The Eastern breakwater was installed in the mid-19th century to reduce silt in the river valley and to regulate the flow of water.  It is made of wooden pilings that are covered with rocks.  The breakwater is 2.2 km long and has been rejuvenated as a popular place for hiking, leisure and fishing throughout the year.  Birds can be watched from the breakwater, and sometimes people are lucky enough to spot a seal.  At the start of the breakwater are two rocks with engraved text to say that the site was visited by Russian Tsar Alexander II in 1856 and by his heir, Nikolai Alexandrovich, in 1860.  This points to the importance of the Rīga port in terms of Baltic Sea trade routes at that time.