The Soot Canal
The Soot Canal is a channel for transporting timber against the current so that the timber could come from Eidskog to Høland, from the Mangen watercourse (which ends up in Sweden) and into the Halden watercourse.The lower part of the canal roughly follows the course of Skjølåa between the lakes Skjervangen (176 masl.) and Mortsjølungen (201 masl.) in Vestmarka in Eidskog through Steintjenn (189 masl.). This part constitutes Norway's oldest lock system and was inaugurated in 1859.
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Description
The homesteader's son Engebret Soot (1786-1859) made it possible to raise the timber 25 meters up towards the watershed of the river Haldenvassdraget, and it was no longer necessary to float the timber through Sweden. The lock system was in use until 1932. Three of the locks have been reconstructed. Every summer, the "Soot-canal-march" is arranged between Tangen in Eidskog to Tangen in Aurskog/Høland, a march of just under 200 km (Kfr. Eidskog Museum and history team).
The canal is suitable for paddling, with a recommended start in Bjørknessjøen (Rakeie) in Nes municipality, Akershus. Day trip to Skjærvangen – with some carrying along the way. It is possible to paddle some distance up the lock system at normal water levels.
