Overview

• The 80‑metre culvert with a 1.5‑metre diameter uses two sluice gates to regulate inflow and water levels in the new tidal zone.
• The opening connects the Wadden Sea to a 70‑hectare area behind the Lauwersmeerdijk on the disused Marnewaard training grounds.
• The dike is being reinforced through 2026 under the national Hoogwaterbeschermingsprogramma to withstand higher seas and stronger storms over the next 50 years.
• Complementary works include artificial reefs, tidal pools at the dike’s foot and new salt‑marsh development in the Westpolder.
• Provincial, water‑authority and national agencies, backed by the Waddenfonds and nature groups, report €32 million for the nature measures and marked the opening at a ceremony.