The southern section of the canal was built in the 1820s and stretched from the Jümme near Stickhausen through the moorland to Nordgeorgsfehn. This section was completed by 1829 and called "Stickhauser Canal".
The other sections, always planned only in small sections, via Remels to Neudorf in the municipality of Uplengen, and later (between 1906 and 1916) to the Ems-Jade Canal near Marcardsmoor north of Wiesmoor were carried out by the moor colonists, which enabled the expansion delayed. Course and water levels
The canal branches off the Jümme northeast of Stickhausen The first section between the Jümme and the lock at Nordgeorgsfehn is tide-dependent and lies between MTNW NN +0.30 m and MTHW NN +1.20 m. From there to the lock "NGDFK VI Wiesmoor Zentrum" the water level rises to NN +9 .00 m to then sink to the level of the Ems-Jade Canal at lock "NGDFK VII Wiesmoor Nord" from +5.70 m above sea level. There is no height difference at the eighth lock “NGDFK VIII Marcardsmoor”. It is only used for security and is always open. use
The expansion served the drainage of the large raised bog areas in the southern district of Wittmund and the transport connection of the bog colonies that were created around 1900 in the Wiesmoor area. Mainly peat and coal for the power station in Wiesmoor were transported on the canal. Freight shipping ceased in 1962. Since then, the canal has only been used by sport boats, for which it forms a connection between the Weser, Ems and Jade.
Another function of the canal is depth management. The water obtained by pumping stations at the five southern locks flows off to the Ems-Jade Canal, where it is used to increase the low water level.