Afgedamde Maas
Encyclopedia
The Afgedamde Maas is a former distributary of the Maas River
(French: Meuse) in the Dutch
province
of North Brabant
. The Maas splits near Heusden
with one channel flowing north until its confluence with the river Waal (the main distributary of the river Rhine) to form the Merwede
, while the other (the Bergse Maas
) continues west as the main distributary of the Maas. The former of the two channels was dammed at Heusden in 1904, to separate the flows of the Maas and Rhine distributaries, and has since been known as the Afgedamde Maas (literally, "dammed-up"). However, the Maas is still connected with the Afgedamde Maas through the Heusden Canal
. Part of the Merwede (the Nieuwe Merwede
) joins the Bergse Maas to from the Hollands Diep
estuary, thus eventually re-uniting the two branches of the Maas.
river. From then on, several stretches of the original Merwede were named Maas instead and served as the primary outflow of that river. These are currently known as the Oude Maas
and Nieuwe Maas
. However, during another series of severe floods the Maas found an additional path towards the sea, resulting in the creation of the Biesbosch
and Hollands Diep
. The branch leading to the Merwede is the current Afgedamde Maas, whilst the other branch of the Maas eventually silted up and now forms a stream
called Oude Maasje
.
The canalised Bergse Maas, which takes its name from the town
of Geertruidenberg
, was constructed in the basin
of the latter branch, to take over its functions, in 1904. At the same time, the Afgedamde Maas was dammed up, so that the flow of Maas is effectively separated from that of the Rhine distributaries. The resulting separation of the rivers Rhine and Meuse is considered to be the greatest achievement in Dutch hydraulic engineering before the completion of the Zuiderzee Works
and Delta Works
.
, not operating on Sundays, and a foot passenger ferry. http://www.voetveren.nl/p-pr-nbr.htm
Meuse River
The Maas or Meuse is a major European river, rising in France and flowing through Belgium and the Netherlands before draining into the North Sea...
(French: Meuse) in the Dutch
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
province
Province
A province is a territorial unit, almost always an administrative division, within a country or state.-Etymology:The English word "province" is attested since about 1330 and derives from the 13th-century Old French "province," which itself comes from the Latin word "provincia," which referred to...
of North Brabant
North Brabant
North Brabant , sometimes called Brabant, is a province of the Netherlands, located in the south of the country, bordered by Belgium in the south, the Meuse River in the north, Limburg in the east and Zeeland in the west.- History :...
. The Maas splits near Heusden
Heusden
Heusden is a municipality and a city in the South of the Netherlands. It is located between the cities Waalwijk and 's-Hertogenbosch.- Population centres :...
with one channel flowing north until its confluence with the river Waal (the main distributary of the river Rhine) to form the Merwede
Merwede
The Merwede is the name of several interconnected stretches of river in The Netherlands, all part of the Rhine-Meuse-Scheldt delta. The Meuse river joins the Waal at Woudrichem to form the Boven Merwede...
, while the other (the Bergse Maas
Bergse Maas
The Bergse Maas is a canal that was constructed in 1904 to be a branch of the Maas River in the Dutch province of North Brabant. The Maas splits near Heusden into the Afgedamde Maas and the Bergse Maas...
) continues west as the main distributary of the Maas. The former of the two channels was dammed at Heusden in 1904, to separate the flows of the Maas and Rhine distributaries, and has since been known as the Afgedamde Maas (literally, "dammed-up"). However, the Maas is still connected with the Afgedamde Maas through the Heusden Canal
Heusden Canal
The Heusden Canal is a canal on the border of the Dutch provinces North Brabant and Gelderland, roughly between Wijk en Aalburg and Heusden. The canal connects the Afgedamde Maas and Bergsche Maas and has a total length of approximately 2.3 km....
. Part of the Merwede (the Nieuwe Merwede
Nieuwe Merwede
The Nieuwe Merwede is a canal that was constructed in 1870 to form a branch in the Rhine-Meuse delta. It was dug along the general trajectories of a number of minor Biesbosch creeks to reduce the risk of flooding by diverting the water away from the Beneden Merwede, and to facilitate navigation...
) joins the Bergse Maas to from the Hollands Diep
Hollands Diep
Hollands Diep is a wide river in the Netherlands and an estuary of the Rhine and Meuse river. Through the Scheldt-Rhine Canal it connects to the Scheldt river and Antwerp....
estuary, thus eventually re-uniting the two branches of the Maas.
History
The distribution of the Maas changed during the later Middle Ages, when a major flood forced it to shift its main course towards the MerwedeMerwede
The Merwede is the name of several interconnected stretches of river in The Netherlands, all part of the Rhine-Meuse-Scheldt delta. The Meuse river joins the Waal at Woudrichem to form the Boven Merwede...
river. From then on, several stretches of the original Merwede were named Maas instead and served as the primary outflow of that river. These are currently known as the Oude Maas
Oude Maas
The Oude Maas is a distributary of the Rhine River, and a former distributary of the Maas River, in the Dutch province of South Holland. It begins at the city of Dordrecht where the Beneden Merwede river splits into the Noord River and the Oude Maas...
and Nieuwe Maas
Nieuwe Maas
The Nieuwe Maas distributary of the Rhine River, and a former distributary of the Maas River, in the Dutch province of South Holland. It runs from the confluence of the rivers Noord and Lek, and flows west through Rotterdam. It ends west of the city where it meets the Oude Maas , near Vlaardingen,...
. However, during another series of severe floods the Maas found an additional path towards the sea, resulting in the creation of the Biesbosch
Biesbosch
De Biesbosch , is one of the largest national parks of the Netherlands and one of the last freshwater tide areas in Europe. The Biesbosch consists of a rather large network of rivers and smaller and larger creeks with islands. The vegetation is mostly willow forests, although wet grasslands and...
and Hollands Diep
Hollands Diep
Hollands Diep is a wide river in the Netherlands and an estuary of the Rhine and Meuse river. Through the Scheldt-Rhine Canal it connects to the Scheldt river and Antwerp....
. The branch leading to the Merwede is the current Afgedamde Maas, whilst the other branch of the Maas eventually silted up and now forms a stream
Stream
A stream is a body of water with a current, confined within a bed and stream banks. Depending on its locale or certain characteristics, a stream may be referred to as a branch, brook, beck, burn, creek, "crick", gill , kill, lick, rill, river, syke, bayou, rivulet, streamage, wash, run or...
called Oude Maasje
Oude Maasje
The Oude Maasje is a former distributary of the river Maas , which runs parallel to the current canalised Bergse Maas.-History:...
.
The canalised Bergse Maas, which takes its name from the town
Town
A town is a human settlement larger than a village but smaller than a city. The size a settlement must be in order to be called a "town" varies considerably in different parts of the world, so that, for example, many American "small towns" seem to British people to be no more than villages, while...
of Geertruidenberg
Geertruidenberg
Geertruidenberg is a city and municipality in the province North Brabant in the south of the Netherlands. The city, named after Saint Gertrude of Nivelles, received city rights in 1213 from the count of Holland. The fortified city prospered until the 15th century.Today, the municipality of...
, was constructed in the basin
Drainage basin
A drainage basin is an extent or an area of land where surface water from rain and melting snow or ice converges to a single point, usually the exit of the basin, where the waters join another waterbody, such as a river, lake, reservoir, estuary, wetland, sea, or ocean...
of the latter branch, to take over its functions, in 1904. At the same time, the Afgedamde Maas was dammed up, so that the flow of Maas is effectively separated from that of the Rhine distributaries. The resulting separation of the rivers Rhine and Meuse is considered to be the greatest achievement in Dutch hydraulic engineering before the completion of the Zuiderzee Works
Zuiderzee Works
The Zuiderzee Works are a manmade system of dams, land reclamation and water drainage works, the largest hydraulic engineering project undertaken by the Netherlands during the twentieth century. The project involved the damming of the Zuiderzee, a large, shallow inlet of the North Sea, and the...
and Delta Works
Delta Works
The Delta Works is a series of construction projects in the southwest of the Netherlands to protect a large area of land around the Rhine-Meuse-Scheldt delta from the sea. The works consist of dams, sluices, locks, dikes, levees, and storm surge barriers...
.
Transport
There is a car ferryFerry
A ferry is a form of transportation, usually a boat, but sometimes a ship, used to carry primarily passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo as well, across a body of water. Most ferries operate on regular, frequent, return services...
, not operating on Sundays, and a foot passenger ferry. http://www.voetveren.nl/p-pr-nbr.htm