The stone bridge with abutments over the Laaglandse Wetering drainage canal, the small sluice between the remnants of the Hooglandse and Laaglandse Wetering drainage canals, the nearby drainage dike and the Hooglandse Watermolen watermill are special reminders of the drainage of Asperen. In addition, there were once three mills in the area that helped drain excess water from Asperen’s Hoge and Lage Veld.
Hollandse Waterlinie, the Dutch Inundation Line
The water flowed in via inlets in the Nieuwe Zuider Lingedijk dike. Under certain conditions, the water pushed up from the river Linge could flow via the Asperen outlet sluice, in the Oude Zuider Lingedijk dike, and the drainage canals, near the three mills, to the lower parts of the polder. Blades were removed from the watermills’ water wheels to allow the water to pass through easily. The Asperen drainage could also be used to dry out inundation water as was done in 1917, 1940 and 1945 by means of the steam-driven pumping station at the Ouder Zuider Lingedijk.
