On Friday, September 12, 2025, the pilot project Off-shore Silt Sedimentation officially started in the Eems-Dollard. Interested parties and employees from the involved organizations gathered at the edge of the estuary.
They came together to get an initial impression of this special project and to celebrate that the work has really begun.
Official start of the pilot project
More than forty guests were welcomed at the Visitor Center Dollard of The Groninger Landscape. During the opening, the Groningen Deputy, Leo Wenneger, together with Mieke Langedijk, director of Rijkswaterstaat, unveiled the photo panels. These panels provide explanations about the pilot project, the silt problem in the Eems-Dollard, and how the dams contribute to nature restoration and water quality.
A smart intervention for nature and water quality
After the opening, the project leader and contractor Van Aalsburg took the visitors up the dike. In the distance, the crane of contractor Van Aalsburg can be seen. Along a stretch of 2.5 km, wooden poles with woven willow branches are placed in crescent shapes at various locations. These dams ensure that the silt sinks and the water becomes clearer. The accumulation of silt creates new habitats for plants and birds. In the long term, this can grow into a young, vibrant salt marsh.
Collaboration at the center
‘The pilot project Off-shore Silt Sedimentation shows how we can give space to both people and nature,’ says Mieke Langedijk from Rijkswaterstaat. ‘With this simple yet smart intervention, we are exploring how we can allow silt to settle naturally. This way, we can strengthen the ecological quality of the Eems-Dollard. Collaboration and learning are central to this.’
The project is being carried out in collaboration with Johannes Kerkhovenpolder BV and The Groninger Landscape, and is part of the Programmatic Approach Large Waters (PAGW) and the Eems-Dollard 2050 program. The work will last until mid-October 2025.
In the coming years, research will be conducted on how the silt develops and what effects this has on nature and water quality. The experiences gained during this project will be incorporated into future PAGW projects.
‘The Off-shore Silt Sedimentation is a great example of how agriculture and nature do not stand opposed to each other, but can actually work very well together,’ says Leo Wenneger, deputy of the Province of Groningen. ‘Through collaboration between governments, nature and environmental organizations, and the Groningen arable farmer, we are taking a step towards a more sustainable future, in which nature and agriculture reinforce each other.’
Want to know more?
The photo panels explaining the project are now available for the general public to view at the Visitor Center Dollard in Termunten. Visitors can learn more about the pilot project and the silt problem in both Dutch and German, and those who wish can then take a look at the dike to experience the project in real life.
