Ijsselmeer

IJsselmeer (ī'səlmār'), shallow freshwater lake, NW Netherlands, bordering on the provinces of North Holland, Utrecht, Gelderland, Overijssel, and Friesland. It was formed from the old Zuider Zee by the construction of a dam (completed 1932). The dam, 19 mi (31 km) long, has navigation locks and drainage sluices (which control the lake's level) and carries a roadway connecting North Holland with Friesland. The IJssel River, from which the lake takes its name, is the chief feeder of the IJsselmeer. Considerable areas have been reclaimed from the former Zuider Zee since 1932. The largest of the reclaimed areas is the Northeast Polder (185 sq mi/479 sq km). Parts of the polders were flooded in World War II but have since been salvaged; five more, including the Zuidelijk and the Oostelijk, have been constructed. Amsterdam, located on the IJ, an inlet of the IJsselmeer, is the chief city on the lake. The IJsselmeer is an important freshwater fishing ground. Since 1937 pike, perch, and eels have replaced saltwater fish.