Dalälven
Dalälven is a mapped river in the YearMaps hydrographic index. River courses organise settlement, agriculture and frontier-making more durably than any political boundary, and this reach is indexed against the dams, lakes and cities within its catchment.
- Feature Class
- River
- Coordinates
- 61.00°, 14.55°
About Dalälven
The Dal River (Swedish: Dalälven) is a river in central Sweden that flows from the north of Dalarna and runs into the sea in northern Uppland; it is commonly considered to be the southern border of Norrland, however only the last part correlates with Limes Norrlandicus (the biological Norrland border). The northern part is split into two rivers: Österdalälven (East Dal) and Västerdalälven (West Dal). The two connect in Djurås. It is over 520 kilometres (320 mi) long — the second longest river in Sweden, and has a hydropower potential of 1420 megawatts, of which 2/3 is utilized. The largest power plant is located at the Trängslet Dam. Dalälven has been significant historically as a raft transport route.
Nedre Dalälven River Landscape, Sweden, covers 308,000 hectares (1,190 sq mi) with a mixture of wetlands, rivers, lakes, flood plains and productive forests. It includes Lake Hovran and Färnebofjärden Bay Ramsar site.
The region boasts high biodiversity, as the river forms a clear border zone between the northern and southern flora and fauna of Northern Europe. Agriculture and forestry have evolved as a result of changes in the steel and iron industries.
Encyclopedic summary adapted from Wikipedia: Dalälven (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Dalälven in Depth
History
The first settlers in the region of the Dalälven arrived after the retreat of the ice sheet, 10,000 years ago. At that time, the Lower Dalälven was below sea level and was in the zone corresponding to today's Dalarna, which was the first area settled. The first settlers in the region settled the banks of the river and its tributaries, as well as the shore. They were hunter-gatherers. In the Lower Dalälven, which extended bit by bit, the eskers were the best sites for the first permanent settlements. It was easy to nourish oneself, thanks to the river, and these places were also the easiest to defend. Besides this, the river was easiest to cross at this point.
Description
The Dalälven is the southernmost of the big rivers of northern Sweden. It extends 541 kilometres (336 mi) between the mountains of Dalarna and the Baltic Sea, which makes it the second longest river in the country after the Göta älv. However, the river changes names several times, and only becomes the Dalälven at the confluence of the Västerdalälven (West Dalälven) and the Österdalälven (East Dalälven), which happens at Djurås.
The principal of these two rivers, Österdalälven, begins where the Storån and Sörälven meet, near Idre. Both the Storån and Sörälven begin in Norway, but soon reach the northwest of Dalarna. After their confluence, the river enters into a series of narrow lakes (Idresjön, Alvrosfjorden, Kringelfjorden, Hedfjorden, Särnasjön, etc.).
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Dalälven (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Dalälven: Key Facts
| Length | 220 km |
|---|---|
| Average discharge | 350 m³/s |
| Drainage basin | 29,000 km² |
Facts from Wikidata Q216627 (CC0).
Major River Dossiers
Hand-written studies of the great river systems of history.
Connected Reaches
Nearby watercourses in the same drainage network.
Water Bodies in the Catchment
Settlements Along the Reach
Hydraulic Infrastructure Nearby
Surrounding Terrain
Dalälven: Quick Answers
- Where is Dalälven?
- Dalälven is located in Sweden, at 60.9974° N, 14.5522° E.
- Are there dams on the Dalälven?
- No dam on the Dalälven is recorded in the YearMaps dam index, which covers major structures only.