Großer Graben and Schiffgraben

Large ditch and Schiffgraben between Neuwegersleben and the living space Neudamm

Large ditch and Schiffgraben in the Great Rift in the northern Harz foreland are a cohesive, artificial watercourse of 46 kilometers in length with openings at both ends. Fed will of lateral inflows and the damp ground of the Great break. West of the bridge dam of B 79 at Mattierzoll the waters Schiffgraben is called, the eastern three-quarters hot big ditch. In the apex region of the water table is about 86 meters above sea level.

Course

The no-flow boundary ( Pseudobifurkation ) is in the section designated as a marine trench about three to four kilometers west of the name limit at the level of the village Hedeper. The portions are denoted according to the direction of flow as Schiffgraben -West and Schiffgraben -east. North of the ship trench runs parallel to the new ditch, which also splits in both directions. The Schiffgraben - West joins south of Achim with the new trench and meets at Hornburg in the designated as mill Nilse arm of Use, shortly before it empties at Börßum in the Oker. Schiffgraben -West and Neuer Graben be considered in terms of water management by the State of Lower Saxony as a body of water, while the Schiffgraben East is attributed to the water body of the Great trench.

Even the Great trench has numerous parallel waters. He meets at Oschersleben Bode, where since 1961 a measuring point is set up (altitude 76.56 m above sea level. NN ). He bends there from north to the town center to. Under the name Lehnert ditch it extends further 6 km and flows east from Oschersleben at an altitude of about 74 m above sea level. NN in the Bode.

Approximately 22 km of the water body, including the Pseudobifurkation form the border between Lower Saxony ( districts of Wolfenbüttel and Helmstedt ) in the north and Saxony -Anhalt ( district of Harz ) in the south. Other seven kilometers of the great trench correspond to the border between the counties in Saxony-Anhalt Harz and flare.

Coordinates:

• Western mouth ( mill Nilse at Vorwerk Tempelhof ): 52 ° 3 ' N, 10 ° 35' O52.05055555555610.581111111111
• Pseudobifurkation: 52 ° 3 ' N, 10 ° 42' O52.0510.7
• Eastern mouth ( Bode east of Oschersleben ): 52 ° 0 ' N, 11 ° 18' O52.00777777777811.306111111111

Water quality

The entire river is classified as artificial water bodies ( " Artificial Water Body" ), corresponding to the structural quality of the entire course is deficient both in Lower Saxony, Saxony- how on anhaltischem area. This is a structural grade V equal. Although the chemical quality throughout the course of "good", the biological and ecological quality shall be classified by the authorities of both states as "bad". Some tributaries intersect with the quality grade II-III slightly better, be in their structural quality but consistently rated as "Heavy Modified Water Body" or as artificial water bodies.

For the ecological quality of the entry of fertilizers and pesticides from intensive agriculture as well as the erosion of the Lößbodens and the consequent silting is a major problem. The latter is reinforced, especially in the effluent to the west section through the low flow rate and the temporarily dry traps. All waters are almost completely unshaded and tend to lush growth of marsh and aquatic plants. On the other hand Red List species such as mayflies ( Caenis luctosa ) and some species of beetles have been detected.

History Schiffgraben

The Principality of Brunswick- Wolfenbüttel sought regularly by a politically stable and duty-free as possible shipping route to the North Sea. The natural way about Aller and Weser was severely hampered by the customs duties in Celle and Bremen. From the residence Wolfenbüttel from the City of Brunswick had to be crossed, with the Principality of chronic was in dispute and the river was heavily engineered. Duke Julius therefore commissioned his architect in 1575 Willem de Raet, the natural connection between Oker and the Bode in the Great Rift for suitability to test for a path to the river Elbe. This toured the area between Hornburg and Oschersleben and the Holtemme between resin and Halberstadt. His report was positive: A navigability would be not only technically feasible but also by selling won the peat affordable. It would probably a weir and dams may be built to achieve in the trenches a uniform water level and to prevent drainage of water.

The already existing at the time limiting position of the Great fracture and the use of other flow paths to the Elbe required an extensive diplomatic preparation of this project. The diocese of Halberstadt belonged since 1566 to the sphere of influence of the Dukes of Brunswick- Wolfenbüttel. The rulers of Brandenburg and Saxony were informed in February 1576 about the project and indicated their support. William of Hesse warned Julius but still significantly higher costs and doubts about the technical feasibility. For the project, in 1581 applied for a boatman, also there is a letter of 1583 to a merchant in Amsterdam, was advertised in the for the project. It was first implemented probably never. Although the name Schiffgraben is recorded, but it is not on record that for the realization of ever a ground-breaking ceremony was done.