliet was born (name since 1315). Around 1250 the water reached the Striene, where until well after it Brabant groped his way. The Hollands Diep was born in 1421 by the so-called Elisabeth flood that changed the estuaries of Rhine, Meuse and Scheldt fundamentally. At the beginning of the new bay was by far wider and gave many kilometers to the east. By landing, siltation and reclamation shrank the Hollands Diep to the current extent. The Hollands Diep was formerly Wijvekeen.

Hydrological aspects

Between 1904 and 1970, the Hollands Diep was the place where the main strands of the Rhine and Meuse each other reached the sea separately. Before that, the Meuse flowed about today Afgedamde Maas directly into the Waal. Since 1970, the water of both rivers reaches back together through the locks of the Haringvliet dam the sea.

The water management in the Rhine Delta strives by means of several barrages at a flow rate of about 1500 m³ / s in the New Waterway ( through the port of Rotterdam ); the additional amount of water management in particular the Waal is derived predominantly via the Nieuwe Merwede and the Hollands Diep; on average these are around 950 m³ / s Conversely (less than 1100 m³ / s Lobith on the German border ) of the Haringvliet dam almost closed, so that the combined water of the Waal and the Meuse in various ways to the New Waterway flows in at low water level of the Rhine. Thus, the Hollands Diep, together with the Nieuwe Merwede and the Haringvliet an extreme seasonal fluctuations in flow on with level fluctuations of nearly two meters.

There are also designated as Scheintide daily fluctuations that result from the closing of the Haringvliet locks at high tide.

Cultural landscape and history

The Hollands Diep could be crossed before 1872 only rather tedious by ship. It was thus a symbol of the earlier significant cultural divide between the Protestant north and the Catholic south of the Netherlands. The Dutch phrases boven Moerdijk ( "above Moerdijks " ) or beneden Moerdijk ( " below Moerdijks " ) to say " in the true Protestant Holland " or " in the southern, Catholic Netherlands " (North Brabant and Limburg).

On the south bank of the historic fortress town of Willemstad is ( part of the fortifications on the Hollands Diep and the Volkerak ).

Infrastructure

About the Hollands Diep result in Moerdijk, the Moerdijkbruggen ( a highway and two railroad bridges ). At the transition to the other estuaries are the Haringvlietbrug and Helegatdam provided with locks.

Part of the Hollands Diep is part of the shipping route between Rotterdam and Antwerp. This is demonstrated by the port facilities at Moerdijk Zevenbergen on the south bank.