water from the Meuse. 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. Both the current Merwede and all of its lower stretches (now called Noord river, Oude Maas and Nieuwe Maas) are now consequently almost exclusively fed by the Rhine, while the Meuse has been given its own artificial mouth, Bergse Maas, and the two rivers Rhine and Meuse are now mostly separated to reduce the risk of flooding. This separation of the rivers Rhine and Maas is considered to be the greatest achievement in Dutch hydraulic engineering before the completion of the Zuiderzee Works and Delta Works. The Merovingian dynasty probably derived its name from this river. Sources Rivers of the Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta Distributaries of Europe Rivers of North Brabant Rivers of South Holland Rivers of the Netherlands Alblasserwaard Drechtsteden Land van Heusden en Altena