Veerse Gatdam
The Veerse Gatdam is located in the former Veerse Gat and connects Walcheren with Noord-Beveland.
Together with the Delta work Zandkreekdam and the already existing Sloedam, the Veerse Gatdam closes off the Veerse Meer. This significantly shortened the coastline of the Zeeland islands.
The Veerse Gatdam in statistics
- Built between 1958 and 1961
- 2.8 kilometers long
- 7 sluice caissons
Hidden in the landscape
Origin
The Veerse Gatdam was part of the Three-Island Plan to connect Walcheren with Noord- and Zuid-Beveland. Variations of this plan had existed long before the 1953 Flood Disaster. After the Flood Disaster, the Three-Island Plan reappeared in the fourth report from the Delta Commission. The goal was to create a shorter coastline, which would be easier to protect than dozens of kilometers of dikes, and more cost-effective than raising dikes everywhere. As a bonus, roads over the dams would better connect the islands.
First, the short Zandkreekdam, 830 meters long, was constructed to gain experience. The Veerse Gatdam marked the beginning of the "larger works," stretching 2.8 kilometers long at a location where 70 million cubic meters of seawater flowed in and out with the tides. It served as a stepping stone to the Grevelingendam, Brouwersdam, and Oosterscheldekering.
The Veerse Gatdam does not have an opening or sluice for shipping. This meant that the fishing fleets from Veere and Arnemuiden had to relocate in 1961, just before the final closure. The fishermen found a new home port at Colijnsplaat.
Construction
The construction of the Veerse Gatdam began with the reclamation of sand to create a dike leading to the sandbank Onrustplaat. Caissons were also used to strengthen the dike. These hollow concrete structures were first used during World War II. The Allies employed them to create artificial docks at the invasion beaches in Normandy. They were later used again for closing the dike breaches on Walcheren in 1945 and in Ouwerkerk in 1953. The Watersnoodmuseum is located in one of these caissons!
The remaining opening of 324 meters was also sealed with caissons, but this time of a new type. These ‘sluice caissons’ allowed water to pass through during placement on the seabed, preventing them from being carried away by the current. Once all the caissons were positioned exactly in place, the openings in the caissons were closed with sluice gates during slack tide, when the current was minimal. After that, the caissons were filled with sand.
Initially, the Veerse Gatdam was a true asphalt dam, but in the 1990s, the dam was transformed to have a more natural appearance. It is now covered with green vegetation, and a wide beach has been created on the sea side, with a large parking area on the side of the Veerse Meer. Today, it is hard to imagine that concrete caissons lie beneath the surface.
The Veerse Meer
After the Veerse Gatdam closed off the Veerse Meer, there were no more tides in the lake. The water became brackish, a mix of fresh and saltwater, which caused several plant and animal species to disappear. In 2004, the Katse Heule was constructed in the Zandkreekdam, named after the nearby village of Kats and the Zeeland word for water sluice: ‘heule’. A few caissons were removed to create an open connection between the Veerse Meer and the Eastern Scheldt, allowing more saltwater to flow into the lake. If necessary, the sluice gates of the Katse Heule can be closed.
The entire area around the Veerse Meer was designed by landscape architect Nico de Jonge, focusing on tranquility, space, and respect for the landscape and cultural-historical values. The Veerse Meer primarily serves a recreational purpose today. Along its shores, there are several marinas, recreation areas, and a surf school.
