Ecomare

The present Lauwersmeer region lies where the river Lauwers once flowed into the Lauwerszee. The map show that the former Lauwers Sea used to be a river delta. The tidal current from the Wadden Sea had practically no obstacles in the way. In order to protect the surrounding land from flooding, the Lauwerszee was closed off with a 'afsluit dike' in May 1969. Since then, the new Lauwersmeer region developed rapidly into a very valuable and important area for nature. The rare (wet) dune valley vegetations and the enormous richness in birds determine its worth. In November 2003, the region received the status of National Park.