The Hoogheemraadschap van den Lekdijk Benedendams and van den IJsseldam was founded in 1328. Centuries of discipline are needed to protect the Lekdijk. Buildings near the dyke have been banned for all that time, except for their own dyke warehouses and monitoring posts.
With the IJsseldam, the Hollandsche IJssel at the Klaphek in IJsselstein was closed off from the Lek around the year 1328. A large area was thus made suitable for agriculture and livestock. Simultaneously, dike maintenance, dike monitoring, annual inspections and drainage started. All residents (land owners) had to contribute to this by performing work and being ready in case of emergency.
In times of high water, men were called up as dyke officers to keep watch: dyke surveillance. At the former guard houses there are still numbered square posts with a lantern at that time. The natural stone has withstood the times of many piles. As soon as the water level reached the gauge house, it was clear to everyone that the water level could reach the maximum that the dike was designed for. Reports from Germany about the water levels provided information as to whether the danger would increase or decrease. Emergency measures could be taken in the event of leakage through the dykes or flooding of the dyke. Sandbags, wheelbarrows and shovels were kept in their own warehouses. With the men gathered together, the filling of the bags could begin to stand by and intervene if necessary.
Several remnants of this dike monitoring by the Hoogheemraadschap are present along the Lekdijk between IJsselstein and Schoonhoven. In 1860, dike warehouses were built on both sides of the management area.
The Hoogheemraadschap Lekdijk Benedendams built its own dike house in the 19th century and renovated it in 1905. It is a stately building where senior officials could stay during high water levels and during dike monitoring. There has also been a Lekdijk Bovendams Water Board with its own board and buildings for monitoring the Lek between Amerongen and the Vreeswijk. The old dike houses can be found in Jaarsveld and Schalkwijk, they are described separately including more about the history of these oldest water boards in the Netherlands. Both Water Boards have merged into what is now the Stichtse Rijnlanden water board in a larger context.
The dike warehouse at IJsselstein is a national monument, as are the gauge house and the dike monitoring posts.
Translated by Google •
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