Stokkavatnet is a former lake that was located at

Forus Forus is an industrial district in the city of Stavanger which lies in the southwestern part of the large municipality of Stavanger in Rogaland county, Norway. It is located in the borough of Hinna, along the Gandsfjorden and it stretches south ...

Stavanger Stavanger (, , US usually , ) is a city and municipality in Norway. It is the fourth largest city and third largest metropolitan area in Norway (through conurbation with neighboring Sandnes) and the administrative center of Rogaland county. T ...

, Norway, between the two fjords

Hafrsfjord Hafrsfjord or Hafrsfjorden is a fjord in the Stavanger Peninsula in Rogaland county, Norway. The long fjord forms the border between the municipalities of Stavanger and Sola. On the west side of the fjord is the large village of Tananger, o ...

and Gandsfjord. The lake was among the largest at the Northern

Jæren Jæren is a traditional district in Rogaland county, Norway. The other districts in Rogaland are Dalane, Ryfylke, and Haugalandet. Jæren is one of the 15 districts that comprise Western Norway. At about , Jæren is the largest flat lowland a ...

district, with an area of about 4 km². It was surrounded by considerable areas of marsh land, and was known for a rich birdlife. The lake drained to Gandsfjord, and the outlet supplied six mills located near the fjord.

Drainage

Plans for draining the area initiated in the 1860s, but the plan was not approved until 1905. The drainage started in 1906. Including the surrounding areas, about 4.5 km² of new land was cultivated. The land redistribution involved eighty individual farms (eight main farms): Skadberg and Røyneberg (in former Håland, now

Sola Sola is a municipality and a Seaside resort in Rogaland county, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Jæren. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Solakrossen. Other villages include Tananger, Hålan ...

municipality),

, Gausel, Godeset and Jåttå (former Hetland, now Stavanger municipality), and Stokka and Lura (former Høyland, now

Sandnes Sandnes () is a city and municipality in Rogaland, Norway. It lies immediately south of Stavanger, the 4th largest city in Norway and together, the Stavanger/Sandnes area is the third-largest urban area in Norway. The urban city of Sandnes lie ...

municipality).

Later usage

During

occupation of Norway by Nazi Germany The occupation of Norway by Nazi Germany during the Second World War began on 9 April 1940 after Operation Weserübung. Conventional armed resistance to the German invasion ended on 10 June 1940, and Nazi Germany controlled Norway until the ...

from 1940 the

Stavanger Airport, Forus Stavanger Airport, Forus ( no, Stavanger lufthavn, Forus: ) is a former airport located at Forus in the intersection of the municipalities of Stavanger, Sola and Sandnes. It was built as a military air base by the Luftwaffe following the German ...

was constructed at the location of the former lake. The construction work was directed by the German occupants, with the help of well paid entrepreneurs and volunteers moving in from other parts of the country. The population of Stavanger increased by an estimate of 35%. This both stimulated the economy, and led to friction between the immigrants (often called "", or "Forus Rats") and the local population. Gradually the work got characteristics of forced labour, local civilians were forced to work for the occupants, and the work force often treated like prisoners. Later also Russian

prisoners-of-war A prisoner of war (POW) is a person who is held captive by a belligerent power during or immediately after an armed conflict. The earliest recorded usage of the phrase "prisoner of war" dates back to 1610. Belligerents hold prisoners of wa ...

were brought to the district and put into forced construction labour. From 1972 the land has been utilised for development of industry, by the establishment of "". About 1000 companies are located at the site of the former lake, including petroleum companies, entrepreneurs, and production, service and trade companies.

References

{{Lakes in Norway Lakes of Rogaland Former lakes of Europe Stavanger