Pekel A

Pekel A Pekel Aa
Location
Country	Netherlands
Province	Groningen
Physical characteristics
Source
• location	Pekelderdiep [nl]
• coordinates	53°06′44″N 7°01′32″E / 53.11212°N 7.02543°E / 53.11212; 7.02543
Mouth	De Bult [nl]
• coordinates	53°09′02″N 7°07′40″E / 53.1505°N 7.1277°E / 53.1505; 7.1277
Basin features
Progression	Westerwoldse Aa [nl] → Dollart → Wadden Sea

Pekel A or Pekel Aa^[1] (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.^[2][3] The name translates to Brine (Pekel) River (A),^[2] 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 [nl] at De Bult [nl]. The river was canalised and extended. The part from Oude Pekela to Stadskanaal was renamed Pekelderdiep [nl]. 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.