The projected trajectory of the Nieuwe Merwede canal, circa 1868 (dotted lines).The Nieuwe Merwede from Kievitswaard
The Nieuwe Merwede (Dutch pronunciation:[ˌniu.əˈmɛrʋeːdə]; "New Merwede") is a Dutch canal, mainly fed by the river Rhine, that was constructed in 1870 to form a branch in the Rhine–Meuse delta. It was dug along the general trajectories of a number of minor Biesboschcreeks to reduce the risk of flooding by diverting the water away from the Beneden Merwede, and to facilitate navigation and regulate river traffic in the increasingly silted-up delta.[1]