In a bar under the sea : functions and values on the Zeeland ridges and a new concept for the geographical steering of large scale sand extractions

Large scale sand extractions (extracted volume > 10*106 m3) will be required in the near future in order to supply projects of great social or economical importance with considerable amounts of sand. The extraction activity as well as the pit that remains, may have all kinds of effects on other functions and values in the North Sea; e.g. effects on coastal safety, cables, fisheries, marine life, etc. The extraction location should therefore be chosen with care. In this study, we propose a concept for the Geographical Steering of large scale sand extractions. This concept provides a method that can be used to reduce damage to functions and values, by appointing vulnerable locations in the North Sea where large scale sand extractions should be avoided and by providing suitable alternative extraction locations. Since the Zeeland ridges is a unique system of sand ridges that contain considerable amounts of sand available for such extractions, the Directorate North Sea of Rijkswaterstaat requested to identify functions and values on the Zeeland ridges and to apply the new concept.