The IJssel Eye is a huge circular pit built on an artificial island located in the center of Lake Ketelmeer, into which the IJssel River flows, in the Netherlands, and its purpose is to serve as a reservoir for highly contaminated sediments.
Between the 1950s and the 1990s, Lake Ketelmeer was heavily polluted as a result of industrial waste from various factories in the area, making it one of the most polluted sites in Europe’s waterways. Fearing that this might lead to contamination of the groundwater or Lake IJsselmeer, the Dutch government decided to build this structure.
The IJssel Eye can store more than 20 million cubic meters of sediment, with the well diameter of one kilometer and with a a depth of 45 meters. It also features a 10-meter embankment surrounding the structure that prevents leaks.
Construction began in 1996 and was completed three years later, in 1999. On the artificial island there is a station capable of separate the sand from contaminants, and this sand is subsequently reused in other locations.
