Kemppilän Myllykoski – The Kemppilä Mill Rapids

Kemppilän Myllykoski (the Kemppilä Mill rapids) is located in the northern part of Ruokolahti between Ihalanjärvi and Suuri Jukajärvi. Over a short distance of about 60 meters, the water descends about 17 meters making Kemppilän Myllykoski the fifth highest waterfall in Finland. The upper part of the rapids was once home to the Kemppilä Mill, a famous regional production plant. In the early 1900s, the Kemppilä Mill was used to grind grain from the surrounding area. During the summer when road access was poor, mill loads were brought into the surrounding areas via boat, and sacks of grain were carried up from the bank to the mill. The mill supplied electricity to nearby houses, and a saw and planer also operated in conjunction with the mill. The last time trees were floated along the rapids was in 1963. The Kemppilä Mill rapids flow into the Suuri Jukajärvi, the deepest lake in Finland in terms of average depth.