Add salt to the Sea.

Petkum
This morning there was a news report on the local radio about storing gas under the ground.
This will happen in Germany near Jengum, this is upstream the river Ems and close to the border with Holland. We, the kayakers from Groningen are regular visitors overhere.
The plan is to remove big salt pans under the surface and replace it by gas. They are not talking about cubic meters, but cubic kilometers.
Termunterzijl
They will pump in plain water and the salt will be turned into liquid, then they pump it up and let it all flow into the Ems.
An increase of 20 % more salt in the sea. The stretch of period would be 30 years. These projects cost billions of Euros and have no effect on the German habitat.
Well they are right; the pipe will be very close to the border of Holland. And as everybody can notice, we will be the one having environmental damage.
The area Dollard/Ems is already suffering from growth from industrial development and adding projects like this will increase the number of casualties under "dwellers of the Dollard/Ems region". Borkum line
In Holland we have the expression "carrying water to the sea", in Germany they "carry salt to the sea". Who is cleverer???
Well, will this region turn into the Death Sea? With so much salt. The advantage is that we do not have to wear PFD's anymore….we will float anyway.
SaltSmurf

D-day; Dollard day

Termunterzijl



surfsmurf doing the planning

It was on a evening in May when I received a call to go to the Dollard.
A nice daytrip where Germany and Holland meet, South of the river Ems.
We left from Termunterzijl, a nice little village with a very old pumping-engine. We go Eastwards where the Ems and the Dollard will split. We go into the Mouth of the Dollard, while on the Ems you can see the big vessels going to Emden, or maybe further upstream to Papenburg to be rebuild at the famous Mayerwerff.

On the way to NieuwStatenzijl we decide to pass by the pole that is standing in the water and marks the border of Holland and Germany. We are the only one on the water, it's not very deep and little boats can only come here with HW.

We are now heading for Noordpolderzijl, but we had to "Wadlopen", Meaning that we had to walk in the mud for a while, we don't have enough water under the boat. So we are knee-deep in the silt and slime.
We will have a break in the lookout of the bird's sanctuary. People from the land can only come here by a very long jetty in this swamp area and they will be rewarded with lots of flying obstacles…..and some down to earth kayakers.


beside the lookout