Merwede

The Merwede (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈmɛrʋeːdə]; etymology uncertain, possibly derived from the Old Dutch merwe or merowe, a word meaning "wide water") is the name of several connected stretches of river in the Netherlands, between the cities of Woudrichem, Dordrecht and Papendrecht.

The Nieuwe Merwede joins the Bergse Maas near Lage Zwaluwe to form the Hollands Diep estuary, and separates the Island of Dordrecht from the Biesbosch National Park.

The Beneden Merwede splits into the Noord River and Oude Maas near Papendrecht.

During a second flooding event (the St. Elizabeth floods) a major breach in the coastal dunes of Holland created an inlet that would eventually reach the Merwede, thus creating a new, more southerly and shorter path to the sea.

In recent centuries the influence of the Meuse has decreased even further, to the point that the major stretches of river called Oude Maas and Nieuwe Maas have been essentially cut off from the river Meuse completely.