Sea dikes

Sea dikes have been built for protecting vulnerable parts of the coast. 34 of the 353-kilometer
long Dutch North Sea coast are protected by dikes. All of the polders bordering the Wadden Sea
and the delta waters are also protected by dikes. Along with breakwaters, sea dikes are the 'rocks'
of the further sandy coastline and therefore have their very own assortment of flora and fauna.
Due to progressing land reclamation, some old sea dikes now lie inland. Sometimes, extra dikes
were built behind sea dikes, to serve as backup. These dikes are called 'sleeping' dikes.

The first dikes

The history of dike construction in the terpen and wierden countryside goes way back in time.
The oldest known sea dike in the Netherlands is around 2000 years old and lies in the Frisian
township of Peins. It was built from sods of grass piled on top of each other. The oldest sea dike
is located in North Groningen, built around 1200 A.D.
The early dikes were very low; you could see over the top. They were mainly made from clay
and had a slanting incline. The dikes were later raised and broadened.

Constructing of a modern dike

A sea dike is built up from a dike body and a facing. This must protect the dike body from
erosion caused by waves, currents and breaking ice. Because new dikes often settle, the material
must also be reasonably flexible. In earlier days, dikes were made from eelgrass, osier branches,
wooden poles, natural stone and sometimes even bricks. Nowadays, cement blocks, cement poles
and asphalt are often used.

Dike under water

The scheme above shows a cross-section of a dike. The underwater part of the dike is not visible
but is very important. The underwater bank (left in the illustration) must protect the underside of
the dike from eroding away by currents and waves. This protective layer can be made from
synthetic cloth with stones thrown on top. The so-called underwater submerged sloop follows.
This part of the dike consists of synthetic cloth with a layer of large stones. Lots of animals live
on the stones, such as crabs, anemones, sea squirts and shellfish. Seaweed and algae also grow
on the stones. The underwater quay supports the dike body and is often built from sand or gravel.
Steel slags (waste product from the steel industry) are also used.

Sinking works

Sinking works are often applied in combination with dikes, due to the positive effect the sand
fixation has on the dikes. Normally speaking, the sea currents scour away the sand in front of a
dike. When sinking works are laid, this scouring occurs further seaward, fortifying the stability
of these dikes and making them less sensitive to erosion. Basalt blocks or other heavy material
are thrown on top to keep these sinking works in place.

The dike above water

Rows of poles are often seen at the foot of the dikes. These poles, which can be two meters long,
form the 'toe construction' and make sure that the other layers do not shift downward. A layer of
basalt or cement blocks are then placed on a layer of coarse grainy material. There is lots of room
between the stones so that water can easily sink down. The water is quickly led back to sea by
the layer of grainy material. This construction absorbs the waves and protects the dike body. The
asphalt layer begins above the filter layer. This is a water-resistant layer, also referred to as
'closed facing', which protects the dike body from erosion and sagging. The crown and landside
of the dike consists of a clay layer overgrown with grass. This clay layer protects the dike from
water and holds down the underlying layers of sand. The layer of grass is essential: the roots give
it a sturdy structure, so that the clay cannot wash away. The grass also keeps the clay from drying
out.

Are dikes waterproof?

No dike is waterproof. Because the dike facing is porous on the seaside, seawater is always
seeping to the landside through the dike. The water level under a dike runs from sea level to ditch
level. Seepage occurs when the dike allows too much water through. Salty groundwater comes to
the surface on the landside of the dike. Seepage is undesirable because the clay layer in the dike
can be damaged by the pressure of the water, thereby weakening the dike. Farmers are not happy
with salty seepage because the salt hinders the growth of the crops. However, managers of nature
areas along sea dikes are often pleased with a certain amount of salty seepage, because a
brackish water environment is created with its unusual plants and animals.

Height of dikes

How does one decide how high a dike should be? The dikes are developed in such a way that
their height is equal to the maximum water level during a super storm which can occur once
every 10,000 years. In theory, such a dike has a chance of flooding once every 10,000 years. This
dike height is calculated from historical data of maximum water levels. All sea-defensive dikes
in the Netherlands were raised in the second half of the 20th century to this 'delta height', 7.65
meters above NAP.
Sea dikes in the Netherlands

North Sea dikes can be found at the tips of the Zeeuws-Vlaanderen and the delta islands, just
north of the Hook of Holland, by Petten (the Hondsebossche Zeewering), by Den Helder and on
the north point of Texel (the Bolwerk). Since 1990, the construction of new North Sea dikes
ended when policy chose for sand nourishments as the most important form of coastal protection.
Sea dikes, which protect the polders situated on the landside, can also be found along the delta
rivers and the Wadden Sea. Exceptions to this rule are the beach plains on all of the Wadden
Islands, the salt marshes on Vlieland, Terschelling, Ameland en Schiermonnikoog and the
uninhabited islands.

Dike coupures

Old dikes have been dissected in many places to allow traffic to drive through. This is called a
dike coupure. The opening in the dike must be able to close, because these old dikes still fulfill a
function for flood control. Therefore, a 'stop-log' house or dike platform is always found next to
such a coupure, in which logs are stored to fill the hole in case of emergency. In the Dollard
polders, you find dike coupures that use doors instead of logs to close the dike.

Dike breaches

Dike breaches can happen during heavy storms that raise the water level and simultaneously
cause hefty swells. If a hole forms in the dike, a current channel directly behind the dike is
created. When this hole is more or less basin-shaped, it is called a 'wiel' in Dutch. In order to halt
the breach, the hole must be filled with bags of sand, but this will only work for a short period of
time. A dam or a temporary dike around the wiel can help if the sand bags do not work. In
addition, a caisson or vessel full with sand or stone can be sunk into the hole temporarily. After
the make-shift recovery of the hole, the temporary dike around the wiel can be rebuilt into a true
dike. If the length of the weakened dike that needs to be replaced is long, then the new dike is
often built on the seaside.

Safety of dikes

The Act on Water Retaining Structures was enforced in 1995. Dike managers are required to test
the dikes every five years to determine whether or not they still satisfy the safety standard and
eventually report to the Minister of Public Works.
A periodic survey by Rijkswaterstaat and the Dike Board Hollands Noorderkwartier in early
2006 showed that number of dikes is too low and unstable. The Afsluitdike (Closure Causeway)
built in 1932 is deteriorating and needs urgent re-enforcement. The Hondsbossche and Pettemer
seawalls are also weak chains. Furthermore, the Wadden Sea dike on Texel and a number of
other dikes on the islands and in Friesland and North-Holland are too unstable. A part of the
Frisian Wadden Sea dike has a six-kilometer long dike that is in very bad shape.

Hondsbossche Seawall: 'the weakest chain'

The Hondsbossche Seawall by Petten is a weak spot. This dike was found unsafe when TNO
tested its newest calculation models on wave energy during a super storm. Therefore, re-
enforcement of the dike has been given high priority in the coastal defense plan. Raising the
seawall is not the best option. The dike would have to be raised 1.5 to 3.5 meters. A study from
the project bureau Kustvisie 2050 showed that a series of breakwaters in combination with large
sand nourishments would cost less and be just as effective. In the meantime, breakwaters have
been removed from the plans. In the meantime, the seawall has been re-enforced by dumping 20
million cubic meters of sand seaward of the dike.

Along the Marsdiep

The strong current in the Marsdiep, the channel between Den Helder and Texel, scours away the
stones at the foot of the dike near Den Helder. The dike foot must be re-enforced by dumping
extra boulders. Such an operation has been assessed at 1.45 million euros.

Dikes in the future

An experimental dike has been constructed in Bellingwolde (Groningen), which is filled with the
most modern sensor technology. The condition of the dike can be checked electronically. The
water boards must be capable of guarding the dikes 24 hours a day in the future. If the condition
of the dike worsens, then such an apparatus will warn one ahead of time so that measures can be
quickly taken to prevent a breach and flooding. If the experiment is successful, other dikes will
also be provided with sensors.

Marsh buffers
The Water Boards are considering constructing marsh buffers in Zeeland. Sediment precipitation
can widen the marsh stretching in front of the main dike as sea-level rises. The province of
Zeeland is interested in this option as well as other alternative methods for flood control.

Managing the sea dikes in the Netherlands

According to the Act for flood defense, managing the dikes in the
Netherlands rests by the Water Board Districts. For example, the
Hoogheemraadschap Hollands Noorderkwartier ('Water Board Holland's
Northern Quarter') manages the wadden dikes on Texel. A few sea dikes
along the coast and the Afsluitdike form an exception to this rule. For various
reasons, Rijkswaterstaat is responsible for these dikes. Wier dikes (dikes made
from eelgrass)
The people living in the wadden region during the Middle Ages harvested large amounts of
eelgrass. This material was used in various ways, including building dikes. The eelgrass was
stamped down between a row of poles and on top of an underground of reed. These dikes rose
two meters above sea level. They were often re-enforced on the seaside with thick poles.

Weak dikes

The eelgrass dikes were weak and low. They were often ruined by storms. New dikes were built
around the hole, giving the dikes strange coils.

Great shipworm

In 1700, a large part of the seawall on the west coast of the Zuiderzee was
made up of 'wier' dikes. When the shipworm entered the scene and affected
the fortifying rows of poles, the disaster was incalculable. The 'wier' dikes
were re-enforced again on a large scale by dumping debris on the sea side.

Old wier dikes still make up the nucleus of many dikes. The tran-section
shown above illustrates a dike on Texel at 'Zuiderzee' height. The lower reed
layer, the steep body of the 'wier' dike, the remnants of the destroyed poles
and the dumped debris is easy to see. Later, the dike was greatly enlarged
by a large body of sand deposited on the land side while the seaside was re-
enforced with debris, Norwegian boulders a Dutch flood disasters

In the past, there have been various disasters in the Netherlands due to rising water. The worst
disaster in the 20th century was the flood of 1953, when large portions of Zeeland, South
Holland and a few other polders were flooded and many lives were lost. Earlier flood disasters
had also eroded away much land in the Dollard and the former Zuiderzee. These disasters were
part of the reason for the closure of the Zuiderzee, resulting in the IJsselmeer.

The flood disaster of 1953

The flood disaster in the night of 31 January - 1 February 1953 was caused by an extremely
heavy and prolonged northwesterly storm. The water in the southern North Sea had dammed up
to unprecedented heights. The coastal defense was unable to cope with this heavy storm. Dikes
broke in hundreds of places and large areas of Zeeland and South Holland were flooded with
seawater. Dikes also broke on Texel, killing six people.
The disaster flood of 1953 led to the execution of the Delta Plan. To sum it up, this plan meant
closing off most of the sea channels in the south of the country with dams and raising the sea
dikes elsewhere. For the wadden region, there was also an ambitious plan for land reclamation:
the Wadden Plan.

Closing the Delta sea arms

The Grevelingen and the Haringvliet were closed off with heavy dams. An actual closure of the
Oosterschelde encountered many protests from nature conservationists, tourists and commercial
fishermen. This forced the water managers to come up with another solution: a storm-surge
barrier was developed, which can close off the sea arm when a dangerous flood threatens.
With the completion of the second large storm-surge barrier in the Nieuwe Waterweg in 1997,
the Delta Plan was completed. This barrier was put into use on May 10, 1997.

Zuiderzee disasters

During the large flood disasters of 1825 and 1916, large pieces of land around the Zuiderzee
were inundated with brackish water. Much land was lost. In order to stop these undesirable
consequences, the government decided around 1920 to close off the Zuiderzee and subsequently
reclaim large sections. The most important advantage of the reclamation was the creation of new
land, which eventually was suitable for farming and habitation.

nd basalt.