Rowing and canoeing on the Ruhr
Whether alone with yourself and your boat or together with others: The Ruhr exerts a great attraction on rowers and canoeists.
The contrast between the low mountain stream in the Sauerland and the calmly flowing lowland stream in the Ruhr region, between rural and industrialised areas, is what makes the Ruhr so appealing to many people.
Whereas in the past, obstacles such as weirs and riverbed sills made canoeing on the Ruhr more difficult, today boat lanes and improved transfer facilities make paddling and rowing easier. A highlight of the Ruhr tour is the crossing of the Ruhr reservoirs, when the previously calm river landscape suddenly mutates into a spacious, lively water sports area. Water sports enthusiasts will find numerous mooring facilities at water sports clubs and public jetties in the Ruhr reservoirs.
- HKC Herdecker Kanu Club 1925 e. V.
- KCW Canoe Club Wetter 1901 e. V.
- KVW Kanu-Verein Wasserwanderer Hagen e. V.
- RWH Rowing Club "Westfalen" Herdecke e. V.
- Sportgmeinschaft Demag e. V.
- Marine-Jugend Hagen e. V.
- Canoe Club Hagen 1953 e. V.
- Disabled Sports Association Hagen e. V.
- Rowing Club "Mark" e. V. in Wetter
Canoeing on the Ruhr: rules and nature conservation in harmony
As a low mountain river, the Ruhr is subject to strong fluctuations in water flow. In the Hochsauerland district, canoeing on the Ruhr is only permitted to a very limited extent due to its designation as a European protected area and is only permitted on a case-by-case basis within the framework of nature conservation exemptions.
- The exemption only applies for the period 1 May to 15 October of the year.
- Canoeing is only permitted in the section of the Ruhr between Neheim Ruhrbrücke (Rathausplatz) and the district boundary at Haus Füchten, whereby canoes may be moored on the gravel bank immediately to the right below the mouth of the Möhne for breaks; no further landings are permitted. For safety reasons, boaters must keep a sufficient distance from the weirs and power stations along the Ruhr at all times.
- The sport must be practised with particular consideration for nature.
- Canoe trips may only be undertaken under expert guidance.
- Entering the island in the area of the sand martin colony below Neheim is prohibited without restriction.
- The aforementioned area of the Ruhr is to be travelled through swiftly on the right in the direction of flow.
- Approaching the sand martin nesting tubes from the water is not permitted.
- It is permitted to transfer the canoes at weirs and stone embankments.
Ruhr Navigation Ordinance: Water levels and safety
The Ruhr Navigation Ordinance states that from the border of the administrative district of Düsseldorf (Ruhr km 49.315 left bank at Essen-Burgaltendorf) to Ruhr km 41.4 (Essen-Rellinghausen), all shipping traffic - including non-motorised traffic - is prohibited from a water level of 239 cm or more at the official gauge in Hattingen. At a water level of more than 358 cm at the official Hattingen gauge, all vehicle traffic is prohibited in the entire area covered by the Ruhr Navigation Ordinance. An exception to this is Lake Baldeney up to a water level of 431 cm at the official Hattingen gauge. Furthermore, from a water level of more than 312 cm at the official Hattingen gauge, it is to be expected that individual fairway buoys will be displaced by the current. Until their proper position has been restored and the fairway depth has been checked, navigation is at your own risk. Outside the navigation season (15 April to 15 October), navigation is always at your own risk (see Ruhr Navigation Ordinance - RuhrSchVO - of 1 December 2009, §1 and §13 as well as the websites of the Düsseldorf district government). The current water level can be called up in the information system of the dam control centre.
Further information on the Ruhr Navigation Ordinance, navigation and water sports on the Ruhr and current announcements can be obtained from the Düsseldorf district government.