Bydgoszcz Water Junction

Bydgoszcz Waterway Junction (BWW) is a combination of the hydrographic features of the Brda, Vistula, Bydgoszcz Canal and Górnonotecki Canal and smaller watercourses in the area of the city of Bydgoszcz in northern Poland and its immediate vicinity, together with hydrotechnical structures and facilities and waterfront buildings.

The Bydgoszcz Water Junction is considered the most valuable resource of the Bydgoszcz environment. It is part of international waterways: E70 connecting eastern and western Europe, and E40 connecting the Baltic Sea with the Black Sea. The junction consists of interconnected, canalized or navigable watercourses with a total length of approximately 100 km of quays.: The Bydgoszcz Water Junction connects the basins of the Vistula and Oder river basins, and through the Górnonotecki Canal, Lake Gopło and the Warta-Gopło Canal it also connects to the Warta river basin..

History

The Bydgoszcz Water Junction, connecting the Vistula and Oder river basins, was established during the construction of the Bydgoszcz Canal in 1774. However, even earlier, the Brda and Vistula rivers played an important role in the history of Bydgoszcz, Polish inland navigation and river trade.

The Brda, Vistula and river transport in Old Polish times, the construction and reconstruction of the Bydgoszcz Canal, the regulation of the Brda and Vistula, the construction of the Górnonotecki Canal, the heyday of water transport on the Vistula-Odra route at the beginning of the 20th century, the use of the Water Junction for the development of tourism, sport and recreation, history in the 20th century.

The Bydgoszcz bend of the Vistula River as a topographical feature of the BWW

The main topographical feature of the Bydgoszcz Water Junction and the city of Bydgoszcz is its location on the so-called bend of the Vistula, where the Vistula, reaching its western culmination, leaves the Toruń-Eberswald Ice-Marginal Valley, forming a gorge in the highlands of the South Baltic Lake District.

This location was the reason for the establishment of the Bydgoszcz stronghold at the ford on the Brda, between the Vistula and the marshes of the Noteć, in a place where old communication routes (including the amber route) were located. It also inspired writers and painters to create literary works. Sebastian Fabian Klonowic, in his work "Flis, to jest Spuszczanie statków Wisłą i inszymi rzekami do niej przypadającymi" (Rafting, or Sailing Down the Vistula and Other Rivers Flowing into It) (1595), which can be considered the first tourist guide to the Vistula route, located a magical place, the so-called "Hell's Gate," in a large bend of the Vistula River near Bydgoszcz. "Flis is the descent of ships on the Vistula and other rivers flowing into it," Warsaw: Państwowy Instytut Wydawniczy: 1984.</ref>. Meanwhile, Adam Grzymała-Siedlecki wrote in 1936:

"Bydgoszcz lies at the point where the Vistula, having exhausted its course from east to west, suddenly turns at a right angle to the north, as if on hinges, and heads straight for the sea. Bydgoszcz is located at these Vistula hinges."

The identity role of BWW for the city of Bydgoszcz

The Bydgoszcz Water Junction is an element of the identity of the city of Bydgoszcz. Since the 12th century, Bydgoszcz has been dominated by functions related to the economic use of the Brda and Vistula rivers, and since the 18th century, also the Bydgoszcz Canal (trade, shipping, industry). Water transport and the associated economic development were the main factors in the city's growth. From the 19th century, the presence of rivers and canals in the city contributed to the development of leisure activities and water sports. Until the end of the 19th century, the city remained closely linked to the rivers and canals in economic, functional, and spatial terms. Over time, however, these ties weakened, mainly due to the development of railways and road transport, as well as the expansion of the city.

The city's return to the river began in the 1980s, when the Bydgoszcz Water Junction was recognized as a symbol of the identity (genius loci) of the city of Bydgoszcz and its most valuable historical, urban, environmental, and cultural asset. One of the key achievements in this regard is the shaping and revitalization of the Bydgoszcz waterfront, modeled on cities in Western Europe. Today, all the city's major events take place in the vicinity of the Brda River and the Bydgoszcz Canal. A unique "city salon" is being created around it, with Mill Island as its center.

The attractiveness of Bydgoszcz associated with water is constantly being improved and emphasized by the illumination of monuments, places, and greenery that make up the city's waterfront, and enriched by small architectural forms.

BWW as the axis of the city's expansion

The Bydgoszcz Water Junction is the axis of the city's spatial development. Bydgoszcz, initially called "the town on the Brda," began expanding its suburbs westward along the Bydgoszcz Canal in the 18th century, and at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, an eastern storage and industrial district was established along the Brda River, up to its mouth at the Vistula River. A number of investments were located along the Brda and the Canal, primarily hydrotechnical, but also related to sports, recreation, industry, municipal services, and services.

In 1920, the city incorporated most of the suburbs located along the Brda and Canal into its territory and crossed the Vistula River (Zawiśle, with an area of 199 ha, in the years 1920–1940 and 1945–1954). The process of expanding the city along watercourses continued until 1973, when the town of Fordon, located on the Vistula River, was incorporated into Bydgoszcz. In 1978, there were 50 km of watercourses within the city limits, of which 28 km were on the Brda. In the 1980s and 1990s, as a result of the expansion of the Eastern Residential District, the city based its development on the Vistula. Currently, 70,000 inhabitants of Bydgoszcz (every fifth inhabitant) live on the "queen of Polish rivers," and the city is called "the city on the Brda and Vistula."

Offices and units in Bydgoszcz dealing with waterway administration – historical overview

Since the construction of the Bydgoszcz Canal in 1774, Bydgoszcz has become a regional center for waterway administration. Over the course of more than 200 years, the following water administration units existed in Bydgoszcz

• Canal Inspection (Kanalinspektion) 1781–1824 – responsible for the operation of the Bydgoszcz Canal and the construction, maintenance, and upkeep of its facilities;
• Canal Construction Inspection (Kanalbauinspektion) 1825–1870 – same responsibilities as above;
• Water Construction Inspection (Wasserbauinspektion) 1871–1910 – responsible for the construction, expansion and maintenance of the Bydgoszcz Canal and supervision of the rivers: Vistula, Brda and Noteć in the Bydgoszcz Regency, construction and operation of bridges, locks, weirs in this area, shipping, registration and certification of ships, collection of lock fees, measurement of water levels, flood prevention, environmental protection in the field of water pollution, and issuing opinions on construction located on watercourses;
• Water Construction Office in Bydgoszcz (Wasserbauamt) 1911–1920 – responsibilities as above;
• Waterways Inspection in Bydgoszcz 1920–1934 – dealt with the development of projects and the conduct of works in the field of water construction, supervision of locks, bridges and water gauges, control of floating and navigation, and keeping a register of ships; the office's area of operation covered the area from the Vistula River to the lower Noteć River;
• State Water Management Authority in Bydgoszcz 1934–1939 – responsibilities as above;
• Waterways Office in Bydgoszcz (Wasserstrassenamt Bromberg) 1939–1945 – subordinate to the Reich Governor for Waterways in Poznań, its competences included the design and execution of works related to hydraulic engineering, water law supervision, supervision of fishing, navigation and timber floating on the Bydgoszcz Canal, Brda and Noteć rivers;
• State Water Management Authority in Bydgoszcz 1948–1954 – the authority's responsibilities included: administration, maintenance and development of waterways, as well as flood prevention and mitigation;
• Waterways Region in Bydgoszcz 1954–1964 – directly subordinate to the Ministry of Shipping in Warsaw;
• District Waterways Authority in Bydgoszcz 1964–1973 – an office that took over the territorial jurisdiction of the liquidated waterway regions in Bydgoszcz, Toruń and Czarnków;
• Water Management Authority in Poznań. Inspectorate in Bydgoszcz 1973–2017 – regional Waterway Authorities were established, covering an area larger than a province. The previous area of competence of the Bydgoszcz unit was divided between the authorities in Gdańsk (the Vistula river basin, including the Brda) and Poznań (the Oder river basin – including the Warta and Noteć) authorities. The implementation of water investments was taken over by associations of water construction companies.
• Regional Water Management Authority in Bydgoszcz – since 2018, it is subordinate to PGW Wody Polskie and is responsible for the Noteć Water Region (including the Bydgoszcz Canal).
  In addition, there is the Inland Navigation Office in Bydgoszcz, whose area of operation covers, among others, the entire Vistula River (with branches in Warsaw, Gdańsk, and Giżycko).

Present day

The place of the BWW on the European waterway

The Bydgoszcz Water Junction is the point where the Eastern and Western European waterway systems meet at the intersection of the main Polish hydrographic axes:

• east–west (Vistula-Oder waterway),
• north–south (the Vistula River).

It is also the point connecting two major water corridors of international importance:

• E40: leading from Gdańsk up the Vistula River to Warsaw, and further along the Bug to Brest, where it connects with the waterway leading through Polesie to the Dnieper. Within the territory of Bydgoszcz, there are 14 km of the E40 waterway, which coincides with the urban section of the Vistula;;
• E70: from Antwerp to Klaipėda – through the Netherlands, Germany, Poland, Russia to Lithuania (within the administrative borders of Poland: leading from the Hohensaaten lock up the Oder, and then the Warta, Noteć, Bydgoszcz Canal and Brda to Vistula, then 114 km down the Vistula (section shared with E40), Nogat River, Vistula Lagoon to Królewiec). Within the territory of Bydgoszcz, there are 28 km of the E70 waterway, which consists of the urban sections of the Bydgoszcz Canal, the canalized Brda River, and the Vistula River (below the mouth of the Brda River).

The BWW is also crossed by national tourist routes – sailing and canoeing routes:

• Brda Trail – 233 km; one of the most beautiful canoeing trails in Poland, leading through the buffer zone of the Bory Tucholskie National Park, numerous lakes and Koronowskie Lagoon,
• Vistula-Oder Waterway – 294 km; from Bydgoszcz to Kostrzyn nad Odrą, leading, among others, through Ujście Warty National Park; the route connects Bydgoszcz with the Odra Waterway and the cities located along it: Szczecin, Wrocław and the waterways of Western Europe,
• Wielkopolska Grand Loop – 688 km; a circular route around Greater Poland, running partly along the Vistula-Oder route and the Górnonotecki Canal through Lake Gopło and Ślesiński Canal to Warta; connects Bydgoszcz, Konin, Poznań, Gorzów Wlkp.
• Toruń Loop – 487 km; a canoeing route leading along the Vistula, Nogat, Jagiellonian Canal, Elbląg, Elbląg Canal and Drwęca; connects the cities of Bydgoszcz, Elbląg, Ostróda and Toruń;
• Kujawy Loop – 269 km; circular route Kujawy, running along the Bydgoszcz Canal and Górnonoteckim, Noteć, Bachorze Canal, Zgłowiączka and Vistula and Brda rivers; connects Bydgoszcz, Kruszwica, Włocławek and Toruń.
• Upper Noteć Trail – a canoeing trail leading along the Noteć above Nakło; it allows tourists to explore numerous lakes in Kujawy and Pałuki; from Bydgoszcz you can access the trail via the Górnonotecki Canal
• Vistula waterway – a shipping and canoeing route connecting Bydgoszcz with Gdańsk on one side and Warsaw and Krakow on the other; through the tributaries of the Vistula, it is possible to enjoy water tourism in most of Poland.

Hydrography

Origin

The water network junction system in the Bydgoszcz area was created during the last glaciation. At that time, there was a parallel route for meltwater from the north and river water from the south of Poland to flow westward towards the North Sea. As a result of erosion by flowing water, one of the largest glacial valleys in the country was formed, called the Toruńsko-Eberswaldzka with a system of several terraces. 12,000 years ago, when the Proto-Vistula made a breakthrough near Fordon, the flow of water to the west ceased, causing the glacial valley in this section to become swampy and peaty. Near the western borders of the city, a watershed was formed, separating the basins of the Odra and Vistula rivers. In the geomorphological layout of the city, the two main rivers of the region: the Brda and Noteć, belonging to different river basins, came within a distance of about 10 km, while flowing in opposite directions. The Noteć flowed northwest along a wide glacial valley. The Brda, on the other hand, flowed down from the north, cutting about 35 m into the former sandrowa valley, and after reaching the Toruń-Eberswald Ice-Marginal Valley, it cut into its bottom to a depth of about 20 m, flowing eastward towards the Vistula. The place where the Brda changed its direction from north to east was characterized by the existence of islands, river branches, and shallows, convenient for the location of a ford (between the Vistula and the Notec marshes). In the 11th century, the Bydgoszcz stronghold was established at the crossing, later transformed into an administrative, military, and economic center, and in the 14th century into a city located under Magdeburg law. The hydrological network was the main factor in the formation of Bydgoszcz. This was decisive for the development of the city as a center of trade and transshipment of agricultural products, wood products, and handicrafts onto river ships, or possibly for their storage in port granaries. However, the location of Bydgoszcz near the watershed of the Vistula and Oder rivers predestined this place for the construction of a junction of both river basins, which was completed in the 18th century. The Bydgoszcz Canal was one of the oldest artificial waterways in the country and the longest used for economic purposes, which proves the importance of the hydrography of the Bydgoszcz area for inland navigation in Poland.

Current status

The hydrographic network of Bydgoszcz and its surroundings is based on the Vistula River basin and, to a lesser extent, the Oder River basin, reflecting the geomorphology of the city. The main river is the Vistula, which forms the natural eastern border of the agglomeration, while the Brda is the axis of the city, its main spatial layout. The main watercourse of the Odra basin is the Noteć, which is 13 km km to the center of Bydgoszcz. The keystone of both river basins is the Bydgoszcz Canal.

The units associated with the Vistula River in Bydgoszcz are its great bend and the Fordoński Gorge. In addition to the Brda, the main tributaries of this river include the right-bank Upper Canal and Lower Canal in the vicinity of Cxzarnowo and watercourses flowing from the slopes of the Fordońska Valley. The Vistula Valley in the Bydgoszcz area shows strong anthropogenic transformations of the left-bank terraces and a predominance of natural habitats on its right bank. The average water flow in the Vistula in the Bydgoszcz section (before the mouth of the Brda) is 1114 m³/s, which is about 90% of the flow recorded at the mouth of the Vistula River.

The main surface watercourse in Bydgoszcz is the Brda River, whose average water flow (in Smukala) is 27.8 m³/s.. It is shaped by the operation of hydroelectric power plants in the Koronowo- Tryszczyn-Smukała cascade. The Brda River in the urban section is built up with barrages, locks, and hydroelectric facilities. The river in the Bydgoszcz section is fed by small watercourses flowing from uplands and sandur and glacial terraces. In many cases, these watercourses seep into the sands of the lower terraces and feed the Brda in the form of underground tributaries. Along the Bydgoszcz Slope, most of the watercourses are canalized. The larger ones include: Struga Myślęcińska and Zacisze (18 l/s), Struga Zamczysko (26 l/s), Struga Czarnówczyn (29 l/s), streams in Jachcice (48 l/s), and Potok Niziny (36 l/s). The most abundant natural tributary of the lower Brda is the Flis stream (flow rate 250 l/s), while the largest is the Bydgoszcz Canal (486 l/s), fed by water from the Noteć River via the Górnonotecki Canal. At the junction of the Upper Noteć Canal, the water in the Bydgoszcz Canal flows in two directions: towards the Brda (Vistula River basin) and towards the Noteć (Oder River basin). The canal is also fed by small watercourses flowing from the Krajeńska Upland and Łochowska Terrace, including Struga Młyńska (143 l/s) and Potok Prądy (14 l/s). Most of the flow directed to the Brda (350 l/s) goes to the Old Canal, where it is fed into an underground collector from sluice IV. The remaining part (130 l/s) flows through the New (built in 1914) section of the Canal to the Brda River

Another large river in the vicinity of Bydgoszcz is the Noteć, which flows south of the city. It flows northeast, following the glacial valley of the Toruń Basin, characterized by a vast, marshy and peaty bottom. Due to its slight slopes, the river flows slowly. Land improvement works carried out since the 18th century to transform the areas along the Noteć into meadows caused the mineralization of organic matter and a reduction in the thickness of the peat layer (by up to 1 m).

Between the glacial valleys through which the watercourses flow (Brda, Noteć, Bydgoszcz Canal), there are higher glacial terraces that were formed during the Holocene. The varied relief, together with the infiltration capabilities of sandy dunes, makes these areas partially drainage-free. Rainwater flows into interdune depressions and seeps into the ground, feeding groundwater.

The first-order watershed between the Odra River basin (Noteć) and Vistula (Brda) runs south and west of Bydgoszcz, starting from the dune fields Bydgoszcz Forest, through Białe Błota, Lisi Ogon, Kruszyn, Mochle and further north. On the other hand, the second-order watershed separating the Brda river basin from the immediate catchment area of the Vistula river runs from south to north, starting from the Bydgoszcz Forest, through Łęgnowo, Brdyujście, the western part of Fordon to Czarnówek and further north through Wysoczyzna Osielska.

Canals

The first canals were built in Bydgoszcz in the area of Old Town and Mill Island, which was related to the defense of the city (city moat and castle moat) and the transport of timber from Tuchola Forest (navigable canal). In the 17th and 18th centuries, numerous drainage canals were built by the Olędrzy in the Vistula Valley and Bydgoskie Łąki Nadnoteckie. The hydrographic network in the Bydgoszcz area, due to its close proximity (11 km) to rivers connected with the Odra River Basin (Noteć) and the Vistula River Basin (Brda), has long been conducive to the construction of a keystone that would enable navigation from Poland to Western Europe. Attempts were made to implement these plans as soon as technical or political opportunities arose.

In 1766, a Polish project was presented for a canal connecting the two river basins, involving a 10.5 km long canal from Ciela to Bydgoszcz km long with six locks. After the First Partition of Poland, in 1772–1774, the Bydgoszcz Canal was built by the Prussians according to their own design, in the Bydgoszcz-Nakło Valley . It was part of the Vistula-Oder waterway. In order to supply the canal with water, a canal was dug from Dębinka to the vicinity of Lisi Ogon, leading water from the upper Noteć. Between 1882 and 1884, it was extended south to Gopło and rebuilt into the Górnonotecki Canal. In the 19th century, canals were also built on the Brda River in connection with the regulation of the Brda (straightening of meanders) and the construction of a timber port in Brdyujście.

In 1897, the Brda River was dug through, resulting in the creation of the island on Zimne Wody, and in 1912–1915 – a new section of the Bydgoszcz Canal on Okole (the Canal Island was created). On Mill Island, the grain canal and Międzywodzie canal were used to power mills.

Unrealized canals

In the 20th century, plans were made to build new canals around Bydgoszcz, but they were not implemented due to the declining importance of water transport. In 1925, plans were made to build the Gopło-Vistula shipping canal, which was to flow into the Vistula in the area of Łęgnowo. A plan to build a northern bypass canal around Bydgoszcz from Osowa Góra to the Vistula in Fordon, which would pass over the Brda River via an aqueduct, dates back to 1941. This plan was proposed again in a 1976 concept.

In 1948, engineer Stanisław Tychoniewicz designed a southern bypass canal from Osowa Góra to Łęgnowo. The last concept, developed in 1979, envisaged the construction of a canal south of the city from Nakło nad Notecią through the area of Nowa Wieś Wielka to the Vistula between Bydgoszcz and Toruń. Financial considerations meant that the projects never progressed beyond the discussion stage, with the maintenance of the existing waterway parameters being considered a realistic option.

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