The Dirty Canals

The digging of the Schipdonk Canal was, along with the digging of the Leopold Canal, one of the first major infrastructure projects in young Belgium. Due to the flax industry around Kortrijk, and especially the retting of flax in the Leie, this river had become heavily polluted. In order to prevent this polluted water from flowing through Ghent, a connection was dug upstream of Ghent between the Leie and the North Sea. This also allowed for more control over the water level of the Leie and helped to avoid flooding in Ghent. The additional function as an extra waterway was a useful bonus. The excavation and finishing of the canal took place between 1846 and 1860. The construction of the sluice at the intersection of the canal with the Bruges canal alone would take four years.

Fluppe