Hunze
The Hunze is a small river that flows north through the provinces of Drenthe and Groningen in the Netherlands and once flowed into the North Sea, but now drains towards the Ems.
course
The Hunze begins east of Gasselte , where the streams Voorste Diep and Achterste Diep (called the Groote Diep shortly before the confluence ) come together under the name (Hunze of) Oostermoerse vaart . It then crosses the Zuidlaardermeer and comes out as Drentsche Diep and then flows into the Winschoterdiep at Waterhuizen , which leads to the city of Groningen . Despite the name changes over the past centuries, the provincial capital is still referred to as "stad aan de Hunze".
The further drainage has changed several times over the years: until the high Middle Ages , the Hunze flowed directly into the North Sea. In the area of this former estuary, however, the Nijenklooster monastery was founded, today a homestead in the municipality of De Marne . It then flowed into the Reitdiep until the 20th century . This flows into the Lauwers in Zoutkamp , which is also called Zoutkamperril from here on , that is the eastern tributary of the Lauwers estuary , formerly known as the Lauwerszee (i.e. ' the Lauwers See'), since it was dammed by the Lauwersdam (m) in 1969, the Lauwersmeer , d. H. ' The Lauwers Lake'.
In Groningen, the Winschoterdiep and the Oude Winschoterdiep have a connection to the Eemskanaal as well as the Reitdiep . For several years now, the U-ring from Winschoterdiep and Eemskanaal has been drained in both directions towards the mouth of the Ems by the responsible water and soil association , Watschap Hunze en Aa's . Today the Hunze is artificially part of the Ems river system .
Straightening and renaturation
Today's guided tour in mostly dead straight canals of the former natural and strongly meandering river of the Hunze are the result of the peat extraction in the province of Groningen and the subsequent reclamation of arable land and its necessary drainage.
For several years, efforts have been under way to restore parts of the river to its original course. In the southeast of Groningen, along the Euvelgunnerweg, the Hunze has already been renatured . The Hunzezone nature reserve was created there .
Surname
According to some sources, the name Hunze should be traced back to the Germanic designation "hun" or "hunaga" ('honey') for morass or (yellow) mud flow. The catchment area of the Hunze is on the west by a ridge of called Hondsrug limited (dogs back '). Which name is derived from which is unclear.
Individual evidence
- ↑ Beschermde natuur in Nederland - Lauwersmeer
- ↑ a b Waterschap Hunze en Aa's, start page with Waterkaart
- ↑ Grunn.nl , a culture and homeland website about the province of Groningen (Dutch)