Regulation of the lower Aller river

Between 1908 and 1918 the lower Aller was regulated by the Prussian state. Four locks with two small hydroelectric stations were built along a 50 km section of the river between Celle and Schwarmstedt. The main reason for the regulation of the lower Aller was the oil industry in the region of Wietze that needed a connection to the inland waterway system. In addition to crude oil, various grains and potassium salt were shipped on the lower Aller. The volume of goods transported peaked at 125,000 tons per year in 1912. Shipping decreased in the years after completion of the regulation, and since the mid-1960s there is no longer commercial cargo shipping on the lower Aller. Discussions began in the 2000s about removing its status of a federal waterway (Bundeswasserstraße) and restoring the river to its natural state.

Contributed by Ingo Heidbrink
Old Dominion University, Norfolk, USA