Editing Spaarne (section)

==History==
The river formerly flowed from the [[Haarlemmermeer]] (Haarlem Lake) to the [[IJ (Amsterdam)|IJ]], which used to extend from the [[Zuiderzee]] all the way to [[Velsen]]. In the 13th century, a [[dam]] with [[Lock (water transport)|lock]]s was constructed at the mouth of the Spaarne where the village of [[Spaarndam]] then formed.

After a century of planning, Haarlem's Lake was pumped dry in 3 years from 1850–1853 and made into a [[polder]]. The Spaarne became a branch of the [[Ringvaart]], lost much of its flow, and became shallower.

The construction of the [[North Sea Canal]] (completed in 1876) reduced most of the [[IJ (bay)|IJ Bay]] into polders but a small canalized section of the IJ remained at Spaarndam to connect the Spaarne to the new canal.

The river was deepened for the benefit of industries along its shores.