Vast and open, Polder Zeevang stretches before you. It is a water-rich landscape north of Edam and Purmerend. This polder tells a story of Dutch resilience. It reveals their constant battle to reclaim and manage land.
Polder Zeevang is a Natura 2000 area. It spans 1862 hectares. 190 hectares are surface water. The Kromme IJe flows through it. Historically, the land was prepared for agriculture using ditches. These ditches drained water and created long parcels. You will notice the land is primarily used for grazing cattle. Trees and shrubs are scarce. The villages of Warder, Middelie, and Kwadijk border the open space.
Storm floods frequently breached early dikes. These floods created visible breakthrough basins on the Zuiderzee side. In 1660, the Edammer Trekvaart and Hoornsche Trekvaart were built. They were part of the Zesstedenvaart between Amsterdam and Hoorn. The Edammer Trekvaart cut through the area in a straight line. Its towpath became Provincial Road 247. In 1885, the Zaandam to Enkhuizen railway was built. It runs north to south through the polder.
The water in Polder Zeevang became less brackish after the Zuiderzee was impoldered. Most of the polder maintains a water level of 2.35 meters below Amsterdam Ordnance Datum. Five windmills with Archimedes’ screws originally drained the polder. In 1872, the first steam pumping station was built near Edam. However, it was demolished in 1920. In 1879, a larger steam pumping station replaced a windmill near Kwadijk. W.C. & K. de Wit designed it. Gemaal Zeevang has been modernized several times. It remains crucial for maintaining the water level.
Polder Zeevang served as a military inundation zone. It was part of the Stelling van Amsterdam. Water could flood the polder from the Zuiderzee via the sea lock in Edam. This occurred twice. In May 1940, the Dutch army stopped the pumping station and opened the lock. The polder flooded within days. After the capitulation on May 15, 1941, the pumping station ran for weeks to drain the Zeevang. In March 1944, the German army flooded the polder. This was to prevent Allied landings. The polder remained underwater for over a year. It took a month to dry after liberation.
Administratively, Polder Zeevang falls under the municipality of Edam-Volendam. The Hollands Noorderkwartier district manages its water. The grasslands and fresh waters offer habitat for geese, ducks, and meadow birds. Polder Zeevang has Natura 2000 status. This is due to its importance for roosting and foraging birds.
The landscape has long strips of land. They stand diagonally to the reclamation axes. You will notice the reed-lined breakthrough basins along the old Zuiderzee dike. The Kromme IJe is a natural stream. Until the ninth century, it drained excess water from the raised bog. Terpen dot the landscape. These house mounds date back to the Late Middle Ages. Land subsidence made the area prone to flooding. Thin layers of clay were deposited on the peat layer due to flooding. After the Zuiderzee was closed, the area became fresh.
Polder Zeevang now features a mix of intensive and moderate grasslands. These grasslands provide a habitat for meadow birds. These include the black-tailed godwit, oystercatcher, lapwing and common redshank. The garganey is found on marshy ditch edges. Or in wet grasslands with tall grass.
In winter, the grasslands are important for birds. These include the Eurasian wigeon, the tundra swan, the barnacle goose, the greater white-fronted goose and the European golden plover. The most special vegetation grows on the banks of the Kromme IJe. Brackish reed beds thrive here. These areas are also home to the northern vole. Bats such as the late serotine, pond bat, and Nathusius’ pipistrelle also live here.
The Polder Zeevang is a testament to human endeavor. It showcases the Dutch people’s enduring relationship with water and land. It is a vital ecological area.