Privacy Policy

This website uses our own cookies to collect information in order to improve our services, and to analyse users’ browsing habits. Your continued use of this website constitutes acceptance of the installation of these cookies. The user has the option of configuring their browser in order to prevent cookies from being installed on their hard drive, although they must keep in mind that doing so may cause difficulties in their use of the webpage.

Accept Accept Essentials Customize Reject Cookie policy

Artificial Islands to Save a Lake

Legal & Real Estate

Home, Garden & Decoration

Global Topics

Inside Ibiza

Health & Wellness

Ibiza Optimista

Sharing Link

The Markermeer is a vast 700 sq km lake near Amsterdam that has become the site of a new Dutch archipelago. It is called Marker Wadden, and the 1,300 hectare site is comprised of seven artificial islands that ecological engineers, landscape architects and a dredging company have built since 2016. Using sand and mud taken from the lake floor, they have created a sprawling environment which is a haven for plants, birds and other wildlife. It is a wonderful example of how engineering can be used for ecological restoration.   The lake was once part of a long inlet of the North Sea that reached the outskirts of Amsterdam. In 1932, they built a dyke across its mouth creating a vast salt water lake that was cut off from the ocean. In 1975, a second dyke divided this lake into two parts, with Markermeer as the inner lake. The water gradually turned from salt water to fresh, but eventually the lack of circulation from river input killed the vegetation, and the lake became a “dead zone.” The work to restore the lake and create Marker Wadden began by dredging up mud and silt from the bottom to make barriers that would clean the water and direct its flow. Protected within these barriers, they began to create the islands. The project took six years to complete, and used 37 million tonnes of material that was dredged almost entirely from the lake floor.    The seven islands are enveloped by dunes and beaches. The natural plant life of the area has thrived in this pristine setting. As the landscape matured, more and more vegetation appeared, and this has attracted a wide range of avian species. At last count there were over 50 breeding bird species on the islands. In addition, many birds that breed elsewhere are stopping here as they migrate. About 60,000 of these migratory birds seek food and shelter at Marker Wadden every year. And it is not only birds that visit these man-made wonders. Last year over 50,000 tourists came to spend the day, and this paid for 70% of the cost of upkeep and site management.

Related Articles

Phone-Free Holidays

The Eastern Gulf of Finland is a popular vacation area that includes the island of Ulko-Tammio. Starting last summer some behaviours were missing from that island: selfies, people walking with their heads down, meals with no one talking to each other, and all the other things that characterize pe... READ MORE

Caritas Hostal Renovated

Vibra Hotels has organized a collaborative project to renovate a rundown shelter owned by the Caritas charity in Ibiza Town. The hotel chain had offered to help Caritas improve some of the facilities where they offer shelter to disadvantaged people. “When we saw this shelter, it seemed like a ver... READ MORE

Seeing The Sun

In 2006, NASA launched the STEREO space mission to obtain a complete and three-dimensional view of the Sun. After years of work, in 2011 they achieved their goal by providing the first stereoscopic view of our star. Now, in 2023, STEREO-A is approaching Earth, providing a unique opportunity to st... READ MORE

“Stargazer” - Hypersonic Jet Travel

Exciting news in aerospace! Venus Aerospace is developing the Stargazer passenger plane, set to fly from New York to Tokyo in just an hour at Mach 9, reaching an astounding 11,000 km/h. Soaring at 56 km altitude, it offers views of Earth's curvature and space. Travel revolution underway! ✈️🚀 #Sta... READ MORE

Ibicasa logo

© Copyright 2024

Ibicasa Home and Services.