Möhkö canal
Möhkön ruukin kanava

Möhkö mill is located by Koitajoki river in Ilomantsi in eastern Finland. It got it's bog-iron ore from more then 100 lakes along Koitajoki river.
The canal was built by the millowner Nils Ludvig Arppe and the mill paid it all. That is why teher are no information about the building of the canal. The company archive har dissapeared so it is impossible to know when the canal was built, but it was probably around 1872.
It is known that the canal was in use in 1881 when the inspector C. P. Solitander visited this mill in eastern Finland. He wrote a description of the canal.
A dam in the stream had been completed in 1872. The upper mouth of the canal was situated upstreams that dam and about 200 meters downstreams the canal was divided in two. One of the branches was used to power the mill and the other canal was built for boats and transport. The canal was 470 meters long and had four locks.
The first lock served both branches, it was 126 meters long and regulated the waterlevel in both canals. It was probably built so long to make it possible to raft timber through the powerbranch. The walls of the lock was built in timber.
On the other branch of the canal there were three locks, 29,3 meters, 42,2 meter and 22,5 meters long. They were all 5,5 meters wide and 1,5 meters deep.
The works had a small steamer and several barges.
The works used the canal for transports until 1907 when the whole business was shut down.
The whole canal, the works and the whole area was restored in the early 1990:ies by The National Museum Department of Finland. The old canal was dug up and much of the old timber could be used. But the locks had to be built new again with new timber.
The whole area now stages a lot of events.

Tarmo Hurskainen © 2005

Möhkö millcanal was rebuilt during the 1990:ies according to the old style.

The lock gate

A part of the canal was drained 1992 during the restoration.

Shortly after that the canal was opened for traffic

Möhkö millcanal was rebuilt during the 1990:ies according to the old style.

The lock gate

A part of the canal was drained 1992 during the restoration.

Shortly after that the canal was opened for traffic

© Pictures 1992 and 1994 by Riitta Kankkunen

The lock at left and the water paddle for the powerworks (inside the building).

Waterpower for the mill

The locks towards Lake Nuorajärvi.

The lock at left and the water paddle for the powerworks (inside the building).

Waterpower for the mill

The locks towards Lake Nuorajärvi.

© Pictures 1994 by Riitta Kankkunen

Sources: Turkka Myllykylä, Suomen kanavien historia. Otava 1991.
Do send comments or further information to Bosse Arnholm

 

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This page was modified at 12-09-09