Eb- en vloedschaar systemen in de Nederlandse getijwateren - Ebb and Flood channel systems in the Netherlands tidal waters

Abstract

The present paper, "Eb- en vloedschaarsystemen in de Nederlandse getijwateren" (Ebb- and floodchannel systems in the Dutch tidal waters), which was published in 1950, should be considered as Van Veen's most important publication since his thesis. It summarizes the results of 20 years of intensive study of estuarine and tidal-basin morphodynamics in The Netherlands. The paper is testimony to Van Veen's keen observational and artistic skills. His approach is nearly "Da Vincian" in the sense that he is not only a fascinated but also sharp observer of nature and tries to capture the essentials ofthe dynamic behavior of complex coastal systems in apparently simple sketches. Many of the natural systems that Van Veen studied have been regulated since; thus, this paper contains a set of irreplaceable, highquality observations on the natural dynamics of tidai systems. Along with Robinson's (1960) paper on ebb-flood channel systems, it forms an excellent introduction to the study of channel dynamics in estuaries, tidal inlets, and tidal basins. Unfortunately, Van Veen's paper was published in Dutch, with only a brief summary in English. Luckily, the figure captions were given in both Dutch and English, allowing international researchers coming across the paper to read it as a kind of 'cartoon'. Understandably though, the paper has received very limited recognition in the international literature. So far, we have traced only 8 publications in which reference is made to this paper (see the reference list on page 53). The majority of these publications have Dutch-speaking (co)authors. Geyl, one of these authors, gives an extensive summary of van Veen's results in his 1976 paper, conscious of the obscurity of the original paper. Ludwick (1972) refers to an English) translation of Van Veen's paper that we have not been able to trace. Usually, reference is made to Van Veen's paper to define ebb- and flood channels in estuaries and tidal inlets. However, his paper contains much more information that should be available to the international research community. Translation of this paper has been the subject of several discussions between Graham Evans, formerly of imperial College, London, and one of us (AvdS). Until recently, a translation was not undertaken, however.