At Ameland-West beach, approximately 2 million m3 of sand from the North Sea has been placed in recent months. The work has been completed.
The dredging ships are now heading to Ameland-East, where extra sand is being placed on the seabed for the beach. This sand can gradually wash ashore and then drift to the dunes. This helps to preserve the dunes and the beach that protect the island from the sea and allows the coast to grow with the rising sea level.
We often return to strengthen the coast of Ameland with sand. Due to wind, waves, and currents, a lot of sand is taken from the western tip of the island out to sea through the Amelander sea gap, between the Wadden Islands of Terschelling and Ameland. Extra sand is needed to keep the islands coast in place.
In recent months, the beach at Hollum, between beach pole 1 and 4, has been replenished with approximately 2 million m3 of sand from the North Sea, plus 450,000 m3 of sand from a shipping channel for the dredging ship.
Underwater at Ameland-East
Also at Ameland-East, the coast is losing sand to the sea. Here, in the coming months, until 2026, another 3 million m3 of sand will be deposited on the seabed just off the beach. This sand can then be moved to the beach by the waves.
The work at sea takes place about 100 m from the coast. They can be seen from the beach, but do not hinder beach visitors. For water sports enthusiasts, it is important to navigate at a safe distance of at least 300 m around the dredging ships.
Research on sand distribution on the seabed
When placing the sand at Ameland-East in 2025 and 2026, they will also look at how the sand then spreads over the seabed and to the beach. The monitoring is part of the research SOURCE , in which several universities collaborate with organizations such as Rijkswaterstaat to see how (underwater) sand replenishments can be effectively used for a resilient and sustainable Dutch coastal defense.
Working with and in nature
In sand replenishment, the coast is strengthened with the help of natural elements. Wind, waves, and currents ensure that the supplied sand moves to the beach and dunes. The drifting sand makes the dune area stronger and is also good for the development of nature. In the interest of nature, North Sea sand is used that closely resembles that on the beach.
On Ameland, coastal maintenance and nature conservation go hand in hand. Before and during the work, plants and animals are spared as much as possible. To avoid disturbing nesting birds on the beach, nests are always checked.