De Zuiderklip Project to Lower Water Levels: RPS assists in project to reduce water level of the Bergsche Mass River and protect rare weather loach.

As climate change affects water levels in Dutch rivers, the Dutch Government Service for Land and Water Management (DLG) has identified the need to lower the water level of the Bergsche Maas River by 10-20cm by 2015 to significantly reduce flooding risks in the Netherlands.



RPS is assisting in the €3,000,000 project to lower water levels by 4cm in a unique freshwater tidal area called De Zuiderklip in the National Park De Biesbosch, as part of the planned 10-20cm reduction. One main, and two sub- channels currently provide an overflow facility to absorb high water levels, but do not have the capacity to hold the higher levels that climate change is anticipated to cause.

De Zuiderklip is home to the protected Weather Loach, a rare species of fish in the Netherlands. 1547 Weather Loaches have been safely netted and released in a safer habitat in the area where they will be undisturbed by the earthmoving works which are essential to the project.

RPS consultants are preparing the construction design, producing the earthmoving plan, arranging permits and licence applications, and providing land surveying and ecological consultancy services for the project to cut through the dyke’s existing polders. This will involve moving over 500,000 m³ of earth which will extend the fresh-water tidal area and increase its water-holding capacity. The works will create some 400ha of new natural environment within the National Park with an increased diversity of wet, marsh, and dry-land features to ensure a comprehensive habitat for a wide variety of natural fauna and flora.

To ensure people are fully informed about the project’s aim and activities, RPS has produced newsletters and information boards explaining the project phases, and its long-term flood alleviation and environmental benefits.

21 December 2007

Click here for site plan (PDF)

For more information please contact:
RPS Leerdam – Groep NL
T: +31 345 63 96 96