Sea pumping Station Ropta

Ropta dates from 1972 and distinguishes itself in the landscape by its striking steel-blue colour. This pumping station can discharge 460 cubic meters per minute of water from the polder into the sea. Usually if you stand here for a while, you can just hear the pumping station kick in, which switches on automatically if necessary. During the Noorderlicht exhibition, however, the drainage is done manually. The automation is perfect for the function of safety and water management, but it also has a major drawback. Just like dikes and locks, pumping stations are a major obstacle for migratory fish, because they must be able to migrate between fresh and salt water to survive. That is why in 2001 Ropta was equipped with a fish passage. In the spring and autumn, it is therefore very busy in the fishing area. Migratory fish such as smelt, three-spined stickleback and eel make use of the fish migration system in that period. During the Noorderlicht Festival you can see photographic work by the American artist Lisa di Donato.