Delta Project
We entered the Netherlands by bus and rejoined our ship at Middelburg. Later that evening we sailed on to Veere, going through these locks as we approached the town.
The next morning we took the bus to tour the Delta Works Project that was built in response to the disasterous storm and flood of 1953. We stopped at the visitor's center, and saw Max the Mammoth, a native of the area, and a video and exhibits on the project.
Then we headed out to visit the Eastern Scheldt storm surge barrier, the largest of the Delta Works projects, about 9km long. Giant metal walls can be lowered to close off the sea. You can see the top of the wall just beyond the railing in the picture below. Originally they were going to build a dam, but reengineered it as a raisable wall.
Our guide explained that there is environmental damage even when they close the wall for five minutes for testing. He was one of the guides who said he liked having alumni groups on his tours, since we would actually pay attention to what he was saying and would ask questions other than "When will this be over so we can go shopping."
Because of rising sea levels, this whole business will be obsolete. They are studying alternative ways to protect the dikes and the land, such as the sand motor. New York City, and even some places in Florida are consulting with Dutch engineers about future projects. Fortunately, we don't need that in North Carolina, since the legislature has outlawed a rise in sea level.
We returned to Veere and reboarded the ship.
