Wadden Sea dyke - Texel
Our climate is changing, the sea level is rising, it is raining more often, the soil is sinking and we are facing more frequent high tides. If we do nothing, Texel, which is largely below sea level, will be flooded. The Wadden Sea dike protects Texel from high water from the Wadden Sea. This is why a total of 18 kilometers of dike was reinforced on Texel from 2017 to 2019. At the same time, three pumping stations were renewed. During the implementation of the dike reinforcement, the natural areas and the environment around the dike were taken into account as much as possible.
During project implementation, there were a few locations with limited space to work, a challenge. Together with the environment, we managed to complete the work well and on schedule.
Lancaster dyke along Utopia and Wagejot
At this location, dike reinforcement was quite a puzzle. Texel has many breeding and migratory birds that you want to disturb as little as possible. Not disturbing them is impossible, which leaves only a few weeks a year to work. Due to the dispensation received, work was carried out on the dike at Wagejot during the breeding season. This proved to go well together, as 2,562 breeding pairs of great terns were counted in 2018.
Oudeschild harbor dam
The dike between the harbor and the village had to be made higher and stronger. A higher dike needs more space and that space was not available. Therefore, it was decided to reinforce both the dike and the harbor dam. Because of the limited space, it was decided to reinforce the dike with a sheet pile wall that disappeared completely into the dike. The harbor dam and dike together then provide the necessary safety against storms. During very heavy storms, the harbor dam breaks the waves and the dike can remain lower.
Sea dike 't Horntje
't Horntje is a special place where several types of dikes come together. In the late 1970s, the Inlaagdijk and Prins Hendrikdijk were reinforced, leaving the Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research (NIOZ) outside the dike. During the 2017-2019 dike reinforcement, the choice was made to reinforce the foreland barrier of polder 't Horntje, this has become the primary barrier, bringing NIOZ inside the dike. Hoogheemraadschap Hollands Noorderkwartier is surrounded by water. The primary flood defenses protect us from this water. The reinforcement of the Wadden Sea dike is part of the High Water Protection Program (HWBP): a program in which the national government and water boards work together intensively to protect the Netherlands from flooding. During construction, the high water board worked closely with residents, interest groups, the municipality of Texel, the province of North Holland, HWBP, the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management and Combinatie Tessel.