THE DELTA WORKS-WHAT WE CAN LEARN AS WE CONSIDER A COASTAL SPINE

PART TWO – APPLYING BEST PRACTICES FROM THE DELTA WORKS AND NEW ORLEANS TO GALVESTON BAY
This report provides a comparison of the Dutch Delta Works, New Orleans and
the Ike Dike concept. Methods of research include a study of literature, site visits
and personal interviews.  Analyses on regional levels show that the three regions
face similar natural threats.  The combination of storm surge and local geography
results in significant setup during storm events.  Along the Gulf coast, the risk of
storm surge combined with poor planning and rapid expansion has resulted in a large potential exposure to flooding.  Recent research by the Louisiana State University (Needham, unpublished) shows that the Upper Texas Coast is the second most vulnerable stretch of coast along the Gulf of Mexico, when looking at storm surge.  After the disastrous floods in New Orleans (2005) and Galveston County (2008) neglecting flood hazards no longer seems to be an option. Nowadays an advanced system of levees and storm surge barriers protects New Orleans.  The Ike Dike is a proposal for a coastal spine designed to protect the Galveston Bay Region, and Upper Texas Coast against storm surge and future sea level rise.  By Kasper Stoeten To read the entire report go to:  http://www.tamug.edu/ikedike/images_and_documents To understand better
how the Dutch approached the challenge, read on.  Delta Works is a massive
chain of flood protection structures that were constructed after the occurrence
of the North Sea flood of 1953. The flood led to 8,361 fatalities and flooded nine percent of the farmland in the Netherlands.  The project comprised of laying 13 dams, including barriers, sluices, locks, dikes and levees, to reduce the Dutch coastline’s size and protect the areas within and around the Rhine-Meuse-Scheldt delta from North Sea floods.  Over 72,000 residents had to be evacuated and 10,000 houses and buildings were destroyed. Repair and reconstruction cost nearly a billion dollars.  This prompted the government move forward with the project as quickly as it could.  Originally the plan called for estuaries to be dammed and turned into lakes.  Because of environmental concerns, however, it
was decided to protect the land from storm surges by a barrier instead. The storm
surge barrier is a series of massive values that are normally open so that water
can move in and out of the estuary.  This helps preserve the natural environment.
However the valves can be closed to create a dam during a storm so no high water enters the area.  Another storm surge barrier was also built to protect the rivers when raising the existing levees along the waterway proved too difficult The project was finally completed in 1997, at a cost of $5bn. The project was undertaken by the Department of Waterways and Public Works. The infrastructure provides flood protection, fresh drinking water and irrigation. The risk of flooding was reduced to one in 4,000 years. The Netherlands continues
to add infrastructure to the Delta works as needed.  It is estimated that it will continue to need construction to protect the area against the rising water levels caused by global warming Delta Works is recognized as one of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World by the American Society of Civil Engineers. It included laying of 10,250 miles of dikes and around 300 structures.  Studies were  conducted and efforts were made to curb flooding along the estuaries of
Rhine, Meuse and Scheldt, even before the devastating flood of 1953. The general idea was to shorten the coastline and convert them into fresh water lakes. The North Sea Flood affected the Netherlands, Belgium and England, leading to 2,551 fatalities out of which 1,836 were Dutch. The flood acted as a wakeup call, immediately after which the Delta commissie (Delta Committee) was founded in February 1953, under direction of the Department of Waterways and Public Works. It was assigned with drawing up a plan to protect the areas from
future flooding and provide clean drinking water, which was called Deltaplan. Delta Works is a part of the Deltaplan. The Delta Law was passed in 1959, for organizing the construction of the structures.  Benefits of the Netherlands’ flood system The project, which helped in reducing the coastline, consequently led to the use of less dikes.  The dikes were shortened by about 700 km. It helped in draining the low areas which flood regularly and regulated the flow of saltwater from the sea, providing both potable water and fresh water for irrigation.
The project’s structures also improved the traffic movement between various islands, acting as bridges. Shipping was considerably improved, especially between Rotterdam and Antwerpen. The project also improved recreational facilities and generated employment.