Pekel A

Pekel A or Pekel Aa (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈpeːkəl ˈaː]) is a river in the Province of Groningen in the Netherlands. The villages of Oude Pekela and Nieuwe Pekela have been named after the river. The name translates to Brine (Pekel) River (A), and used to flow from the Dollart into a large raised bog. The Dollart was poldered from the 15th century until 1924, and the river now has its source at the confluence with the Westerwoldsche Aa at De Bult. The river was canalised and extended. The part from Oude Pekela to Stadskanaal was renamed Pekelderdiep. From 1599 until 1810, the area through which the river flowed, was a peat colony. In the 20th century, the Pekel A was a heavily polluted river, but it has been cleaned up since the 1970s.