Keywords:
mainland barrier dunes
dune dynamics
coastal defence
Contact: Mrs. G. Leltz, DZH (Dunewater Company of South
Holland), Department of Communication, telephone + 31 70 3577634
Location: Atlantic region, The Netherlands, Meijendel
dune area
Meijendel dunes
The Meijendel dune area is part of the great barrier dune system
of the Dutch mainland coast, where many parabolic dunes formed
since about 1000 A.D. The dune area is managed by the DZH (Dunewater
Company of South Holland). The Water boards (Hoogheemraadschappen)
of Rijnland and Delfland are responsible for sea defence in Meijendel.
Meijendel dunes have an important role on coastal defence.
For centuries the coastline has been receding because of sealevel
rise. 
The
Meijendel coast is eroding because strong north west winds wash
away the front dunes leaving a cliff coast. In the past
further retreat of the coast was prevented by artificial
stabilising techniques. For centuries the planting of marram grass
(Ammophila arenaria) has been main activity on dune stabilisation
for coastal defence. In spring the slopes of the seaward fore
dunes were reestablished with bulldozers and marram grass was
planted. Hereby were the characteristic processes of coastal dunes
like the blowing of sand, reduced to a minimum.
Management
Main functions of the Meijendel dune area are nature conservation,
drinking water recovery, coastal defence, recreation and research.
The characteristic processes of coastal dunes have been brought
to a minimum by all the planting activities. In 1990 a new policy
was formulated by Rijkswaterstaat, the so called ‘dynamic maintenance
of the coast. From that moment on the coastal defence aims at
maintaining the basic coastline (being the high-tide mark at that
moment). Nowadays the slopes at the seaside are no longer established
but sand is supplied to the beach according to certain standards.
Small scale blowouts are allowed landward of the fore dune ridge.
In case of erosion, the sand is suppleted on the beach and
on the fore dunes. The recent management only fights blowouts
in case of inconvenience on infrastructure or on the inner
dune belt. The first dune ridges are kept free of rabbits,
rats and moles and are kept free of blowouts. It is prohibited
to dig or remove sand in this area. It is also prohibited to graze
cattle or to remove the vegetation. There is an expermiment going
on in which a blow out in the fore dune ridge is not stabilised.
Evaluation must show whether this causes problems.
Results
Small scale blowouts are allowed behind the fore dune ridge, and
with the more open landscape, dune habitats are able to
develop more naturally. At Meijendelse Slag a blowout of
30 m wide has developed.
References:
- Bakker, TH.W.M.& R.N.A.Kramer, Meijendel, a dune area
in a densely populated part of the Netherlands, Coastline 1993-3,
Coastline special (EUCC library code KJd).
- Bakker,TH.W.M., Fifty years of recreational planning in the
Meijendel dunes near The Hague. A short story about cars and
parking places, Coastal Dunes Recreation and Planning, Drees,J.M.
(ed), EUCC Leiden, 1997 (EUCC library code DRC 97)
- Jungerius,P.D. & van der Meulen, F., Aeolian dynamics
in relation to vegetation in a blowout complex in the
Meijendel dunes, The Netherlands, Journal of Coastal Conservation
1997-3, pp 63-70, EUCC Leiden (EUCC library code KJC 97a)
