Life in Mångberg has revolved around water for hundreds of years and still does today. As early as the 1660s, there were 13 watermills in Mångån. The first dam in Mångberg was probably built in the early 19th century. The sawmill was built in 1877 and was in use until 1938. The double mill and threshing machine, which were also powered by water power, were in operation until the 1920s. Today, it is through swimming and fishing that the people of the fäbod come into contact with the water.
Mångbergs och Holens Fäbodlag was formed in 1973 and is responsible for maintenance and investments in the facilities. Speaking of water, the orienteering hut's storage building with a sauna and showers has also been modernized. In recent summers, extensive repair work has been carried out on the dam due to discovered leaks. Now it is the bridge upstream of the dam that needs to be restored. The Siljansleden and Fäbodlunken pass over the bridge. The bridge's abutments are undermined and a severe crack in the western abutment means that the bridge could collapse. Molds for the site-fabricated basic elements of the bridge's abutments are being cut when Solleröbladet visits. "The steel beams can be reused while the wooden deck and railings are made with new wood. It is primarily the concrete work that is extensive," says Håkan Bond.
The Fäbodlaget currently has 140 members. “Most of them are from the parish,” says Börje Andersson.” “On the joint cleaning day on the Saturday after Ascension Day, there is a large turnout,” continues Börje. “The number of permanent residents is 5. During the pandemic year, a few more families have also spent most of their time in Mångberg.”
“The dam is important to us,” says Håkan Bond. “Without the dam, Mångberg would not be as attractive a place to live and be. There is a construction boom in Mångberg. There is digging and carpentry going on in the shack like never before. New roofs, new extensions and completely new houses.”
A little to the east, up towards Åsen, is Holen.
Originally there were two separate summer cottages, but today they are connected by building cottages on the old meadows. In a normal year, the popular May Day is May Day, as well as Summer Cottage Day and Saw Day 3 weeks after Midsummer. This year we don't know yet what it will be like," says Håkan.
When asked what the next big project will be when the bridge is finished, the answer is “the fishway!” A camera in Mångbro shows fish passing upstream. Now the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency, the County Administrative Board and the Sollerö Fish Conservation Area want to make it easier for the Siljan trout to continue their migration up the Mångån River to spawn. “This could mean that a fish ladder combined with a bypass is built downstream of the eastern part of the dam embankment. It is not something that the fäbodlaget is building or paying for, but the fäbodlaget is not opposed to the fishway and it could, in addition to promoting fish migration, be a positive contribution to the environment around the dam. We do not yet know when it will be relevant. There will certainly be a lot of water flowing under the new bridge before then,” says Håkan. The board consists of Mats Seyffarth chairman, Mats Danielsson vice-chairman, Ulf Edvardsson treasurer, Håkan Bond secretary. The other members are Börje Andersson, Björn Persson and Kjell Lindström.
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