| Designations | |
|---|---|
| Official name | Oosterschelde |
| Designated | 4 March 1987 |
| Reference no. | 354[1] |
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TheEastern Scheldt (Dutch:Oosterschelde) is a formerestuary in the province ofZeeland, Netherlands, betweenSchouwen-Duiveland andTholen on the north andNoord-Beveland andZuid-Beveland on the south. It also features the largestnational park in the Netherlands, founded in 2002.
During theRoman Era it was the major mouth of theScheldt River. Before theSt. Felix's Flood of 1530, it flowed north as a river from the east end of theWesterschelde, turned west a little west ofBergen op Zoom, and then west along the north edge of what is now theVerdronken Land van Reimerswaal, and after that widened into anestuary. Parts of that lost land were later reclaimed, restricting part of the connection to the Scheldt River to a narrow channel called the Kreekrak, which silted up and became unnavigable. In 1867 the Kreekrak was closed off with arailwayembankment, connecting in the process theisland ofZuid-Beveland to themainland ofNorth Brabant. From that moment on, the Oosterschelde lost its connection with the Scheldt, and is no longer functioning as an estuary.
Between Schouwen-Duiveland and Noord-Beveland there are two road connections, the Oosterscheldedam on the west and theZeeland Bridge on the east.
After theNorth Sea flood of 1953, it was decided to close off the Oosterschelde by means of a dam and astorm surge barrier. TheOosterscheldekering (Eastern Scheldt Storm Surge Barrier), between Schouwen-Duiveland and Noord-Beveland, is the largest of 13 ambitiousDelta Works designed to protect a large part of the Netherlands from flooding. A four-kilometre section has hugesluice gates, which are normally open but can be closed in adverse weather.
Upon completion of the Oosterscheldekering and Oesterdam in 1986, the ebb and flow of water decreased and thus thetidal height differential was reduced from 3.40 metres (11.2 ft) to 3.25 metres (10.7 ft). As a result, theshoals are no longer being naturally replenished with sand, further disrupting theecosystem of the estuary; the shoals are used for, among other things, food for birds and resting places forseals.[2] To help compensate for the partial loss of the tide resulting in the sand being less stirred up and ending up on the banks,Rijkswaterstaat applied large amounts of sand to the Roggeplaat shoal in the northwestern part of the estuary in 2019 and 2020.[2]
Since May 8, 2002, the entire Oosterschelde has been designated as anational park. Its boundaries are the dikes ofSchouwen-Duiveland,Tholen,Sint Philipsland,Noord-Beveland,Zuid-Beveland, and the dams of theDelta Works. Having an area of 370 square kilometres (140 sq mi), it is the largest national park in the Netherlands. Total shore length is 125 kilometres (78 mi).
The park consists primarily of the salt waters of the Oosterschelde, but also includes some mud flats, meadows and shoals. Because of the large variety of sea life, including unique regional species, the park is popular withscuba divers. Other activities include sailing, fishing, cycling and bird watching.
51°33′14″N3°57′57″E / 51.55389°N 3.96583°E /51.55389; 3.96583
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