Mega-nourishments and aeolian developments: Lessons learned six years into the sandmotor pilot project

In 2011 a multifunctional peninsula-shaped nourishment project (the Sandmotor) was implemented on the West coast of the Netherlands. Its objectives included an increase in sediment supply towards the dunes to maintain their function as a flood defense on the longterm as well as the development of (temporary) new dune area for nature and recreational purposes. In this contribution we will present an overview of the observed developments related to aeolian processes at the Sandmotor in the first six years after implementation of the nourishment, as well as discuss the relation of these developments to specific characteristics of the design and management of the Sandmotor