River in Netherlands
The
Oude Rijn
("Old Rhine") is a branch of the
Rhine
delta
in the
Dutch
provinces
of
Utrecht
and
South Holland
, starting west of
Utrecht
, at
Harmelen
, and running by a mechanical pumping station into the
North Sea
at
Katwijk
. Its present-day length is 52 kilometres.
In ancient times, it was the lower part of the main River Rhine, which forked at the
Betuwe
into a northern branch, the Rhine, and a southern branch, the
Waal
. The Oude Rijn was then much wider than it is now, and tidal. During the
Roman
occupation, the river formed part of the northern border of the
Empire
. In medieval times, the
River Lek
became the main outlet for the Rhine, and the Oude Rijn silted up. The river was still important as a drain for the surrounding lowlands, for the clay industry, and as a transport and trade route. Ships were towed by horse and human power, using a
towpath
along large sections of the river, many parts of which have since been upgraded to roads or cycle paths.
Description
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]
The city of
Utrecht
was founded at a
ford
near the fork of the
Kromme Rijn
into the
Vecht
to the north and the Oude Rijn to the west. Of the original fork, little remains today, and both Vecht and Rijn start from the city
moat
. For the first few kilometres of its course, the river is
channelised
and known as the
Leidse Rijn
(Leiden Rhine). It becomes the Oude Rijn after the railway bridge near
Harmelen
(municipality
Woerden
). Then it flows westward through Woerden where first the
Lange Linschoten
branches off to the south and then the Oude Rijn forms part of the city
moats
.
After Woerden, the River Grecht branches off to the north and the Oude Rijn continues through the towns of
Nieuwerbrug
,
Bodegraven
, and
Zwammerdam
. Here the
Meije
[
nl
]
stream empties into the Oude Rijn. In
Alphen aan den Rijn
, the
Aar Canal
joins the river and the
Gouwe
branches off to the south. It then flows through
Koudekerk aan den Rijn
and
Hazerswoude-Rijndijk
.
After
Zoeterwoude-Rijndijk
and
Leiderdorp
, where the short River Does ends, the Oude Rijn flows through
Leiden
. The
Rhine-Schie Canal
and the
Zijl
stream begin here. The Nieuwe Rijn ("New Rhine") is a short branch that, together with the Oude Rijn, forms part of Leiden's moat system; the two branches merge in the city's centre.
The stream
Korte Vliet
discharges into the Oude Rijn and it continues through
Valkenburg
and
Rijnsburg
to
Katwijk
. At
Katwijk aan den Rijn
the
Oegstgeesterkanaal
merges with the Oude Rijn. From here the river has been straightened into a canal (called the
Uitwateringkanaal
); it empties into the
North Sea
through a pumping station, preventing high tides inland and silting up of the river mouth.
Water management & Waterworks
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]
Windmill Zoeterwoude
Around 1000 CE the river silted up, causing floodings of the lowlands. As prevention, around 1100 CE a dam with locks was built at the village of Zwammerdam, upstream at the border to Utrecht, an area reigned by German Emperor
Frederick Barbarossa
. Continuing problems in water management in wide areas along Oude Rijn were reason for civilians with administrative responsibilities to collaborate and to establish a so-called High Water Authority or in Dutch
Hoogheemraadschap
, the first of its kind in The Netherlands. The organisation has been privileged in 1255 by
Count William II
of
Holland
and Zeeland as central coordinator of all waterworks in the area and later was given the name Hoogheemraadschap van Rijnland.
[1]
Early works were the building of draining canals around the city of Leiden. From 1408 on, with the first at Zoeterwoude,
wind-powered pumps
were installed along the Old Rhine, to pump water from the lowlands into the river.
The river silted up in the course of the
Middle Ages
and became much smaller. In 1572 near the North Sea the Water Authority had a canal built through the dunes to allow the Rhine water to flow into the sea, but due to war circumstances, it did silt. In 1807, a large water management system with locks was established to allow the water to flow out at low tide. In 1880 a steam driven mechanical pumping station was built.
[2]
Castellum Nigrum Pullum (Zwammerdam) at Rhine river, artist impression Stevie Xinas
History
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Roman era
[
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]
In Roman times, the river Oude Rijn formed part of the Roman Empire's northern border (
Limes Germanicus
). At strategic locations the Romans did build guarding-towers and border-guarding
castella
and
castra
, including:
Laurum
(
Woerden
),
Nigrum Pullum
(
Zwammerdam
),
Albaniana
(
Alphen aan den Rijn
),
Matilo
(Leiderdorp),
Praetorium Agrippinae
(
Valkenburg
), and
Lugdunum Batavorum
(Katwijk). Many of the at that time unpopulated locations, evolved into cities and villages.
In Valkenburg, the layout of the Roman castellum has been marked in the pavement. At Woerden and Zwammerdam, Roman ships have been excavated.
Visuals
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-
Satellite
close-up of the Utrecht region showing the Leidse Rijn-Oude Rijn stream (d).
-
Houses on the Oude Rijn near Alphen aan den Rijn
-
Oude Rijn, Katwijk, a half mile before it ends: (A Pumping station to pump water into sea preventing high water levels inland.)
See also
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Notes
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References
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]
Martin Hendriksma, "De Rijn. Biografie van een rivier", Publisher De Geus, 2017
External links
[
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]
Media related to
Oude Rijn
at Wikimedia Commons
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Rhine
Rijn
Rhin
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Meuse
Maas
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Scheldt
Schelde
Escaut
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Other rivers
(directly draining
into the delta)
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Islands and
Peninsulas
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Towns
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Other topics
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