Trollhätte canal

Facts and curio

Göta Älv, Göta River, is the most water-abounding river in Sweden.

Every lock contains 20 000 m³ water, corresponding to the waterflow in the river during 20 seconds.

Ten big commersial ships pass the canal every day. 4 000 pleasureboats passes during a season.

Possible cargocapacity for ships during time

Polhem's planned canal	80 ton
The canal built 1800	140 ton
The canal built 1844 1844	300 ton
The canal built 1916	1 500 ton
Improvemnets during the 1930ies	2 500 ton
Improvements during the 1970ies	3 500 ton
Later improvements	Just above 4 000 ton

So much cargo passed the canal per year:

1780ies	25 - 30 000 ton
1820ies	50 000 ton
After 1844	100 000 ton
1916	1 million ton
1957	2,6 million ton of which 58% was direct import or export

1960 there were 13 100 ships passing on the canal carrying 3 million tons of goods.
1998 rhere were 2 800 ships passing carrying 3,1 million tos of goods.

It is discussed to make the whole canal area in Trollhättan a national town preserved area.

300 000 tourists visit the canal area in Trllhättan every year. Since 1984 there is a canal museum in one of the warehouses from 1893.

In 1862 the canal company donated land for, and payed for the building of Trollhättan church. So this church is located, not as usual, in the middle of town, but in the middle of the canal area.

Some known land slides along Göta Älv:

About 1150	Bohus - Jordfallet
1648	Intagan at Åkersström at that time belonging to Norway	80 tp 100 persons are said to have died. When the slide happened there was a wedding. The whole wedding company is believed to have died.
1680ies	Lilla Edet
Between 1686 and1697	Torpa
March 1733	Ballabo on the west sid of the river
About 1750	Västerlanda parish the farms Ödegärdet and Skörsbo
21 and 22 December 1759	Bondeström just north of Ström	According to some information at the same time as an earth quake.
21 December 1806	Utby about 4,5 km north of Hjärtum church
1830ies	Västerlanda parish the farms Ödegärdet and Skörsbo
29 September 1950	Southern Surte	One died Two sevearly wounded 31 houses destroyed
13 April 1953	Guntorp. 60 meter of the raidroad close to the river were destroyed.
7 June 1957	Göta	Three dead and three injured Large parts of Göta Sulfitfabrik were destroyed. The river was blocked for traffic
14 April 1993	Agnesberg
16 April 1996	Ballabo

Sources: Broschyrer från Sjöfartsverket Trollhätte kanals sjötrafikområde 1999, jubileumsskriften Trollhätte kanal 200 år, utgiven av Sjöfartsverket år 2000, Nordisk Familjebok 1919, samt sjökort, turistbroschyrer med mera.
Do send comments or further information to Bosse Arnholm!

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