Region 15
–
In collaboration with
West transmission
—-
News from the NOS•today, 20:34
—
The rupture of the dam that flooded several meadows in Reeuwijk last July was not caused by the shrimp. This was reported by the Rijnland Water Board after research showed that past labor, drought and the special structure of the soil are the culprits.
–
On July 26, a hole in the dam flooded several meadows along the Oud Reeuwijkseweg. There were still cows there at that time, but they were rescued. No damage was reported to the surrounding buildings or roads, but the dam had sustained damage. A few tens of meters from the dam it had subsided.
–
After the dam broke, local residents suspected that the damage to the dam was caused by shrimp. “Shrimps gnaw the dam and it gets worse and worse”, said a cattle rancher. “The weakest link breaks once.” The water council already called it unlikely at the time, but said it would include the scenario in the investigation.
–
I work in the 90s
This shows that the embankment has dug deep underground due to the loss of stability. This is due to works carried out in the 1990s, when only the upper part was raised and the internal slope was not.
–
The slow weight loss, due to the drying of the peat and the particular structure of the soil, are also causes of this instability, he reports West transmission.
–
The American shrimp therefore played no role, according to Bas Knapp of the water board. “There hasn’t been too much shrimp digging and the cut is much deeper than where the shrimp are hiding. This allows us to rule out shrimp as a cause,” he says.
–
Arithmetic model
The research was carried out by means of drilling in the ground, a deep trench and soil samples that were examined in the laboratory. “As a result, we know how the ground is structured and where the cut in the dam originated,” explains Knapp.
–
The cause of the breakthrough is further elaborated in a mathematical model, in order to further determine the contribution of the various causes. For example, according to the Water Board, it is also investigating whether other flood defenses are at risk.
—
