THE RIVER DOES NOT KNOW NATIONAL BORDERS
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LAYERS OF SIGNIFICANCE
CHARACTERISTICS OF THE MEUSE
The Meuse takes its rise in France at the Langres plateau and flows further through Belgium, the west of the Ardennes. In Eijsden (south of Maastricht) it reaches the Netherlands and it flows to the Hollandsch Diep. The river can be divided in three parts:
The upper course (from the source to the mouth of Chiers; that is almost the whole French part of the river) The catchment area here is long and narrow, but the flood plains are wide and the ground is porous. This area can store much water and the discharge pattern is rather calm: the peak discharge during floods is relatively small and in dry periods the discharge is relatively high.
The middle course (from the mouth of Chiers to the Dutch border) The flood plains here are rather narrow. The number of tributaries is high and they are situated in hilly areas with a low infiltration capacity. It causes a fast runoff of the water resulting in high flood peak discharges and low flows during rainless periods. The lower course (formed by the Dutch part of the river).
Between Maastricht and Maasbracht the Meuse forms the border between the Netherlands and Flanders. There are no barrages here, no navigation, many bends are present and the bottom consists of gravel.
REIMAGINE THE RIVER
Despite its rich layers of history presently the particular section of the River Meuse between Maastricht and Liege appears to be a “white spot” on the map in a number of ways. The end of the heavy industry era leaves the landscape void of identity and designated as a throughway of various transits.
Landscapes don’t break – they stretch, bent and morph – change is their ordering principle. The River Meuse landscape between Liege and Maastricht can be understood as an amalgam layered of most contradictory concepts. The Meuse is one of the oldest rivers and the cradle of romantic landscape paintings. It’s the infrastructure of past coal and steel industry as well as for the next West-European logistic nexus of TriLogiPort.
The River Meuse accompanied by the Albert-Kanaal and Juliana Kanal represents a spine connecting all layers and functions across four nations. The water table between river and canal can differ several meters. The hydrological regimes of the Meuse do not recognize national boundaries, but EU policies begin to recognize the River Meuse.
The workshop explored the future role of the river, reflecting multiple layers and scales. We ask for a synthesis of a specific identity for this particular section of the “Meuse Valley”. How can the next phase of modernization, driven by climate change and economic transformation be accommodated by the landscape respecting all layers of its significance?
Drivers of change:
_Climate change: besides risk of flood events the opposite thread of draughts is a recent concern. At flow rates below 30 qm/sec conflicting demands of shipping, irrigation and process and cooling water for industry intensify.
_TriLogiPort a 200 ha Logistic Port is under construction to connect the Albert Kanal shipping with Monzten rail line, motorway and Liege freight airport. Hope and conflicts surface with this proposed next phase of industrialization.
WHO IS THE RIVER MEUSE…
…MOTHER, MADAME, MACHINE, MONSTER?
In 1792 massive skull-head was discovered in a limestone quarry in Maastricht. Nothing similar to the three-meter long head has been seen before. The Meuse-Monster later was understood as evidence of a fossil marine predator that used to populate the sea, which reached up to Maastricht in the age now referred to as the Maastrichtian. This discorvery lead to a radically new understanding of the landscape.
Was the monster only imagined?
What resembles the monster today?
What does it take to discover it, and
identify or re-imagine this territory?
We will study this area again.
The largest known mosasaur is Hainosaurus, which could reach 17 metres in length. Giant mosasaurs were the top predator in the sea and were widespread across the world the late Cretaceous period.
Register Now
Deadline to register Friday July 12
Registration fee 150 Euro/Student
Incl. accommodation in Liege, rental bikes, bus-tour, canoe tour, workshop materials.
Contact: summer.meuse@gmail.com
River Meuse International Summer School 