This flood defense is a lockable storm surge barrier and contains large gates that can be closed during heavy storms, possibly in combination with a spring surge, so that the high water can not enter the Oosterschelde. With an expected water level of +3.00 m NAP, the sliders are closed from the control room in the Ir. J.W. Top house on Neeltje Jans. If no one is present here, the gates will close automatically at +3 m NAP. Since the inauguration in 1986, the valves have been closed 27 times (see below), apart from test closures.
For the closure of the Oosterschelde this complex solution was chosen in order to be able to keep the water environment in the Oosterschelde as salt seawater. Originally it was the intention to completely dam the Oosterschelde. This started at the end of the 1960s. A number of artificial islands were constructed for this purpose, including Roggenplaat (1969), Neeltje Jans (1970) and Noordland (1971). At the end of 1973 five of the nine kilometers of the Oosterschelde had already been dammed.
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