The Canal through Walcheren in the

Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...

crosses the east of

Walcheren Walcheren () is a region and former island in the Dutch province of Zeeland at the mouth of the Scheldt estuary. It lies between the Eastern Scheldt in the north and the Western Scheldt in the south and is roughly the shape of a rhombus. The two ...

. It connects the

Westerschelde The Western Scheldt ( nl, Westerschelde) in the province of Zeeland in the southwestern Netherlands, is the estuary of the Scheldt river. This river once had several estuaries, but the others are now disconnected from the Scheldt, leaving the W ...

and the

Veerse Meer The Veerse Meer (Lake Veere) is a lagoon in the southwest Netherlands in the province of Zeeland. Description The Veerse Meer was created as a flood control measure to regulate water levels in the surrounding polders, acting as a drainage basin f ...

Context

In the 15th and 16th century

Middelburg Middelburg may refer to: Places and jurisdictions Europe * Middelburg, Zeeland, the capital city of the province of Zeeland, southwestern Netherlands ** Roman Catholic Diocese of Middelburg, a former Catholic diocese with its see in the Zeeland ...

, capital of Zeeland was booming. The city was on

Island, and had a connection to the sea just to the east via the small river

Arne Arne may refer to: Places * Arne, Dorset, England, a village ** Arne RSPB reserve, a nature reserve adjacent to the village * Arné, Hautes-Pyrénées, Midi-Pyrénées, France * Arne (Boeotia), an ancient city in Boeotia, Greece * Arne (Thessa ...

. In 1535 the Havenkanaal was opened, and Middelburg continued in prosperity. However, in the 17th and 18th century Middelburg's connections to the sea all silted up. In 1809 King

Louis Bonaparte Louis Napoléon Bonaparte (born Luigi Buonaparte; 2 September 1778 – 25 July 1846) was a younger brother of Napoleon I, Emperor of the French. He was a monarch in his own right from 1806 to 1810, ruling over the Kingdom of Holland (a French cl ...

decided to construct the New Harbor Canal, which connected Middelburg to

Veere Veere (; zea, label=Zeelandic, Ter Veere) is a municipality with a population of 22,000 and a town with a population of 1,500 in the southwestern Netherlands, in the region of Walcheren in the province of Zeeland. History The name ''Veere'' ...

. After the annexation by France this work was halted. After independence was regained in 1813, work continued. It was made possible by a national subsidy (a loan without interest) of 1,000,000 guilders. Middelburg would repay 25,000 guilders a year. The canal was opened in August 1817, but the prosperity of Middelburg was not restored.

History

In 1871 the

Sloedam The Sloedam was a dam, connecting the Dutch islands Zuid-Beveland and Walcheren near the town of Arnemuiden. Before the dam was constructed, these islands were separated by a stretch of water called the Sloe. The Sloedam was constructed in 1871 for ...

was constructed for the

Roosendaal–Vlissingen railway The Roosendaal–Vlissingen railway is a railway line in the Netherlands running from Roosendaal to Vlissingen passing through the provinces of North Brabant and Zeeland. It is also known as Staatslijn F.Zuid-Beveland Zuid-Beveland (; "South Beveland") is part of the province of Zeeland in the Netherlands north of the Western Scheldt and south of the Eastern Scheldt. Topography It is a former island, now peninsula, crossed by the Canal through Zuid-Bevelan ...

, and cut off the Sloe, which was the southern approach to Middelburg over water. Therefore, and to profit from the expected benefits of the railway, the new Canal through Walcheren was dug. On the north side of

, the Canal through Walcheren follows the bed of the Havenkanaal (New Harbor Canal) of 1817. In Middelburg the canal passed along the fortifications. Here it led to the demolishment of the Vlissingen Gate. In Vlissingen the canal was connected to extensive new harbour works. The railroad entering Walcheren from the east does not cross this canal, but bends south and runs along it up to Vlissingen.

Today

The canal is operational for shipping up to

CEMT-class The Classification of European Inland Waterways is a set of standards for interoperability of large navigable waterways forming part of the Trans-European Inland Waterway network within Continental Europe and Russia. It was created by the Europea ...

Va and recreational boating as well, the maximum speed is . All movable bridges (5) and sluices are remote controlled from a central point in Vlissingen, to be comtacted by

VHF Very high frequency (VHF) is the ITU designation for the range of radio frequency electromagnetic waves (radio waves) from 30 to 300 megahertz (MHz), with corresponding wavelengths of ten meters to one meter. Frequencies immediately below VHF ...

.
North of the bridges in Middelburg is a branch to the harbour of

Arnemuiden Arnemuiden is a city of around 5000 people in the municipality of Middelburg in the province of Zeeland in the Netherlands. It is located on the former island of Walcheren, about 3 km east of the city of Middelburg. On the 23 September 1338, ...

for

II boats and after a mile on that canal an other branch to the harbour of

Nieuw- en Sint Joosland Nieuw- en Sint Joosland of Nieuwland (Zeeuws: 't Nieuwland) is a village and a former municipality in the southeast of Walcheren, at the edge of the island, in the municipality Middelburg, in the Dutch province of Zeeland. It has about 1300 inha ...

for CEMT-class 0.
Excess waters (rain) from a part of Walcheren is discharged on the canal by a pumping station in Middelburg.

References

* Canals in the Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta Canals opened in 1873 Canals in Zeeland Transport in Middelburg, Zeeland Transport in Vlissingen Veere Walcheren {{Zeeland-geo-stub