The Rödelbachgraben, usually called the Rödelbach and also incorrectly referred to as the Rieschengraben, is a river of

Saxony-Anhalt Saxony-Anhalt (german: Sachsen-Anhalt ; nds, Sassen-Anholt) is a state of Germany, bordering the states of Brandenburg, Saxony, Thuringia and Lower Saxony. It covers an area of and has a population of 2.18 million inhabitants, making it the ...

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

. It which was altered for mining purposes. It is the oldest fully functioning part of the

Lower Harz Pond and Ditch System Within the Lower Harz region (in the counties of Harz and Mansfeld-Südharz in central Germany) are still many traces of the historical water management facilities used by the mining industry. In addition to water-carrying ditches and ponds, there ...

in the

Harz The Harz () is a highland area in northern Germany. It has the highest elevations for that region, and its rugged terrain extends across parts of Lower Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, and Thuringia. The name ''Harz'' derives from the Middle High German ...

Mountains of Germany. The ditch was first mentioned in the records as the ''Oberer Rödelbachgraben'' in the year 1610.

History

Neither the builder nor the exact date of construction are known. Due to the mining activity within the Rödelbach valley near Straßberg in the 16th and 17th centuries, it was probably built in the late 16th century. The first documented mention in the Straßberg land register in 1610 records the structure as ''oberer Rödelbachgraben mit Dorfrösche'', the name changed from Röschengraben to Rödelbach. Originally it was fed from the first Kiliansteich, later the Lower Kiliansteich – today part of the Kiliansteich Reservoir. The water then went directly to the pond as well as via the Frankenteich to the Maliniusteich. Here part of the water flowed around the silting up zone where it was united with another headwater, probably a natural stream. From the outlet of the Maliniusteich the water flows along the Straßberger Mühlengraben into the River Selke. Kiliansteich 334

In renovating the Kiliansteiche and the associated building of the Kiliansteich Dam and reservoir, the retention of the channel was secured at a constant flow rate of .

Waterfall

Immediately behind the Maliniusteich the Rödelbachgraben runs over a small

waterfall A waterfall is a point in a river or stream where water flows over a vertical drop or a series of steep drops. Waterfalls also occur where meltwater drops over the edge of a tabular iceberg or ice shelf. Waterfalls can be formed in several wa ...

. Visible traces of stone working indicate that it was at least partially man-made. The water pours over a staircase-like

cascade Cascade, Cascades or Cascading may refer to: Science and technology Science *Cascade waterfalls, or series of waterfalls * Cascade, the CRISPR-associated complex for antiviral defense (a protein complex) * Cascade (grape), a type of fruit * Bioc ...

. The height difference from top to bottom is not great.

Tributaries

The Rödelbachgraben is fed by the Büschengraben that discharges into the Kiliansteich pond. Below the Maliniusteich there exist in place long disused tributaries from collection ditches (''Sammelgräben''). In addition the Malinusteich has other small tributaries. Directly behind the Kiliansteich the Stollengraben branches off to the right.

External links

Bergbautannen–Straßberg

{{DEFAULTSORT:Roedelbachgraben Lower Harz Pond and Ditch System Rivers of Saxony-Anhalt Rivers of Germany

History

Waterfall

Tributaries

See also

External links