NY400 Blog

NY400 on June 8th, 2009

Go Green!: The Fight for Dry Feet

By Professor Robert Hoeksema

Much has already been said about Dutch leadership in water management. Recently, a congressional delegation visited the Netherlands to learn more about this. So why are the Dutch such experts? Simply put, they have history on their side.

Much of the Netherlands is a flat, low-lying delta overlain by layers of compressible peat and clay soils. Around 1000 years ago land use practices initiated decay and consolidation of these soils causing significant land subsidence. This, along with postglacial sea level rise, tides, and storm surges, created a constantly changing landscape always threatened by the sea. (Today one-third of county lies below sea level and without dunes, dikes, and pumps, 65% would be regularly flooded).

The Dutch people thrived in this environment because they successfully fought to “keep their feet dry”. The story of this battle has many interesting chapters.

As early as 500 BC earthen mounds were built to protect homes and villages from floods.
Lakes that formed from land subsidence were drained for flood protection. The 28 square mile Lake Beemster was drained in 1612 using 50 windmills. Drainage networks created then are still in place today. Seventy square mile Lake Haarlem was drained in 1852 using three of the largest steam pumps every constructed. Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport now lies on the bottom of this drained lake.
Regional water management organizations got their start in the 12th century. They are still the backbone for water management today.
The Zuiderzee, once a Roman era lake, opened to the North Sea in the 12th century and became a flooding threat well into the 20th century. 640 square miles of this inland sea were eventually drained and reclaimed creating land for agriculture, urban expansion, and recreation.
The Delta Project was constructed in response to the 1953 flood disaster. Its dams, locks, dikes, and storm barriers are considered to be engineering marvels.

With the help of the Dutch, some of these newer flood control schemes might be copied in places like New Orleans, Sacramento, or New York.

About the Author
Robert Hoeksema, a Professor of Engineering at Calvin College in Grand Rapids Michigan, frequently takes student groups to the Netherlands to learn about flood protection and land reclamation technologies. He is the author of “Designed for Dry Feet: Flood Protection and Land Reclamation in the Netherlands” published in 2006 by ASCE Press.

Photo 1 caption: Polder mill used for 17th century lake reclamation.

Photo 2 caption: Steam driven pump used to drain Lake Haarlem.