Delta Commissioner visits Rhine Delta
Delta Commissioner Wim Kuijken visited the Rhine Delta region on Wednesday 19 March. The aim of the visit was to obtain information about water-safety issues in the region, particularly in the Upper Rhine and Varik areas.
The chair of the Rijn en IJssel Water Board extended him a warm welcome. The provincial executive councillor for the province of Gelderland and the municipal executive councillor for the municipality of Rijnwaarden were present to update the Delta Commissioner on developments in the region. The Director of Water Affairs of the Ministry of I&M was also present.
Regarding the Upper Rhine area, the Delta Commissioner was extensively informed about the measure for the Rijnstrangen retention area. This retention area, to which a spatial reservation now applies, is an area in which, in the event of extreme conditions after 2050, a great deal of water can be stored so that less water arrives downstream. This will make the situation safer. Such retention areas attenuate flood waves. The region requires clarity about the future and this can probably be provided in the Delta Programme 2015. The discussion subsequently focused on the possible cascade effect of the cross-border dike (dike ring 48) along the Upper Rhine. An animated film showed that if the dike were breached, the area right up to Zwolle would be flooded. In the years ahead, collaborative work must be done here to provide the required basic safety level on Dutch territory.
After a tour of the area which included stops at the flood barrier in Tolkamer and the Rijnstrangen retention area, a discussion took place about the possible river-widening measure in Varik. It was agreed that the preferred strategy for the region and the level of urgency would be further substantiated so that clarity can be provided on these issues in the Delta Programme 2015.