More dredging needed to keep the Ameland – Holwerd route open

In order to keep the sail between Ameland and Holwerd at reach depth and width, Rijkswaterstaat recently began dredging of the shoals in this part of the Wadden Sea.

From today, February 27th, Rijkswaterstaat will speed up operations and deploy an additional dredger on the Ameland – Holwerd fairway.

According to Rijkswaterstaat, these additional measures are being taken because shipping company Wagenborg was recently forced to cancel sailings at low tide.

Despite these efforts, it is increasingly difficult to maintain the target depth of the channel with the current dredging material, the agency said.

They also added that this is due to a natural process in which sediment from the water is deposited on the bottom of the Wadden Sea. As a result, the bottom rises and the mudflat channels become increasingly difficult to navigate.

In addition, rapid changes in the position of the channel and sediment movements mean that the effects of the dredging work are less predictable.