Tourist Information

Remnants of the irrigation system of the hayfields of Dirbach.

The irrigation of hayfields in large valleys like here in the Sûre Valley in Dirbach was done through dams. These were often built with wood, and along reinforced riverbanks, part of the water from the Sûre was diverted to a network of canals. This way, the nutrient-rich water was spread across the hayfields.

A dam was often constructed at the spot on the inside bend where the river moves away from the slope, in other words, where the river breaks away from the rock face.

Although this system has long since fallen into disuse, traces of it are still visible today: the small stone bridge over the old irrigation canal, the remnants of the canal itself, and an impressive retaining wall that protected the hay meadows from potential winter floods. This irrigation system has meanwhile fallen into disuse.

There are various reasons why this form of irrigation has been abandoned. After World War II, the yield of fields was increased by the use of chemical fertilizers. Due to the mechanization of agriculture, fields no longer needed to be mowed manually. Irrigation became unnecessary, and the ditches became increasingly silted up.

Eddy&Rita