The Delta model : M284 (1946-1959) ; M600 (1959-....)

In the Delta region two inlets at the least will have to stay open, viz the Scheldt and the Nieuwe Waterweg, being the entrances for shipping to the ports of Antwerp and of Rotterdam. This means that the tides and the storm surges will still penetrate into the Delta region after the other inlets have been blocked. It is necessary to know what will be the strength of the tidal currents then in various channels and also which water levels will be reached during exceptional strong gales. It is evident that observations in the past can only serve to predict water levels and currents as long as the course of the channels remains unchanged. As soon as changes are initiated, for instance by building a dam, prediction can only be done by means of theory or by experiment. The Storm Surge Committee recommended that a small-scale model should be made of the Delta region. This recommendation was followed up by the government and so the model was constructed.