In 1876-1881 the chains of lakes within the Rheinsberg Lake Region known as the Rheinsberg and Zechlin Waters, stretching for about, were made navigable and connected to the Müritz-Havel Waterway via the Wolfsbruch Lock. The Rheinsberg Waters branch into the lake of Kleiner Pälitzsee from the Müritz-Havel Waterway. At the Pälitz Bridge – the former border between Mecklenburg-Strelitz and Prussia, the present border between the states of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and Brandenburg – a lock canal, not quite long, begins with the Wolfsbruch Lock After that com the Großer Prebelowsee lake, the short Prebelow Canal, the Tietzowsee lake, the long Hütten Canal, the Schlabornsee and the 1.5 kilometre long Schlaborn Canal, the Große Rheinsberger See and the long Rheinsberg Canal as well as the Grienericksee before reaching its southern end at kilometre marker 13.25. The Rheinsberg Waters also include the 3 kilometre long Dollgow Canal and Dollgowsee that branch off the Schlabornsee towards the southwest. Until 1990 the long Bikow Canal and Bikowsee that branched off the Schlabornsee towards the east were also counted as part of the Rheinsberg Waters. The Zechlin Waters lead from the Tietzowsee towards the west with the short Zootzen Canal, the Zootzensee lake, the long Repent Canal, the Großer Zechliner See, the short Zechlin Canal and the Schwarzer See to its southwestern end after. The Rheinsberg and Zechlin Waters were Prussian waterbodies; only from 1921 to 1924 were they Reich Waterways. From 1990 they are Federal Waterways and have belonged since 1998 to the so-called special inland waterways of the Federation. The Eberswalde Water and Shipping Authority is responsible for them.
Geology
The Rheinsberg Lake Region belongs, in terms of its historical formation, to the Mecklenburg Lake District. The region lies between the moraines of the Frankfurt Series and the Pomeranian Stage of the Weichselian glaciation and was formed during that ice age about 12,000 years ago in the meltwater valleys and sandurs of the Pomeranian. It has relatively high levels of relief for Brandenburg. There are flat sandur areas, undulating ground moraines and elongated end moraines. In between them lie the tunnel valley lakes and kettle lakes. These lakes do not generally have natural surface head and tailwaters. They were later linked by canals.
Climate
Climatically the region differs from the surrounding area due to its relief and its many lakes. There are many pockets of cold air. The cold air collects in hollows and is generally colder than that of the surrounding area. There are frequent early and late frosts. The average precipitation is relatively high at . A high humidity and low average summer temperatures characterise the climate.
Vegetation
The forests in this region are very varied. Its natural vegetation would be beech and beech-sessile oak woods. Today however it is dominated by Scots Pine and mixed pine woods. In smaller depressions and hollows today there are kettle bogs.
