Augustów Canal

Coordinates: 53°52′N 22°58′E / 53.867°N 22.967°E / 53.867; 22.967
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Augustów Canal
Neman River near
Sapotskin, Belarus
Connects toBystry Canal

The Augustów Canal (

Congress Kingdom of Poland in the 19th century in the present-day Podlaskie Voivodeship of northeastern Poland and the Grodno Region of north-western Belarus (then the Augustów Voivodeship of Congress Poland). From the time it was first built, the canal was described by experts as a technological marvel, with numerous sluices
contributing to its aesthetic appeal.

It was the first

Dnieper River
. It uses a post-glacial channel depression, forming the chain of Augustów lakes, and the river valleys of the Biebrza, the Netta, the Czarna Hancza and the Neman, which made it possible to perfectly integrate the Canal with the surrounding elements of the natural environment.

The reasons behind the construction of the Augustów Canal were both political and economic. In 1821,

Baltic seaport of Ventspils in the province of Kurland. This goal was relinquished due to unrest caused by the 1830–1831 November Uprising
against Russia and revised trade agreements with Prussia.

The completed part of the Augustów Canal remained an inland waterway of local significance used for commercial shipping and to transport wood to and from the Vistula and Neman Rivers until rendered obsolete by the regional railway network.

History

The Augustów Canal between Gorczyckie and Orle Lakes

Construction and operations (1821–1850)
The reasons behind the construction of the Augustów Canal were both political and economic.

Danzig (Gdańsk).[5]

In August 1822, Drucki-Lubecki made the order of planning a waterway from Narew and Biebrza rivers to Neman river and then to the mouth of Windau river at the Baltic Sea. The field surveys to link the basins of the Neman and Vistula were begun with the permissions of the Russian Ministry of Communications in 1823. The Russian field party was led by lieutenant-colonel Reeze from the Corps of Transport Engineers and lieutenant-colonel Ignacy Prądzyński from the General Quartermasters' Office of the Polish Army. Reeze and Pradzynski met in Grodno on 28 June 1823. Lieutenant-colonel Pradzynski and four officers from the engineering corps carried out the topographical survey on Polish territory concentrating mainly on the lakes near to Augustow and the river Chorna Gancha. In the same time, the Reeze's group worked on Biebrza river and the smaller river of Lososna, Tatarka and Polilia.[6]

In the years 1823–1839 a waterway designed by General

Baltic seaport of Ventspils (Polish: Windawa).[7][8][9][10] The building of the final "windawski" section[8][11] of the waterway (Windawski Canal), which was to connect the new trading route to Ventspils, was relinquished due to unrest caused by the 1830–1831 November Uprising against Russia and revised trade agreements with Prussia.[8][10]

Decline and abandonment (1850–1920)
During the latter half of the 19th century the rail network, such as nearby the

Saint Petersburg – Warsaw Railway, started to replace the canal as the primary means of transporting goods. The channel gradually began to decline, from 1852 on it floated only forest products and from the mid-1860s the canal channel was scored.[8]

Rebirth and destruction (1920–1945)
The

Polish-Soviet War caused some damage to the canal, but it was rebuilt by the Second Polish Republic during the early 1920s. Between the World Wars, the canal became a tourist attraction for the first time. It was a picturesque tourist route providing excellent sporting opportunities for canoeists, sailors and boaters. World War II saw the destruction of a number of locks and weirs of the canal. During the Second World War, German troops blew up three locks, about a dozen bridges and eight weirs.[9] After World War II the Polish part of the canal has been restored.[9]

Division and reconstruction (1950–2005)
The post-war redrawing of the eastern Polish border, see

Belorussian SSR.[9] The Belarusian part of the canal since the partition has become a unique ecosystem, in 1970 the Sapotskinsky Biological Reserve was created to help preserve the area.[12]

According to the decision of the Polish Minister of Culture and the Arts from 21 December 1968 the Augustów Canal on the section from Augustów to the state border with the infrastructure: locks, dams, bridges, housing banks, building maintenance services, environment, landscape and plant was declared a monument of technology Class I.[9] Then, on 9 Feb 1979, the Voivode's decision Suwalki Augustów Canal for its entire length was entered in the register of monuments.[9]

Treasured status (2005 – present)
On 8 June 2005, based on Council of Ministers Resolution No. 125/2005 of 22 May 2005 concluded the "Agreement between the Government of the Polish Republic and the Government of the Republic of Belarus on the reconstruction of the Augustów Canal section of the border."

World Heritage List of UNESCO.[13]

Geography

Augustów Canal is in the lower right of the map

The canal utilizes a postglacial depression and numerous valleys in the Masurian Lake District that were shaped by the Pleistocene ice age. Many of the surrounding hills are parts of moraines and many of its lakes are moraine-dammed lakes. It is based in the long natural chain of Augustów lakes and the adjoining rivers.[14] The qualities of the landscape made it possible to perfectly integrate the canal with its environment over its 101.20 km length. The watershed area of the canal on the Polish side of the border is 74.25 km2 and on the Belarusian side, 8.42 km2 for a total of 82.67 km2.[14]

The canal connects seven natural

Wigry lakes, all within the boundaries of the protected area. Six historic sluices, Przewięź, Paniewo, Perkuć, Sosnówek, Tartak and Kudrynki, are easy to access from the green trail used by hikers and cyclists.[14]

Economics

Augustów Lock is the fifth lock on the canal

The Augustów Canal remained, after completion, an inland waterway of local significance that was used for commercial shipping and to transport wood to and from the

tow paths for horses to pull barges upstream. The canal was designed for the passage of vessels up to 40 m long, up to 5 m in width and capable of carrying up to 10 tons of cargo.[8]

During the latter half of the 19th century the rail network, such as nearby the

Saint Petersburg – Warsaw Railway, started to replace the canal as the primary means of transporting goods. The channel gradually began to decline, from 1852 on it floated only forest products and from the mid-1860s the canal channel was scored.[8]

Starting in the late 1920s the canal became a tourist attraction for the first time. It was a picturesque tourist route providing excellent sporting opportunities for canoeists, sailors and boaters.[9] After World War II the Polish part of the canal has been restored.[9]

Currently the canal offers numerous sightseeing and tourist attractions. Its unsurpassed beauty comes from the natural qualities of the landscape with

coniferous forests and lakes, especially around the Biebrza and Netta Rivers, and it runs through the Augustów Primeval Forest from west to east.[15] The biggest attraction is to navigate the waterway in a kayak, canoe, fishing boat or a motorboat.[15] It is also possible to visit part of the canal and the Augustów lakes in a passenger ship.[16]

Canal infrastructure

The Augustów Canal was the first

Dnieper River. From the time it was first built, the canal was described by experts as a technological marvel, with numerous sluices contributing to its aesthetic appeal.[17]

The Augustów Canal, consisting of 18 locks and 22 sluices, is divided into two major sections: the West — from the merger of the Biebrza lock Augusta (0.0 – 32.50 km); and the East section — from lock to lock Niemnowo Augusta Belarus (32.50 – 101.20 km).[14][17][18]

Vistula river watershed

Biebrza River to Augustów Lock (0.0 – 32.50 km)

Augustów Canal
Legend
Western Half
km
Biebrza River
00.35
 Dębowo Lock
13.20
 Sosnowo Lock
13.22
 Sosnowo Weir
19.25
 Borki Lock
19.35
 Borki Weir
24.80
 weir
26.60
 weir
27.10
 Białobrzegi Lock
Lake Sajno
32.50
 Augustów Lock
km
Kilometer Description Coordinates
0.0 Start at the Biebrza River (84.2 km from the river source)[7][9]
0.35–10.95 Canalized Netta River[7][9]
0.35 Dębowo Lock and weir[7][9] 53°36′36″N 22°55′48″E / 53.609978°N 22.930051°E / 53.609978; 22.930051
10.95–32.50 Lateral canal parallel to the Netta River[7][9]
13.20 Sosnowo Lock. Weir to discharge excess water from the Sosnowo-Borki segment to the Netta River[7][9] 53°42′01″N 22°55′34″E / 53.700272°N 22.926201°E / 53.700272; 22.926201
19.25 Borki Lock[7][9] 53°45′18″N 22°54′54″E / 53.755095°N 22.915075°E / 53.755095; 22.915075
19.35 Weir to discharge excess water from the Borki-Białobrzegi segment to the Netta River[7][9] 53°45′23″N 22°54′54″E / 53.756433°N 22.915033°E / 53.756433; 22.915033
24.80 Weir to discharge excess water from the Borki-Białobrzegi segment to the Netta River[7][9] 53°47′48″N 22°56′43″E / 53.796686°N 22.945384°E / 53.796686; 22.945384
26.60 The canal passes through the village of Białobrzegi, Weir to discharge excess water from the Borki-Białobrzegi segment to the Netta River[7][9] 53°48′17″N 22°57′59″E / 53.804657°N 22.96637°E / 53.804657; 22.96637
27.10 Białobrzegi Lock[7][9] 53°48′25″N 22°58′07″E / 53.806976°N 22.968698°E / 53.806976; 22.968698
27.60 Weir to discharge excess water from the Białobrzegi-Augustów segment to Lake Sajno[7][9]
32.50 Augustów Lock and Augustów Weir. The weir controls the outflow from Lake Necko to Lake Sajna via the Bystry Canal (Polish: Kanał Bystry). The purpose is to establish a reserve water storage to supply the Augustów-Dębowo section of the canal.[7][9] 53°50′29″N 22°59′27″E / 53.841365°N 22.990948°E / 53.841365; 22.990948

Niemen river watershed

Neman River
(32.50 km – 101.20 km)

Kilometer Description Coordinates
32.50–43.50 The canal crosses Lake Necko (1,7 km) and Lake Białe (6,7 km)[7][9]
43.50 Przewięź Lock[7][9] 53°52′02″N 23°05′32″E / 53.867143°N 23.092189°E / 53.867143; 23.092189
43.50–47.50 The canal crosses Lake Studzieniczne [7][9]
47.40 Swoboda Lock[7][9] 53°52′00″N 23°08′42″E / 53.866653°N 23.1451°E / 53.866653; 23.1451
47.40–57.00
Summit level canal with portions traversing Lake Swoboda and Lake Gorczyckie [7][9]
53.00 Connection to Lake Serwy [7][9]
57.00 Gorczyca Lock[7][9] 53°54′24″N 23°14′50″E / 53.90663°N 23.24726°E / 53.90663; 23.24726
57.00–60.90 artificial canal and traversal of Lake Orle and Lake Paniewo [7][9]
60.90 Paniewo Lock[7][9] 53°53′55″N 23°17′54″E / 53.898664°N 23.298331°E / 53.898664; 23.298331
63.00 Perkuć Lock[7][9] 53°53′57″N 23°19′08″E / 53.8991°N 23.318835°E / 53.8991; 23.318835
63.00–69.10 a short artificial canal and traversal of Lake Mikaszewo, near the village of Mikaszówka[7][9]
69.10 Mikaszówka Lock and Weir[7][9] 53°53′23″N 23°23′48″E / 53.889625°N 23.396562°E / 53.889625; 23.396562
70.30 Sosnówek Lock and Weir[7][9] 53°53′29″N 23°24′48″E / 53.891393°N 23.413226°E / 53.891393; 23.413226
70.50–94.60 Canalized Czarna Hańcza River[7][9]
74.40 Tartak Lock and Weir[7][9] 53°52′57″N 23°27′41″E / 53.882391°N 23.461454°E / 53.882391; 23.461454
77.40 Kudrynki Lock and Weir[7][9] 53°52′43″N 23°30′06″E / 53.878493°N 23.501558°E / 53.878493; 23.501558
80.00–83.40 The Poland-Belarus border runs along the axis of the canal for 3.4 kilometres (2.1 mi)[7][9]
81.75 Kurzyniec Lock and Weir. Site of the former village of Kurzyniec.[7][9] 53°51′49″N 23°31′26″E / 53.86364°N 23.523851°E / 53.86364; 23.523851
83.40 Wołkuszek Weir[7][9]
83.40–101.20 Segment of the canal in Belarus[7][9]
85.00
Wołkuszek Lock[7][9]
91.50
Dąbrówka Lock and Weir[7][9]
 53°51′46″N 23°37′25″E / 53.862862°N 23.623599°E / 53.862862; 23.623599
94.60 The
Neman River[7][9]
94.60–101.20 Lateral canal parallel to the Czarna Hańcza River[7][9]
100.00 Kurkul Weir to discharge excess water from the Dąbrówka-Niemnowo segment to the
Neman River[7][9]
101.20
Niemnowo Lock[7][9]
 53°52′14″N 23°45′23″E / 53.870561°N 23.756261°E / 53.870561; 23.756261
101.20
Neman River[7][9]
 53°52′14″N 23°45′23″E / 53.870561°N 23.756261°E / 53.870561; 23.756261

Recognition

The canal is currently a conservation protection zone proposed by Poland and Belarus for inscription onto the

World Heritage List of UNESCO. This site was added to the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List on 30 January 2004, in the Cultural category.[19]

The canal was also named one of Poland's official national

National Heritage Board of Poland
.

References

  1. ^ von Treitschke, Heinrich (1916). Treitschke's History of Germany in the Nineteenth Century. New York: McBride Nast & Company. p. 497.
  2. ^ Askenazy, Szymon (1921). Dantzig & Poland. London: George Allen & Unwin LTD. pp. 83–84. 1821 prussia tariff poland.
  3. ^ Cohn, Gustav (1895). The Science of Finance. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. pp. 397. 1821 Prussia tariffs.
  4. ISBN 9780295953588
    .
  5. ^ "ZSO Płaska-kanał" (in Polish). Archived from the original on 24 March 2012. Retrieved 31 May 2011.
  6. ^ Olga S. Romanova, Vera A. Shirokova, Nadezhda A. Ozerova, Vasiliy M. Chesnov, Alexey V. Sobisevich Augustow canal as the monument of hydraulics and the objects of heritage tourism // Acta Geographica Silesiana, 2018. Vol. 31. № 3. P. 37–44.
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am an "Kanał Augustowski" (in Polish). kanaly.info. Archived from the original on 18 April 2010. Retrieved 19 April 2011.
  8. ^ a b c d e f Mieczysław, Jackiewicz (2006). Litwa: podróż sentymentalna (in Polish). Warsaw.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  9. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am an ao ap aq ar as at au av aw ax ay az "Augustów Canal — Regional Water Management Authority in Warsaw (RZGW Warsawa)" (in Polish). Archived from the original on 22 March 2012. Retrieved 31 May 2011.
  10. ^ a b "Russian Commerce in the Black Sea". The Bankers' Magazine: 500. January 1855.
  11. ^ The European War, Volume IV, July–September 1915. New York: The New York Times Company. 1915. pp. 1093, 1095.
  12. ^ Туристская энциклопедия Беларуси. Мн. Беларуская Энцыклапедыя, 2007. — 648с. (in Belarusian)
  13. ^ Tentative list of Polish submissions to UNESCO
  14. ^ a b c d e f "Kanał Augustowski OVERIVIEW — Regional Water Management Authority in Warsaw (RZGW Warsawa)" (in Polish). Archived from the original on 22 March 2012. Retrieved 31 May 2011.
  15. ^ a b "NATURE: WATER, WATER, WATER..." Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Retrieved 26 June 2011.
  16. ^ "Augustów i okolice — przewodnik turystyczny" (in Polish). Archived from the original on 29 April 2011. Retrieved 2 July 2011.
  17. ^
    ISBN 978-0-415-55082-6
    .
  18. ^ "GEOHERITAGE AND INTERNATIONAL BORDERS-Perspective for Sustainable Development" (PDF). 2007. Retrieved 2 July 2011.
  19. ^ UNESCO Tentative List

External links

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53°52′N 22°58′E / 53.867°N 22.967°E / 53.867; 22.967

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