MUDMOTOR Sediment for salt marshes

The physical and ecological aspects of a mud motor

Within the EcoShape Building with Nature programme on Wadden Sea Harbours, an experiment will be conducted with disposal of dredged sediment from Harlingen harbour in the form of a multi-year semi-continuous mud nourishment nearby salt marshes.

The aim of this innovative application is to enlarge the sediment supply towards, and thereby stimulate growth of, salt marshes. This is expected to increase natural values and safety against flooding, as well as a decrease in dredged volumes from Harlingen harbour, leading to cost reduction. This project (starting in 2015) aims to develop the fundamental knowledge needed to understand and quantify the technological, physical and ecological aspects of such large-scale mud nourishments for further upscaling and exporting.