Nieuwe Maas
The Nieuwe Maas ( German New Maas ) is around 24 kilometers long part of the main river in the Rhine delta . It is named after the earlier course of the Meuse . The river arm is created at Slikkerveer by the union of the two most important Rhine arms in the river delta in the Netherlands , the Lek and the Noord . It passes Rotterdam with the third largest port in the world, which is also used by seagoing vessels through the almost 20 km long Nieuwe Waterweg and is an important transshipment point. The Nieuwe Maas joins on the left with the Oude Maas , another arm of the delta. The Nieuwe Waterweg reaches the North Sea at Hook of Holland .
history
The Nieuwe Maas used to flow from the confluence of the Oude Maas through what is now the Botlek region along Brielle to the North Sea. Because of the silting up of Scheur and Nieuwe Maas, the Nieuwe Waterweg was created in 1866. The original mouth of the Nieuwe Maas, also called Brielse Maas there, was dammed near Oostvoorne in 1950 .
The Scheur used to curve south at the Maeslant storm surge barrier to flow through the Oostvoornsemeer into the North Sea. When the Nieuwe Waterweg was built, the Scheur was dammed. This silted up part was also known as Pan or Crimea .
The most important tributary of the Nieuwe Maas is the Hollandse IJssel , which flows into Kralingsveer . Further to the west the Rotte and the Schie also flow . The Nieuwe Maas flows through one of the most densely populated areas of the Netherlands and is bridged or tunnelled in many places. Along its course, mainly on the south side, there are extensive port and industrial areas.
Web links
- Nieuwe Maas Rijkswaterstaat (Dutch)