 | This article needs to beupdated. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information.(April 2024) |
| Marker Wadden | |
|---|---|
  Marker Wadden Location in the Markermeer | |
| Location | Municipality of Lelystad,Flevoland,Netherlands |
| Coordinates | 52°35′N5°23′E / 52.583°N 5.383°E /52.583; 5.383 |
TheMarker Wadden is an artificialarchipelago under development in theMarkermeer, a lake in theNetherlands. The first island was inaugurated on 24 September 2016.[1] It is a nature reserve alternative to the much bigger proposedMarkerwaard polder that was begun in 1941, but paused following World War II and finally canceled in 2003.
The project was proposed in 2012 by theVereniging Natuurmonumenten.[2][3][4] The Dutch government,BirdLife Netherlands,ANWB, andVNO-NCW are partners in its development.[citation needed]
Work on the first phase, which is mainly focused on the construction of the first island, started in April 2016,[5] withBoskalis Westminster being awarded the contract.[6]
The main aims of the project are to create breeding grounds, islands, and coast line as well as to improve the water ecology of the Markermeer. The project creates awetland comparable with theWadden Sea—hence the name of the project—yet withouttides. This is because the Markermeer is not connected to thesea and is in afresh water environment. The nature reserve is accessible to tourists.[7] There is a ferry service from the city ofLelystad, itself a city built on reclaimed IJsselmeer land.
On 11 May 2016, the first new island was completed,Natuurmonumenten called this a "milestone". In March 2017, it was announced that four other islands should be completed before 2020.[8]
The islands have been colonized by large numbers of breeding birds. A colony of 200 breeding pairs ofpied avocet has made the islands their home, as has a large colony ofcommon tern.Little terns also breed on the islands.Northern shoveler,gadwall,garganey,Mediterranean gull,spoonbill,long-tailed duck and numerous other species of birds have been seen on and around the islands.
Contributions: Dutch government€19,000,000.[1]
The ecologistWouter van Dieren [nl] claimed he first had the idea in 1996 and talks about "plagiarism".[9]
In March 2024 Marker Wadden was the focus of a 50-strong scientific ecological conference investigating aspects of water ecology and coastal science organised by theNetherlands Centre for Coastal Research.[10]