Otterbach (Rhine)

Last updated
Otterbach
Pfaelzerwaldkarte Flussgebiete Klingbach-Erlenbach-Otterbach.png
Course of the Otterbach (bottom)
Location
Country Germany
State Rhineland-Palatinate
Reference no.DE: 237522
Physical characteristics
Source 
  locationNear Oberotterbach
  coordinates 49°04′53″N7°55′53″E / 49.08139°N 7.93139°E / 49.08139; 7.93139 Coordinates: 49°04′53″N7°55′53″E / 49.08139°N 7.93139°E / 49.08139; 7.93139
  elevationroughly 282 m above  sea level (NN)
Mouth  
  location
At Leimersheim into the Michelsbach
  coordinates
49°07′36″N8°20′35″E / 49.126528°N 8.34306°E / 49.126528; 8.34306
  elevation
roughly 98 m above  sea level (NN)
Length42.23 km
Basin features
Progression MichelsbachRhineNorth Sea
LandmarksSmall towns: Kandel, Wörth am Rhein
Population119.158
Tributaries 
  left Dierbach
  right Bruchbach
WaterbodiesReservoirs: Fischmal

The Otterbach is a stream, 42 kilometres long, in South Palatinate in the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate, that flows eastwards and northeastwards towards the Upper Rhine.

Contents

Course

The Otterbach rises in the area of the Upper Mundat Forest in the southeast of the Palatine Forest. Its source lies at a height of about 300 metres on the hillside east of Guttenberg Castle between the Hohe Derst (561 m high, to the north) and the Hoher Kopf (497 m high, to the south).

After breaking out of the low mountain range into the Upper Rhine Valley, the Otterbach flows through the two villages named after it, Oberotterbach and Niederotterbach, then through Vollmersweiler and Freckenfeld, where it passes the northern edge of the Bienwald woods. In Minfeld it is joined from the left by the Dierbach, and then forms the border between the districts of Kandel and Wörth. In Kandel, the Bruchbach enters it from the right. The Otterbach meanders markedly on its way through Jockgrim. After it has passed through Neupotz, it is impounded southeast of Leimersheim to form the Fischmal, a reservoir 1½ kilometres long and up to 100 metres wide that is a biotope for many aquatic birds and plants.

Whilst some of the Otterbach's waters are diverted to the right through a pumping station on the Rhine embankment directly into the Rhine itself, the left-hand branch of the river flows through the village of Leimersheim and is united there with the Erlenbach coming from the left to form the Michelsbach. This is a former loop of the Old Rhine that discharges after a good twelve kilometres from the left into the Rhine.

Despite the route of its lower reaches, the Otterbach is counted as a direct tributary of the Rhine (or the Leimersheim Old Rhine - Leimersheimer Altrheins - flowing eastwards), something that is also acknowledged by the GKZs (Michelsbach 23754, Otterbach 237522). [1] .

See also

Related Research Articles

Breg (river) River in Germany

The Breg is a river, 46 kilometres long, in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, and the primary headstream of the Danube.

Upper Rhine Section of the Rhine in Germany and Switzerland

The Upper Rhine is the section of the Rhine in the Upper Rhine Plain between Basel in Switzerland and Bingen in Germany. The river is marked by Rhine-kilometres 170 to 529.

Brigach River in Germany

The Brigach is the shorter of two streams that jointly form the river Danube in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. The Brigach has its source at 925 m (3,035 ft) above sea level within St. Georgen in the Black Forest. The Brigach crosses the city Villingen-Schwenningen. 40.4 km (25.1 mi) from the source, the Brigach joins the Breg in Donaueschingen to form the Danube River.

Ahr River in Germany

Ahr is a river in Germany, a left tributary of the Rhine. Its source is at an elevation of approximately 470 metres (1,540 ft) above sea level in Blankenheim in the Eifel, in the cellar of a timber-frame house near the castle of Blankenheim. After 18 kilometres (11 mi) it crosses from North Rhine-Westphalia into Rhineland-Palatinate.

Nahe (Rhine) River in Germany

The Nahe is a river in Rhineland-Palatinate and Saarland, Germany, a left tributary to the Rhine. It has also given name to the wine region Nahe situated around it.

Swist River in Germany

The Swist is a stream, 43.6 kilometres (27.1 mi) long, in the German Rhineland. It rises on the northern edge of the Eifel at 330 metres above sea level and empties rom the right and southeast into the Rhine tributary, the Erft, between Weilerswist and Bliesheim. Occasionally the Swist is also called the Swistbach, and locals often just call it der Bach.

Queich River in Germany

The Queich is a tributary of the Rhine, which rises in the southern part of the Palatinate Forest, and flows through the Upper Rhine valley to its confluence with the Rhine in Germersheim. It is 52 kilometres (32 mi) long and is one of the four major drainage systems of the Palatinate Forest along with the Speyerbach, Lauter and Schwarzbach. The Queich flows through the towns Hauenstein, Annweiler am Trifels, Siebeldingen, Landau, Offenbach an der Queich and Germersheim.

Speyerbach River in Germany

The Speyerbach is a left tributary of the Rhine in the Palatinate part of Rhineland-Palatinate. In Speyer, the river split into Gießhübelbach and Woogbach. The Woogbach changes its name to Nonnenbach, then flows into Gießhübelbach shortly before the latter flows into the Rhine.

Rehbach (Palatinate) River in Germany

The Rehbach is a river in Rhineland-Palatinate. It is about 29 kilometres (18 mi) long and is a left tributary of the Rhine.

Isenach Left tributary of the Rhine

The Isenach is a left tributary of the Rhine in the northeastern Palatine region of Rhineland-Palatinate. It is nearly 36 kilometres (22 mi) long.

Eckbach River in Germany

The Eckbach is a small river in the northeastern Palatinate and the southeastern Rhenish Hesse. It is slightly over 39 kilometres (24 mi) long.

Pfrimm River in Germany

The Pfrimm is a 42.7-kilometre-long (26.5 mi), left or western tributary of the Rhine in the Rhineland-Palatinate (Germany).

Erlenbach (Michelsbach) River in Germany

The Erlenbach is a 34.2 km long, left tributary of the Michelsbach in the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate.

Klingbach River in Germany

The Klingbach is a stream, just under 38 kilometres (24 mi) long, in South Palatinate, Germany, and a left-hand tributary of the Michelsbach.

Michelsbach River in Germany

The Michelsbach is a tributary of the Rhine in the German region of South Palatinate.

Modenbach River in Germany

The Modenbach is a stream, just under 30 kilometres (19 mi) long, and a right-hand tributary of the Speyerbach in the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate.

Hainbach (Speyerbach) River in Germany

The Hainbach, historically also called the Heimbach, in its lower reaches also called the Wooggraben and Krebsbächel, is a river, overt 33 kilometres long, and a right tributary of the Speyerbach in the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate.

Enz (Prüm) River in Germany

The Enz is a 37.9-kilometre-long (23.5 mi), orographically right-hand tributary of the Prüm in the Eifel mountains of Germany.

Mehrbach River in Germany

The Mehrbach is a river, 23-kilometre-long (14 mi) long, and a tributary of the Wied. Its GKZ is 27164, its catchment has an area of 65.868 km2 (25.432 sq mi).

Brexbach River in Germany

The Brexbach is a river, just under 22 kilometres (14 mi) long, and an orographically left-hand tributary of the Saynbach in the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate.

References

  1. Geoexplorer of the Rhineland-Palatinate Water Authority (Wasserwirtschaftsverwaltung Rheinland-Pfalz)