OLD HYDROTECHNICAL STRUCTURES IN VIESĪTE–BIRŽI FORESTS

Abstract

At the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century, it was important for the Russian Empire to increase forest exploitation in the Baltic provinces, because timber had a high price in European markets. For many centuries, the main method of transporting timber was rafting, however, this also determined that high-value forests near the rivers used for rafting were increasingly cut down. One of the solutions was the creation of navigable canals, which would also be a solution for forest betterment. In the Viesīte–Birži forests, according to the project of engineer W. v. Kreissler (1873–1923), the 13 km long Elkšņi Canal was dug in 1912–1914. Two log collection chambers, dams, gates and log drainage chutes were installed in the canal, using reinforced concrete and crushed stone. It was planned that rafts of timber would be pulled by horses through the almost stagnant water of the canal to the collection chambers, and then floated down the channels. The canal was connected to the Daugava, along which timber would be floated to Riga. World War I interrupted the use of the canal and its usefulness was not tested in practice. With the development of railways and other forms of transport, timber floating became unprofitable. Both the dug canal, as well as the partially forgotten, collapsed stone and reinforced concrete structures have survived to this day, which testify to the thought and technical ability of the engineers of their time. It seems that the Elkšņi Canal is the only structure of its kind in Latvia and, as a testimonial to the history of technology, it could be included in the list of state-protected industrial cultural monuments.