Hoeckelingsdam

Could a dam disappear? The Hoeckelingsdam, a low-lying structure in the IJmeer, has done just that. This 1.6-kilometer dam, also known as the Kinseldam, was built between 2003 and 2005. It was designed as a nature preserve, a quiet haven between the open water and the Uitdammerdijk. The Hoeckelingsdam was intended as compensation for the construction of IJburg. It aimed to enhance the natural beauty of the area. Initially, the Hoeckelingsdam was designed to partially submerge and occasionally flood. However, by 2018, the continuous dam structure had largely vanished. The Hoeckelingsdam is located near the Kinselmeer and the small lake called de Kinsel. Its southern end is close to Vuurtoreneiland, and the northern end is near the bend of the Uitdammerdijk. While not accessible to the public, the Hoeckelingsdam can be viewed from the Durgerdammerdijk and a walking path in the nearby IJdoornpolder. Before the dam’s construction, Staatsbosbeheer sought ways to compensate for the environmental impact of IJburg. They chose the area now enclosed by the Hoeckelingsdam and the Uitdammerdijk. Initially managed by the municipality of Amsterdam, the area was later transferred to Rijkswaterstaat. Staatsbosbeheer continues to manage the natural aspects of the reserve. The Hoeckelingsdam consists of a stone foundation with a sand wall. The wall was designed to be very low, only 30 centimeters above sea level. This allowed for natural reshaping, with parts submerging due to settling. Depressions up to 1.5 meters below ground level were expected to form. A ten-meter section of the dam was deliberately made of weaker material, designed to collapse during storms. Rijkswaterstaat only performs repairs when deemed necessary by Staatsbosbeheer. The shallow water created between the Hoeckelingsdam and the Waterlandse Zeedijk aimed to create a lagoon for birds. Early inhabitants included plovers, terns, and avocets. By 2013, various gulls, spoonbills, common terns, geese, and ducks like the tufted duck and common eider had also settled in the area. The Hoeckelingsdam and the IJdoornpolder serve as a resting area for cormorants, common scoters, wigeons, Eurasian teals, tufted ducks, and northern lapwings. Various migrating waders also frequent the area. The area’s water plants thrive in moderately turbid water. Ironically, despite the intended benefit to water plants from the calmer water created by the Hoeckelingsdam, this has not occurred by 2013. The Hoeckelingsdam, a disappearing act in the name of nature.