Removal of vegetation on dike revetment.

We have begun the alternative removal (burning away) of vegetation on the stone revetments of our dikes along the Markermeer and IJsselmeer.
Most of the dikes have a grass revetment. Only where the wave attack becomes too great, or where the grass cannot grow, has the grass revetment been replaced by a stronger revetment, such as a stone revetment, asphalt or a crushed stone revetment.

If the hard revetment does not form a continuous surface, as in the case of stone revetment, the removal of vegetation is necessary. Between the stones, weeds shoot up, such as thistles and grasses, as well as woody vegetation. If these are not removed in time, the lining can be affected. This adversely affects the dike's flood control function.

What will happen?

Removing vegetation with chemical pesticides is no longer allowed. The most common working method of removing vegetation on dikes with hard cover is cutting/mowing with a brush cutter (wood mowing) or brushing weedy vegetation. This method is labor-intensive and therefore relatively costly and must be done twice a year to have a good target appearance for inspection purposes. Therefore, we will now burn away the vegetation. A water truck is always present to extinguish any fires.

Where does the project take place?

This concerns all flood defenses located on the Markermeer and IJsselmeer between Zaandam and Den Oever.

When will the project take place and how long will it take?

The contractor shall remove all vegetation from the stone revetment by September 1 each year to meet the minimum target appearance to be achieved.

Want to know more?

If you would like to know more about this project, please contact us via our contact form or by phone at 072 - 582 8282.