The Lauwersmeer National Park is located in the north of the Netherlands, on the border of the provinces of Groningen and Friesland. The area was declared a national park on 12 November 2003 and covers 9000 hectares, of which around 6000 hectares are under the control of the Dutch State Forestry Service (Staatsbosbeheer). The lake is around 2000 hectares in size.
The Lauwerszee, a bay named after the river Lauwers, used to be open to the Wadden Sea. After the storm surge of 1953, a dam was planned for fear of flooding, and was completed in 1969. The bay became a closed lake, now called the Lauwersmeer, and the higher seabed (the former mudflats) was drained. The newly reclaimed land was left completely to itself in the first few years so that the flora and fauna typical of the area could establish themselves.
The area is predominantly open in character, although there is a forest called Ballastplaatbos near Lauwersoog and the Zomerhuisbos forest area in the south near Dokkumer Nieuwe Zijlen. Larger areas of the park are not accessible to the public, while the lake in its deeper areas is also open to boats. The shallow lake and wetlands are not accessible for landscape protection reasons.
Fantastic nature.