Water, water everywhere. Well, I can tell you that it has not been like that lately. I have already written about the extended record-setting hot and dry spell that we had. Now it is too wet. Haha, never happy— it has been one extreme or the other. When we went to get the veggies for the food bank, the pump next to the clubhouse was running and pumping water like gangbusters. It is pumping water from the lower land of the gardens up to the next geographical level for removal. The way the system works is that under the gardens we have tubing at a depth of about 60 cm. These tubes are covered and have linear slits in them for the excess water to drain into. Here, a picture of the tubing we use: …and here a schematic of the removal of water at the lowest level. In the image you see the tubing that runs under the plots emptying into the little canal. The water is transported up several levels into ever larger canals until it is finally emptied into the sea. To ensure that the water flow works, everyone whose land borders on a canal is responsible for keeping the canal and the banks free of obstructive plants or other forms of blockage.
This is very interesting Sjoerd. I appreciate you taking the time to post this. I've had a hard time wrapping my head around the canal system. This is a great explanation. What a system that is in place! Is there a back up system for the pumps? - it appears the potential for flooding is quite high if a pump should falter.
Mel, yes there are back-ups. We also have huge systems and structures for prevention. I am glad that you enjoyed the posting. I aim to please.
Part of the country has always been low, that is why there is so much sand …and in some areas ( such as here), peaty soil from the boggy ground. It is dry today because of the ingenuity of our forefathers who discovered how to build and use dikes along with windmills to “reclaim” dry land. There is a saying here that god made the world in six days and when he was resting on the seventh, the Dutch made Holland. Ha ha. But as I was saying, the land here has always been low, hence the name, Nederland=low land. We are referred to this way by other countries as well, such as France—Pays-bas and Spain— Países Bajos, for instance. For further understanding you have to look back in time thousands of years.
