Haarlem Lake

Haarlem Lake, which is now drained (see POLDER), lay between the towns of Haarlem, Leyden, and Amsterdam, and communicated with the Zuider Zee by the Y. Originally it embraced four small lakes, which, in consequence of several irruptions of the sea, eventually merged into one sheet of water, covering an area of about 45,230 acres. The depth did not exceed 15 feet; the floor of the lake was largely composed of mud and clay, from which the Dutch prepared 'klinkers,' bricks used for purposes of paving. The lake frequently rose during storms to an alarming height, necessitating a large annual outlay in keeping the dams and sluices in repair. In consequence of the damage done to Amsterdam and Leyden by two successive overflows of the lake in 1836, the government seriously addressed itself to the task of draining it (1839-52). This undertaking was effected by digging all round the lake a large canal, into which its waters were pumped by three gigantic engines. By these means the waters were drained off to the Y and Zuider Zee. The enterprise cost £1,080,000, but the sale of the lands reduced this outlay by £780,000. The population increased from 7000 in 1860 to 16,000 in 1895.