De Waterwolf, Pumping station in Lauwerzijl, Netherlands.
De Waterwolf is a pumping station in Lauwerzijl that has regulated water levels across a network of drainage canals since its establishment. The facility uses mechanical pumps to move excess water from the surrounding polders while connecting several waterways together.
The station opened in 1920 to combat flooding in northern Holland after the need for better water management became clear. Since then it has become an essential part of regional infrastructure and was later recognized as a national monument.
The name "Waterwolf" reflects how forcefully this facility moves and controls water through the landscape. Visitors can observe how the machinery drives water from the surrounding polders, connecting them to a long Dutch tradition of managing water as a daily necessity.
The facility sits along Teenstraweg in Lauwerzijl and can be reached by this road. Exhibitions on site explain how the water management system works, so visitors can understand the station's operations.
The facility still operates on the same basic principle as it did over 100 years ago, continuously moving water toward the Wadden Sea. This long survival shows how robust the original design was and how important it remains to the region.
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