Baardwijkse Overlaat

The Baardwijkse Overlaat is a nature reserve between Drunen and Waalwijk and has been managed by the Nature Conservation Association since 1978. The area was established in 1766 and first functioned in 1769. The area served the purpose of capturing the water from the Maas during times of flooding.

Already in the Middle Ages, there were reports of flooding around 's-Hertogenbosch. When both the Maas, the Aa, and the Dommel carried a lot of water, the Dieze could no longer discharge the water from the Aa and Dommel into the Maas, causing Het Bossche Broek to flood. The Maas itself flooded further east, near Grave. The water was captured there in the Beerse Overlaat. Large areas would then become flooded. This did not only have disadvantages because other areas experienced less flooding as a result. The water flowed away to the west. In the south, the flows were bounded by higher sandy lands and in the north, dikes were built to somewhat channel these floods.

Wikipedia