The chamber lock

Facts

Gateway to the sea

By Richard Bøllund, Cand.mag. i samfundsfag og historie (8 stories)

The chamber lock where Ribe River flows into the Wadden Sea is one of the few navigable locks in Denmark. It consists of two sets of gates and takes boats from one water level to another. With a tidal water difference of about two metres in the Wadden Sea, this is important. The special lock was built in 1911-1913 as part of the large sea dike project that was finished in 1915. Over the years, the lock has developed into a popular place to visit, with a restaurant and small holiday homes along the river. Its importance for shipping has dwindled dramatically, though, as only small leisure craft sail on the river now.

Public place

Selected entry

Sea damage

Story written by Richard Bøllund

Time / Periode 1911 1913

0 comments 0 recommendations

After yet another destructive flood in 1909, where the water rose to about a metre in the streets of Ribe, the decision was made to build Ribe Dike, which is 15 kilometres long, with a lock with chambers. Building work had hardly begun when a worse flood hit the area in 1911 and delayed the project. The flood marker in Ribe shows that the water in 1911 reached 4.41 metres above normal and 4.11 metres in 1909. Since the dike was finished, it has prevented more disasters in Ribe, and with a height of about 7 metres, it can protect the area against even the worst storms. During the gale in 1999, the water was only 30 centimetres from the top of the dike, but luckily the tide was lowest when the gale was at its highest in the area.