Editing Rhine (section)

===Holocene delta===
At the beginning of the [[Holocene]] (~11,700 years ago), the Rhine occupied its Late-Glacial valley. As a [[meander]]ing river, it reworked its ice-age floodplain. As sea-level rise continued in the Netherlands, the formation of the Holocene Rhine-Meuse delta began (~8,000&nbsp;years ago). Coeval absolute sea-level rise and [[tectonic]] subsidence have strongly influenced delta evolution. Other factors of importance to the shape of the delta are the local tectonic activities of the [[Peel Boundary Fault]], the substrate and [[geomorphology]], as inherited from the Last Glacial period and the coastal-marine dynamics, such as barrier and tidal inlet formations.{{sfn|Cohen|Stouthamer|Berendsen|2002}}

Since ~3000 yr BP (= years Before Present), human impact is seen in the delta. As a result of increasing land clearance ([[Bronze Age]] agriculture), in the upland areas (central Germany), the sediment load of the Rhine has strongly increased{{sfn|Hoffmann|Erkens|Cohen|Houben|2007}} and delta growth has sped up.{{sfn|Gouw|Erkens|2007}} This has caused increased flooding and sedimentation, ending peat formation in the delta. In the geologically recent past the main process distributing sediment across the delta has been the shifting of river channels to new locations on the floodplain (termed avulsion). Over the past 6000&nbsp;years, approximately 80&nbsp;avulsions have occurred.<ref name="Ber" /> Direct human impact in the delta began with the mining of [[peat]] for salt and fuel from [[Ancient Rome|Roman]] times onward. This was followed by embankment of the major distributaries and damming of minor distributaries, which took place in the 11–13th century AD. Thereafter, canals were dug, bends were straightened and [[groynes]] were built to prevent the river's channels from migrating or silting up.

At present, the branches Waal and Nederrijn-Lek discharge to the North Sea through the former Meuse [[estuary]], near Rotterdam. The river IJssel branch flows to the north and enters the [[IJsselmeer]] (formerly the [[Zuider Zee]]), initially a brackish lagoon but a freshwater lake since 1932. The discharge of the Rhine is divided into three branches: the Waal (6/9 of total discharge), the Nederrijn – Lek (2/9 of total discharge) and the IJssel (1/9 of total discharge). This discharge distribution has been maintained since 1709 by river engineering works including the digging of the [[Pannerdens Kanaal]] and the installation, in the 20th century, of a series of weirs on the [[Nederrijn]].