Tista canal

Through Tista River from the sea to Tistafossen.


View downstreams from the central bridge in Halden.	View upstreams from the western brofästet	Halden's central port downstreams the central brudge.


Right of the red building is Persnes lock.	The promenade between Halden cnter and Porsnes lock.	View upstreams from the central port. Fredrikstens fortress at the hilltop at right.


The entrance to Porsnes lock.	Porsnes lock	Porsnes lock	Porsnes lock from upstreams


The upper part of Skonningsfoss lock	The are salmon ladders in the lockchamber	The salmon ladder by the upper gates	Översta laxtrappan sedd från nedströms	Skonningsfoss lock seen from the bridge upstreams

History:
Tista canal follows the Tista River from the sea to Tistafossen. From the start obviously the thought was to build locks beside the waterfall and connect the canal to Femsjøen and the Halden canal. But that was a very difficult and way to expensive task.
The Tista canal was built in 1909 and there are two lock stations. The first, Porsnes, is located about one kilometer from the sea, just upstreams the Halden center. Skonningsfoss is located a further kilometer upstreams. The whole canal is about 3,5 kilometers long. Upstreams it ends at the bottom of the waterfall Tistedalsfossen. Here the canal was connected to a log flume from Femsjøen and the place is called "Gryta".
Skonningsfoss locks have been out of use since 1979, while Porsnes still can be used.
Poersnes lock has one chamber and an elevation of 2,5 meters and Skonningsfoss two chambers, each with an elevation of 3,5 meters. All locks are 32 meters long, 7 meters wide and with a depth of 2,5 meters.
The upstream gates are the only reminders of Skonningsfors lock. The chambers have been rebuilt to salmon ladders.
Porsnes lock may possibly still be used, but there are low modern bridges built across the chamber.

Sources: Jahn Børe Jahnsen, Haldenkanalen - En norsk vannveis historie, 1961 and the brochure "På kanaler i Norge" from the mid 1980:ies.
Do send comments or further information to Bosse Arnholm!

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This page was modified at 12-08-06