The work will last about 2 months. The sand is divided between the coast of Camperduin (720,000 m³) and Petten (480,000 m³). With a special dredger, a trailing suction hopper dredger, the sand is deposited on the shallow forebank, -4.5m NAP. The ship collects the sand from extraction sites in the North Sea and deposits it a few hundred meters from the beach.

Forebank Supplementation

During a forebank supplementation, a dredger deposits the sand on the seabed in the form of a sandbank. The current and wind then gradually move the sand towards the coast, where it can wash ashore on the beach and blow into the dunes; our sea defense. This keeps the Dutch coastline in place and thanks to the extra sand that ends up in the dunes, the coastal foundation grows with the rising sea level.

Future Maintenance

The Hondsbossche dunes were constructed in 2015 as a sandy barrier in place of the former Hondsbossche and Pettemer Sea Defense. This transformed the barrier from a hardened dike to a wide beach with a dune landscape. However, the new coast erodes much faster than expected, as the sand from the beach is carried away by the sea, requiring more maintenance than initially estimated.

Therefore, the Hollands Noorderkwartier Water Board and Public Works are currently investigating together how we can organize the maintenance of the coastline at acceptable costs.

Water Safety in the Netherlands

Ensuring the coastal safety of the Netherlands is one of the most important tasks of Public Works and the water boards. The Netherlands must not become smaller, the dunes must protect the land from flooding. The Dutch coast must grow with the rising sea level. Therefore, we regularly maintain the coast by applying sand from the sea on or just before the coast.

More Information

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