Onega Canal Explained

Onega Canal
Date Began:1818
Date Completed:1852
Locks:None
Status:Open
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Wikidata:yes
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Height:250
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The Onega Canal (Russian: Онежский канал) is a canal that runs along the southern banks of Lake Onega in Vytegorsky District of Vologda Oblast and Podporozhsky District of Leningrad Oblasts in Russia. It was built 1818–1820 and 1845–1852 as a part of Mariinsk Canal System, to allow small riverboats to avoid Lake Onega, where storms are frequent and where many boats had perished through the centuries. The canal is 69km (43miles) long[1] and runs between the Vytegra River in the east and Svir River in the west. It is around 50m (160feet) wide, and lies between 10m (30feet) and 2km (01miles) from the shores of the lake.[2] At the mouth of the canal, in the selo of Voznesenye, a memorial obelisk has been erected.

The canal lost its significance after Mariinsk Canal System was reconstructed and became Volga–Baltic Waterway.[2] Onezhsky Canal was not reconstructed and became too shallow for larger boats. It is still navigable, but not used for regular navigation.

Two rivers, Vozheroksa and Oshta, tributaries of Lake Onega, cross the canal.[1] 38km (24miles) from the Vytegra, the canal crosses Lake Megrskoye, a large freshwater lake. There is weak current in the canal in the direction of the Svir.[2]

References

61°N 64°W

Notes and References

  1. Web site: http://textual.ru/gvr/index.php?card=151358. ru:Канал Онежский обводный. State Water Register of Russia. Russian. 17 December 2011.
  2. Web site: http://map.infoflot.ru/region_europe/sever_zapad/onega/channel/onezsky/onezsky.htm. ru:Онежский обводной канал. Водные пути России. Russian. 17 December 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20120203075929/http://map.infoflot.ru/region_europe/sever_zapad/onega/channel/onezsky/onezsky.htm. 3 February 2012. dead.