Schleuse Ostrhauderfehn

A sufficient water level was essential for the previously busy shipping traffic on the Fehn Canal. Therefore locks ("Verlaate") were built. They made sure that the ships always had enough water under the keel. There were two locks in Ostrhauderfehn. The first was at the end of the main Fehn Canal, which led to the ebb and flow of the tides, at the former "Verlaatshus" at the beginning of the lower end. With high mortise gates that closed automatically when the water overflowed, it prevented the ebb and flow of tides from penetrating the inner-city system of canals and Wieken. The next lock was around 2.5 km further south on the 1st Südwieke. It ensured a constant water level - and thus shipping - in the upper, higher part of the fen area. Both locks were removed in the 1950s and replaced by stone weirs.

In 1990 one of the historic lock locks was rebuilt at the end of the main fen canal as part of the “fen program”. The new lock system was equipped with double flood and ebb gates and can accommodate ships and pleasure craft with a length of 55 meters and a width of 5.40 meters.
With its completion, Ostrhauderfehn has again received a direct connection to the wide branched inland waterway network of East Frisia via the main Fehn Canal, Leda and Ems.

I also passed the Ostrhauderfehn lock during my lap along the fen route.

I also passed this lock during my lap along the fen route.