Keywords:
island barrier dune
natural development
maintanance work
coastal protection
public awareness

Contact:  T. Reijngoud. Rijkswaterstaat directie Noord-Nederland. P.O. Box 2301. 8901 JH Leeuwarden. The Netherlands.

Location:  Netherland, Wadden Sea

Rottumeroog and Rottumerplaat
The islands Rottumeroog and Rottumerplaat are situated in the eastern part of the Dutch Wadden Sea. The most typical feature of the Wadden Sea is its dynamic character. The morphology and the hydrological regime of the whole area are being changed constantly by wind, tide and waves. The island Rottumeroog, formerly called Rottum, is first mentioned in 1354 in the province of Groningen. During its history the island drifted into the eastern direction and reduced progressively in size. Rottumeroog is doomed to disappear in the Ems estuary. Currently its surface area covers about 250 ha. The dune formation of Rottumerplaat started in the second part of the 19th century on the same spot where formerly the island Rottum was situated. The island increased rapidly and nowadays its size covers approximately 750 ha. Further increase is expected.

Management in the past
In 1738, the government of Groningen decided to colonize Rottumeroog with the so-called ‘strandvoogd’ (beach guardian). He was responsible to maintain the dunes and the beacons, to collect wrecked goods washed ashore, to maintain a lighthouse, to manage a little farm and to carry out res-cue work. In the first half of the 20th century, the Ministry of Transport, Public Works and Water Management (Rijkswaterstaat) took over his duties. In 1965 Rijkswaterstaat started the stimulation of dune formation on Rottumeroog. So-called Gobimats were placed, consiting of concrete stones with holes on a nylon cloth, and groynes were constructed. Nevertheless, the decrease in size continued.
On Rottumerplaat the development of a dune ridge was started in 1950 because of plans to embank the eastern part of the Dutch Wadden Sea. Gobimats were placed at some places for consolidation. Between 1965-1985 several small groynes were constructed to stop the migration of a tidal channel.

Management today
Since the 1970s the public awareness for natural values has been growing. As a consequence the Dutch government changed its main objective to ‘protection and conservation of the area and restoration of its natural values'. A new coastal defency policy for The Netherlands in 1990 was launched including the ‘dynamic preservation’ policy for the Wadden Islands. With respect to the islands Rottumerplaat and Rottumeroog it was decided to give up the maintenance program and let nature take its course. After this was published there was quite some commotion, because several people were afraid that the islands would degenerate into bare sand banks. In april 1991 Mr. Toxopeus, the son of the last ‘strandvoogd’, occupied the island Rottumeroog to protest against the proposal with great attention of the Dutch press. A foundation (The Friends of Rottumeroog) was launched and in August 1991 the Minister of Rijkswaterstaat visited the island. Taking into account the public anxiety it was decided to continue the maintenance of Rottumeroog with participation of the members of the foundation and to stop only the work on Rottumerplaat. People tend to accept the dynamic character of the Wadden Sea as long as the dynamical processes lead to an increase of the land. If the contrary is happening, people soon negate a natural development and want to interfere. In the actual situation the ministry does only nature-friendly management, focused on stimulation of forming vegetated dunes.
 
 

Location of Rottumeroog and Rottumerplaat

 

References

• Abrahams, J. (1999): Afscheid van Rottumeroog. Wadden Bulletin 1:4-7. (33.9.1).
• de Vlas, J. (1998): Rottumeroog. Wadden Bulletin 2:29.(33.9.1).
• Rakhorst, H.D. (1992): A new coastal Defence Policy for the Netherlands. In: Hilgerloh (ed.). Proceedings of the third trilateral working conference on dune management in the Wadden Sea area in Norderney, Germany, 8.-12. 9. 1991. Administration of the National Park ‘Niedersaechsisches Wattenmeer’. Wilhelmshaven. (18.5.1).
• van den Bergs, J. (1996): The management of Rottumeroog and Rottumerplaat. In: Schriftenreihe Nationalpark Niedersaechsisches Wattenmeer. Band 2. Beitraege des Workshops ‘Natuerliche Dynamik oder Management fuer den Naturschutz’ vom 8.8. – 10.8.1996 in Dornumersiel. 54-56. (31BCD97).