Otheense Creek

Otheensche Kreek

The Otheensche Kreek is a fairly wide creek in Zeeuws-Vlaanderen, named after the village Othene which has since been swallowed by Terneuzen. The northern part of the Otheensche kreek is currently located in the city of Terneuzen.

History[edit | edit source]

The Otheensche kreek once began as the Notense Geul, an outlet of the Honte.(Westerschelde)

General

Over the years, the Otheensche kreek has become increasingly freshwater and is currently a reservoir for freshwater. The creek covers about 100 hectares and is on average three meters deep, with occasional holes of six meters. Because the creek is viewed as swimming water, there is more control over the water quality, which increases the water quality, also benefiting the fish population. In this way, the creek is also suitable as fishing water.

The northern side is surrounded by Terneuzen on two sides. On the east side are Othenepolder, Othene (Noten), Rietlanden, and the Kraaglanden. Noten is the former village of Othene which is entirely in the new district of Othene Ligt. Othenepolder, Rietlanden, and the Kraaglanden are three new neighborhoods of Terneuzen. In the Rietlanden district, many houses have been built along dug ditches that lead into the Otheensche kreek. The Kraaglanden is still under development and is intended to be an exclusive residential area with attention to a lot of greenery. The greenery should then transition into the creek. Between the Othenepolder neighborhood and the Serlippenspolder neighborhood lies a sluice that serves to discharge water from the Otheensche Kreek into the Westerschelde. Until the 1960s, there was a drainage canal running west through the Serlipenspolder and between the sea dike and the Noordpolder, to Terneuzen, discharging water there into the Westerschelde. Due to the expansion of Terneuzen with the Serlippenspolder neighborhood towards Othene (Noten), the canal was largely filled in. Only the portion in the Noordpolder neighborhood has been preserved. On the west side of the creek are the neighborhoods Serlippenspolder, Katspolder, Zeldenrust, and De Kraag. Between the creek and the last-mentioned neighborhoods, a park has developed with plenty of reeds at the water and the opportunity to fish or swim. Swimming is allowed everywhere except in places marked with signs. Furthermore, there are two small marinas for small pleasure boats. One in the Serlippenspolder, which is nothing more than a small inlet and a landing stage, and one in the Katspolder. The latter harbor is a real marina where the boats of the local scouting are also located.

Gemeente Terneuzen