Left Ems canal cooperative
The Left Ems Canal Cooperative was founded in 1884 to maintain the Left Emo Canal Network (LEK). It was a voluntary association of cities, municipalities and some private companies, based in Meppen. Since the shipping taxes did not cover current expenses, substantial subsidies from the state were necessary. The LEK consists of 7 canals with over 100 bridges and 20 locks between the Ems and the Dutch border. It was used by local shipping until 1965 and then continued to be used for drainage. Only the Haren-Rütenbrock Canal remained navigable over the entire period. Thanks to the initiative of the Nordhorn association " Graf-SHIP ", however, the Ems-Vechte Canal can now be used again for recreational shipping. At the end of 2006 the cooperative was dissolved and all rights and obligations as well as the remaining assets were transferred to the Lower Saxony State Office for Water Management, Coastal Protection and Nature Conservation.