Bench at Cranenweyer

The Cranenweyer is a reservoir in the Anstelvallei in Kerkrade.

Mid 20th century discharging coal mines in Kerkrade their polluted waste water into the surrounding streams. Similarly Ham coal and Domanial Colliery. They used the Anstelerbeek. After the mine closure activities are taken to the area to give a better appearance. One of those activities is the construction of a walking area where part of it this reservoir.

Just before Eygelshoven is a dam built in the Anstelerbeek. The more that this creates is named Cranenweyer. It is the only reservoir of the Netherlands. The lake is named Cranenweyer on August 30, 1974. The Land Registry Book Kerkrade from 1771 mentions a piece of land, located an der Cranen weyer (weyer = pond). It belongs to the domain of Castle Erenstein. The pond itself is the site of the southern part of the present dam. The Crane Weier covers an area of approximately 20 hectares. It has a regulatory function (prevention of flooding in the former municipality of Eygelshoven and overloading of the Worm) and a recreational function (located in recreation, fish pond with about 500 former fishing spots and boating lake).