The Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta is a river delta in the Netherlands formed by the confluence of the Rhine , the Meuse ( Dutch : Maas ) and the Scheldt rivers . In some cases, the Scheldt delta is considered a separate delta to the Rhine–Meuse delta. The result is a multitude of islands , branches and branch names, in which a waterway that appears to be one continuous stream may have numerous separate names for different sections, e.g. Rhine → Bijlands Kanaal → Pannerdens Kanaal → Nederrijn → Lek → Nieuwe Maas → Het Scheur → Nieuwe Waterweg . Since the Rhine contributes most of the water, the term "Rhine Delta" is commonly used, although this name is also used for the delta where the Alpine Rhine flows into Lake Constance . By some calculations, the Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta covers 25,347 km (9,787 sq mi), making it the largest in Europe.
20-576: The Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta is economically extremely important, since the three rivers are major navigable waterways . The delta is the entrance from the North Sea to the German and Central European hinterland (and to a lesser extent France ). Major ports in the delta are Rotterdam , Antwerp (Belgium), Vlissingen , Amsterdam (through the Amsterdam–Rhine Canal ), and Ghent (through
40-479: A UNESCO World Heritage Site , the oldest known waterway system in the world, is considered to be one of the world's largest and most extensive project of engineering . The European Conference of Ministers of Transport established in 1953 a classification of waterways that was later expanded to take into account the development of push-towing. Europe is a continent with a great variety of waterway characteristics, which makes this classification valuable to appreciate
60-581: A lake, or perhaps water running to Flevum on the coast may have run via the lakes to the coast, perhaps first through an ancient version of the Vecht , or the IJssel . The IJssel however was joined to the Rhine artificially, by Drusus , and is quite far from any of the places known to be called Flevus. Suetonius says that this channel was still referred to as Drusus' fossa in his time. Some authors have argued that
80-514: A lock and diverted into a new outlet called the " Bergse Maas ", then the Amer flowing into the former bay known as the Hollands Diep . The northwestern part of the estuary (around Hook of Holland ), is still called Maasmond ("Meuse Mouth"), ignoring the fact that it now carries only water from the Rhine. This might explain the confusing naming of the various branches. The hydrography of
100-567: A waterway to be navigable , it must meet several criteria: Vessels using waterways vary from small animal -drawn barges to immense ocean tankers and ocean liners , such as cruise ships . In order to increase the importance of inland waterway transport, the European Commission presented a 35-point action plan in June 2021. The main goals are to increase the amount of goods moved through Europe's rivers and canals and to speed up
120-652: Is the function of ship canals . Dredged channels in the sea are not usually described as waterways. There is an exception to this initial distinction, essentially for legal purposes, see under international waters . Where seaports are located inland, they are approached through a waterway that could be termed "inland" but in practice is generally referred to as a "maritime waterway" (examples Seine Maritime, Loire Maritime , Seeschiffahrtsstraße Elbe). The term "inland waterway" refers to navigable rivers and canals designed to be used by inland waterway craft only, implicitly of much smaller dimensions than seagoing ships. In order for
140-760: The Ghent–Terneuzen Canal ). The land areas in the delta are protected from flooding by the Dutch Delta Works . The shape of the Rhine delta is determined by two bifurcations : firstly, at Millingen aan de Rijn , the Rhine splits into the Waal and the Nederrijn , and secondly near Arnhem , the IJssel branches off from the Nederrijn. This creates three main flows, two of which change names rather often. The largest and southern main branch begins as
160-1013: The Nieuwe Merwede ("New Merwede"), which branches off from the southern branch where it changes from the Boven to the Beneden Merwede; the Oude Maas ("Old Meuse"), which branches off from the southern branch where it changes from the Benede Merwede into the Noord, and the Dordtsche Kil , which branches off from the Oude Maas. Before the St. Elizabeth's flood (1421) the Meuse flowed just south of today's line Merwede–Oude Maas to
180-665: The North Sea and formed an archipelago -like estuary with the Waal and the Lek. This system of numerous bays, estuary-like extended rivers, many islands and constant changes of the coastline, is hard to imagine today. From 1421 to 1904, the Meuse and the Waal merged further upstream at Gorinchem to form the Merwede . For flood protection reasons, the Meuse was separated from the Waal through
200-969: The Waal and continues as the Boven Merwede ("Upper Merwede"), the Beneden Merwede ("Lower Merwede"), the Noord River ("North River"), the Nieuwe Maas ("New Meuse"), Het Scheur ("the Rip") and the Nieuwe Waterweg ("New Waterway"). The middle flow begins as the Nederrijn , then changes into the Lek , then joins the Noord, thereby forming the Nieuwe Maas. The northern flow keeps the name IJssel until it flows into Lake IJsselmeer . Three more flows carry significant amounts of water:
220-401: The current delta is characterized by the delta's main arms, disconnected arms ( Hollandse IJssel , Linge , Vecht , etc.) and smaller rivers and streams. Many rivers have been closed ("dammed") and now serve as drainage channels for the numerous polders . The construction of Delta Works changed the delta in the second half of the 20th century fundamentally. Currently Rhine water runs into
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#1732790830064240-453: The details are no longer clear, there was apparently sometimes an extension of the Old IJ that came close to the North Sea here. But the term Flevo was also have used by Pomponius Mela to refer to the fresh water lakes which were in the area of the modern Zuiderzee , which Mela specifically says that the Rhine fed into. So the Rhine mouth mentioned by Pliny might have been a discharge into
260-538: The different classes in waterway. There is also a remarkable variety of waterway characteristics in many countries of Asia, but there has not been any equivalent international drive for uniformity. This classification is provided by the UN Economic Commission for Europe , Inland Transport Committee, Working Party on Inland Water Transport. A low resolution version of that map is shown here. Nijmegen Too Many Requests If you report this error to
280-565: The list of other peoples who he says are stretched out along 100 Roman miles , between the mouth of the Helinius (understood to be the main mouth of the Meuse , where the Waal ( Latin : Vacalis ) also discharged) and the Roman fortification at Flevum (a port north of the Old Rhine ). The Roman castrum at Flevum was mentioned by Tacitus, and is equated today with Velsen . Although
300-538: The mouth Pliny mentions is the Vlie , much further to the north than Velsen where the main waters of the lake entered the North Sea. There are actually five emissaries , namely; 51°43′50″N 4°42′57″E / 51.730431°N 4.715881°E / 51.730431; 4.715881 Navigable waterway A waterway is any navigable body of water . Broad distinctions are useful to avoid ambiguity, and disambiguation will be of varying importance depending on
320-418: The nuance of the equivalent word in other ways. A first distinction is necessary between maritime shipping routes and waterways used by inland water craft. Maritime shipping routes cross oceans and seas, and some lakes, where navigability is assumed, and no engineering is required, except to provide the draft for deep-sea shipping to approach seaports ( channels ), or to provide a short cut across an isthmus; this
340-490: The sea, or into former marine bays now separated from the sea, in five places, namely at the mouths of the Nieuwe Merwede, Nieuwe Waterway (Nieuwe Maas), Dordtse Kil, Spui and IJssel. The Rhine–Meuse Delta is a tidal delta , shaped not only by the sedimentation of the rivers, but also by tidal currents. This meant that high tide formed a serious risk because strong tidal currents could tear huge areas of land into
360-582: The sea. Before the construction of the Delta Works, tidal influence was palpable up to Nijmegen , and even today, after the regulatory action of the Delta Works, the tide acts far inland. At the Waal, for example, the most landward tidal influence can be detected between Brakel and Zaltbommel . Already in the time of Julius Caesar , the "Island of the Batavi " was known to the Romans . Its eastern point
380-587: The switch to zero-emission barges by 2050. This is in accordance with the Sustainable and Smart Mobility Strategy and the European Green Deal , which set the target of boosting inland canal and short-sea shipping by 25% by 2030 and by 50% by 2050. Waterways have been an important part of human activity since prehistoric times and navigability has allowed watercraft and canals to pass through every body of water . The Grand Canal (China) ,
400-653: Was the split of the Rhine into the Oude Rijn and the Waal , which at this time were the two main branches of the Rhine. The Waal flowed into the Meuse in the Roman period. Pliny the Elder 's Natural History gives a list of tribes living in the " Gaulish islands", within the delta region between different mouths of the Rhine. First, he mentions the large island of the Batavians and the Cananefates . Then he gives
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