Flexible Disposal Monitoring Program

The Scheldt estuary fairway, which crosses the Netherlands and Belgium and provides access to the port of Antwerp, was deepened in 2010 to provide tide-independent access for ships with a draught of up to 13.1 m. A flexible disposal strategy was introduced as part of the deepening treaty between Flanders and the Netherlands, to optimize the dredging and disposal activities of the capital (deepening) and maintenance dredging works and to maximize the ecological value of the estuary by creating valuable intertidal areas. 

IMDC analyses and reports hydrodynamic, morphological and ecological monitoring data and advises the client with respect to sediment disposal and monitoring strategy. This includes monthly reporting of disposal activities on the sand shoal edges, a two-yearly progress report, and numerous other task-specific analyses of sediment dynamics, morphological development and dredging and disposal strategy. The studies have been presented at national and international conferences including the Scheldt Symposium and the EGU General Assembly, and are available on the Flemish-Dutch Scheldt Commission website.