The Scheldt River report, by Mascha Dedert
The river basin of the Scheldt is located in Northern Europe and stretches over three countries: the Netherlands, Belgium and France. The river basin, with a surface of 21680 km, is bounded by the North Sea, a couple of coastal basins north to the Seine and by the river basins of the Maas and the Ijzel.
The Scheldt rises in France at Gouy south of Cambrai at a height of 100 meters and flows after 350 kilometers at Vlissingen into the North Sea.
Length: 350 km
Surface: 21.680 km
Discharge: 120 m3/s
The Scheldt is a rain-fed river, this means that the rainfall and the water policy in the river basin mainly determine the amount of water these rivers need to carry off.
Environmental problems
The different applications of the Scheldt have got a harmful effect on the natural landscape. The number of hectares wildlife area has decreased mainly due to the deepening of the waterway leading to the harbour of Antwerp. Tankers of increasing size who are transporting dangerous chemicals treat not just nature, but also the safety of the nearby living people. Furthermore the discharge by industry and the disruption of nature caused by leisure have had a negative effect on the natural environment.
Conclusion
The biggest problem in the nearby future will be a deepening of the waterway to 15,75 meters. This is needed to keep the harbor of Antwerp accessible. But from available results of the previous deepening of the waterway, it appears that the deepening has major consequences for the natural environment in the estuary. Large shallow areas will disappear because of a disturbed balance between sedimentation and erosion. These shallow areas’s are of immeasurable ecological value for fish and other animals. A further deepening of the waterway of the Scheldt. But also some governments doubt whether a deepening of the waterway should be given priority. Negotiations between the involved parties are going to have to solve this matter.
Abstract
River basin The Scheldt
The river basin of the Scheldt is located in Northern Europe and stretches over three countries: the Netherlands, Belgium and France. The river basin, with a surface of 21680 km, is bounded by the North Sea, a couple of coastal basins north to the Seine and by the river basins of the Maas and the Ijzel.
The Scheldt rises in France at Gouy south of Cambrai at a height of 100 meters and flows after 350 kilometers at Vlissingen into the North Sea.
The tidal current has a volume of 2,2 milliard m3, during the same time, over 12 hours, merely 5 million m3 of water is carried off to the North Sea. The dimensions as well as the discharge are very small compared to the large rivers in the world. For example: the Rhine has a discharge of 2.200 m3/s, the Scheldt only has a discharge of 120 m3/s. But the relative large tidal volume and the geographical position give the estuary more significance than the dimensions would suppose.
The Scheldt Riverbasin
The Scheldt and her tributaries belong to the category of ‘flatland river systems’. These rivers are characterized by a fall smaller than 150 meters during the entire length of the river. Therefore the rivers show a meandering course.
The Scheldt is a rain-fed river, this means that the rainfall and the water policy in the river basin mainly determine the amount of water these rivers need to carry off.
Within Europe the Scheldt is one of the few remaining rivers with a complex network and an extensive tidal river system containing salt-, brackish and sweet water. With the sweet water tidal river area between Antwerp and Gent and ‘Het Verdronken Land van Seaftinghe’, the largest unbroken salt marsh in Western Europe, the estuary contains area’s that have become unique for Western Europe.
Like many ‘flatland river systems’ the river basin of the Scheldt is densely populated. This is due to the natural waterways and the suitability of the soil for agriculture. Therefore during the last decade’s industrialization increased and agriculture became more intensified. Nowadays over 10,5 million people have established in the river basin.
With the increase of the population the shipping trade, fishing and leisure have increased as well, along with the burdening of the environment.
The shipping trade uses the Scheldt intensively. She makes up the connection between the North Sea and the harbours of Antwerp, Gent, Terneuzen and Vlissingen. Thanks to the accessibility a lot of industrial activities take place on the banks of the Scheldt. The industry pollutes the Scheldt with wastewater containing chemicals, nutrients and heavy metals.
The water of the estuary is by nature very nutritious. Therefore it is an important place for fish and other animals to reproduce. In the Scheldt fishery mainly fishes for cockles, eels and soles.
For leisure not just pleasure cruising attracts a lot of holidaymakers, but the wildlife area’s and the scenic areas do so as well.
The different applications of the Scheldt have got a harmful effect on the natural landscape. The number of hectares wildlife area has decreased mainly due to the deepening of the waterway leading to the harbour of Antwerp. Tankers of increasing size who are transporting dangerous chemicals treat not just nature, but also the safety of the nearby living people. Furthermore the discharge by industry and the disruption of nature caused by leisure have had a negative effect on the natural environment.
The river basin of the Scheldt is located in three countries. The water management in each of these countries is different. To improve the water quality of the Scheldt and her tributaries every country has taken measures. During the last decade it became clear that three different ways of water management would not have the desired effect. Therefore in 1994 The Netherlands, Wallonie, Vlaanderen, het Brussels Hoofdstedelijk Gewest and France signed a treaty. This lead to the foundation of the International Commission for the Protection of the Scheldt. This commission, along with other commissions, tries to get to a better harmony in water management.
The three countries have implemented the conclusions and recommendations in their own water policy. This lead to an improvement of the water quality in both The Netherlands and Belgium. It appears to be that in the future the water quality will further improve. This will be thanks to the sharpening of the policy on both national and European level and the performance of activities, which will lead to a drop of the discharge caused by industry and the discharge of nutrients, such as the introduction of a wastewater plant near Brussels.
The biggest problem in the nearby future will be a deepening of the waterway to 15,75 meters. This is needed to keep the harbor of Antwerp accessible. But from available results of the previous deepening of the waterway, it appears that the deepening has major consequences for the natural environment in the estuary. Large shallow areas will disappear because of a disturbed balance between sedimentation and erosion. These shallow areas’s are of immeasurable ecological value for fish and other animals. A further deepening of the waterway of the Scheldt. But also some governments doubt whether a deepening of the waterway should be given priority. Negotiations between the involved parties are going to have to solve this matter.
The most recent developments on the water management involved the Scheldt and the environment you can view at several internet sites. The Rijksinstute for Coast and Sea have developed a enter site on the Scheldt. You can view this site at http:www.waterland.net/sic The Flemish Environmental Agency has created a site at which you can view recent Belgian water quality. The adres of the site is http://www.vmm.be. The site will give you other information involving water management as well.
At http://www.dma.be/p/nan/schelde/selektie.htm you can find a lot of information from a brochure written by the Ecologisch Impulsgebied Schelde- Dender- Durme in coorperation with Dutch governmental- and environmental agencies. Information on governmental issues you can view at http://www.minvrom.nl, http://www.bruxelles.irisnet.be.
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