Lock «Nemnovo»
To book a tourThe Augustow Canal is a marvel of hydraulic architecture, located in an area that is under UNESCO protection. The canal connects the River Visla and the River Neman, and the seven natural lakes - Netcko, Byala, Studzenichne, Orle, Panevo, Kshive and Mikashevo. It is a cross-border canal that was built in north-eastern Poland and north-western Belarus. It includes a number of sluices and movable bridges.
There are 3 locks on the Belarusian territory of the cannel. One of them is - «Nemnovo». It is located about 7 km north-east of Sopotskin on the 102-nd kilometer of the Augustow Canal. This is the biggest lock of the cannel, including even its Polish part.
The hydraulic structure was designed by Ignatiy Prondzinskiy. But lieutenant colonel Jan Paul Level directed the construction process. His name was immortalized on a plaque buit into the wall of the the lock.
The lock «Nemnovo» at first was a two-chamber construction, but in 1833 a third chamber was added. In August 2006 the canal was rebuilt and got another chamber. The main reason was the extraction of gravel from the riverbed of the Neman in 70th years of the XX century. It caused the formation of the so-called the Dmisevichskaya millpond by lowering the water level of the river up to 1.5 m.
The lock metal gates were produced by the Volkovysk foundry factory. The weight of each construction is about 6 tones. The lock also has the wooden gates. They are quite massive with various metallic elements. Their width is about 4 m, height - about 6 m. The weight of each contracture is up to 2 m. The wooden gates have the special levers to open and close them manually. There are small holes to fill the lock with water from below.
The lock «Nemnovo» shows the power of the hydraulic constructure - the Augustow canal. The drop of water is about 10 m here. The locking through takes about an hour. There are a special moveable chain bridge in «Nemnovo» where you can cross the Augustow Canal.
There is a keeper”s house at the lock «Nemnovo». It was built in 1830 and renovated during the last reconstruction of the Augustow Canal.
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