Mud in the Dutch Delta Area

Abstract

Mud is transported to the Dutch delta area from the Rhine, Waal, Maas and Scheldt rivers (resp. 0,6; 2,5; 0,7 and 0,7 million tons/year). Above, in the Rotterdam Waterway about 3,5 million tons of mud per year are brought in from the sea. The mud of the underwater delta comes from the Channel, the Haringvliet, from biological formation, from erosion of older clay and mud deposits and from mud that is dumped in this area from the Rotterdam harbours. In recent years the last mentioned quantities amount to approximately 4 million tons per year. The mud content in the water varies greatly over the area, as illustrated in figure 2.