View source for Grevelingen

{{Short description|Brackish water body in the Netherlands partly isolated from the North Sea by a levee}}
{{About|the brackish lake in the Netherlands|the city in northern France|Gravelines}}
{{more sources needed|date=March 2024}}
{{Infobox lake
 | name = Grevelingen <br> Grevelingenmeer
 | image = Grevelingen-1981.jpg
 | caption = View of the Grevelingenmeer
 | image_bathymetry = 
 | caption_bathymetry = 
 | location = 
 | coords = {{coord|51|42|51|N|4|01|20|E|display=inline,title|region:NL_type:waterbody_source:nlwiki}}
 | type = 
 | inflow = 
 | outflow = 
 | pushpin_map = Netherlands South Holland
 | catchment = 
 | basin_countries = Netherlands
 | length = 
 | width = 
 | area = 
 | depth = 
 | max-depth = 
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 | shore = 
 | elevation = 
 | islands = 
 | sections = 
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 | frozen = 
 | embedded = {{Designation list
 | embed = yes
 | designation1 = Ramsar
 | designation1_date = 29 August 2000
 | designation1_number = 1272<ref>{{Cite web|title=Grevelingen|website=[[Ramsar Convention|Ramsar]] Sites Information Service|url=https://rsis.ramsar.org/ris/1272|access-date=25 April 2018}}</ref>}}
}}
The '''Grevelingen''' or '''Grevelingenmeer''' ([[Lake]] Grevelingen) is a closed off part of the [[Rhine]]-[[Meuse]] [[estuary]] on the [[border]] of the [[Netherlands|Dutch]] [[Provinces of the Netherlands|province]]s of [[South Holland]] and [[Zeeland]].

It is situated between the islands of [[Goeree-Overflakkee]] (South Holland) and [[Schouwen-Duiveland]] (Zeeland) and was closed off as part of the [[Delta Works]], a huge engineering project designed to protect the southwestern part of the Netherlands from flooding. The [[Brouwersdam]], a [[Levee|dike]] connecting the two islands on the west, closes off the Grevelingen from the [[North Sea]]. The [[Grevelingendam]], the dike on the east, blocks the inflow of the Rhine and Meuse water. 

Since its closure in 1971, the saltwater of the Grevelingen slowly started to become brackish due to rainwater and excess [[polder]]water from the islands, but the Dutch changed their mind and decided that they wanted to preserve the saline [[biotope]]. Therefore, in 1978 a [[sluice]] was created under the Brouwersdam, partially restoring and maintaining the saline character of the Grevelingen. 

Nevertheless, the water body life remains affected by the changes in water salinity, in the transport of sediments, and by a deficit in oxygen in deep water, caused by the levee since 1971. [[Benthic]] life ([[mussel]]s, [[oyster]]s and many fixed organisms) is rich in the shallow waters in the [[photic zone]], but the deep sediments are less conducive to marine life, and fishes in open water are rarely observed during diving. 

The Brouwerssluis is open all year round except during storm floods. Brouwerssluis is the home of a [[Seal (animal)|seal colony]] subsisting on fish transported by the [[seawater]] stream entering the water body during high [[tide]]. 

[[Connexxion]] bus service 104 crosses the Brouwersdam, bus service 133 (and others) the Grevelingendam.

The Grevelingenmeer is the largest saltwater water body in Europe and a popular place for holidays and water sports ([[Sailing (sport)|sailing]], [[surfing]], [[Diving (sport)|diving]]).
<!--  Commented out: [[File:RMSDeltaSouth.jpg|thumb|none|[[Satellite]] [[image]] of the south part of the Rhine-Meuse-Scheldt [[river delta|delta]] showing the Grevelingenmeer (n). {{pufc|RMSDeltaSouth.jpg}}]] -->

==Trivia==
Professional freestyle windsurfer [[Steven Van Broeckhoven]] refers to the Grevelingenmeer as his homespot.

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{commons category|Grevelingenmeer}}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20030331094411/http://www.anemoon.org/duiklocaties/logo/stek/zeeland/zeelandkaart.gif Map of area]

{{Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta}}

[[Category:Lakes of the Netherlands]]
[[Category:Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta]]
[[Category:Landforms of South Holland]]
[[Category:Landforms of Zeeland]]
[[Category:Ramsar sites in the Netherlands]]
[[Category:Natura 2000 in the Netherlands]]
[[Category:Goeree-Overflakkee]]
[[Category:Schouwen-Duiveland]]

{{SouthHolland-geo-stub}}
{{Zeeland-geo-stub}}