| Simoa | |
|---|---|
 Haugfoss on the Simoa | |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | |
| • location | Solevatn (Capellen map) or Soneren lake (Store norske leksikon) |
| Mouth | |
• location | Drammenselva at Åmot, Buskerud |
| Basin size | 889 km2 (343 sq mi) |
Simoa is the name of a river which flows through the municipalities of Sigdal and Modum in Buskerud County, Norway.
The Simoa river runs from Lake Soneren through the municipality of Sigdal in a south-easterly course until it flows into Drammenselva at Åmot in Modum. The river begins a few miles north of Lake Haglebuvatna where it is initially known as the Haglebu, later becoming the Eggedøla as it flows through the valley of Eggedal. Lake Soneren lies at an elevation of 103 metres (338 ft). The drainage basin of the Simoa covers 889 square kilometres (343 sq mi).
Haugfoss waterfall at Blaafarveværket in Modum, has been used as a motif for many artists throughout history. Notable examples include Winter at Simoa River which was painted during 1883 by Norwegian artist Frits Thaulow. [1]
It was developed for hydroelectric power by Midt Nett Buskerud AS, the utility company owned by Modum and Sigdal municipalities. Haugfoss kraftverk was constructed in 1937 and has a capacity of 3.6 MW. Horga, the tributary river which runs into Soneren has Horga kraftverk, a second power station which was built 1988–1990 and has a capacity of 7.2 MW. [2] [3] [4]
Among the floods in the Simoa which have caused damage, are those in 1752, 1858, [5] 1934, 1938, 1987, [6] 1995, 2007, [7] and 2008. [8] Attempts are made to regulate the reservoirs to reduce the risk of flooding. Parts of Simoa was protected in the Conservation Plan for the river (1973). The river is protected upstream from Lake Soneren. [9]
The former name for the river was Sigm(á), sigm meaning "glide" and å meaning "river". [10]
Buskerud is a county and a current electoral district in Norway, bordering Akershus, Oslo, Oppland, Sogn og Fjordane, Hordaland, Telemark and Vestfold. The region extends from the Oslofjord and Drammensfjorden in the southeast to Hardangervidda mountain range in the northwest. The county administration was in modern times located in Drammen. Buskerud was merged with Akershus and Østfold into the newly created Viken County on 1 January 2020. On the 23 February 2022 Viken County Council voted in a 49 against 38 decision to submit an application to the Norwegian government for a county demerger. Due to this, Buskerud was re-established in 2024.
Nore og Uvdal is a municipality in Buskerud county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Numedal. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Rødberg.
Flå is a municipality in Buskerud county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Flå. The municipality of Flå was established when it was separated from the municipality of Nes on 1 January 1905. The municipality lies at the most southeasterly point in the valley and traditional region of Hallingdal.
Sigdal is a municipality in Buskerud County, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Prestfoss.
Krødsherad is a municipality in Buskerud county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Noresund. The municipality of Krødsherad was established when it was separated from the municipality of Sigdal on 1 January 1901.
Modum is a municipality in Buskerud county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Vikersund. The municipality of Modum was established on 1 January 1838.
Nesbyen is a town and the administrative center in Nesbyen municipality in the county of Viken, Norway. Nesbyen is located in the traditional district of Hallingdal.
Numedalslågen is a river in Norway. It is considered to be the second longest river in Southern Norway. It is located in the Numedal valley which runs through the counties of Vestfold, Buskerud and Vestland. At 356 kilometres (221 mi) long, it is of the longest rivers in Norway.
Christian Skredsvig was a Norwegian painter and writer. He employed an artistic style reflecting naturalism. He is especially well known for his picturesque and lyrical depictions of the landscape.
Prestfoss is the administrative center of Sigdal municipality in Buskerud, Norway. Highway Fv287 passes through Prestfoss. Both Fv132 and Fv133 start from here.
Sysle is a village in the municipality of Modum, Buskerud county, Norway. Its population (2014) is 227.
Drammenselva is a river in Buskerud county, southeastern Norway.
Åmot is a village in Modum municipality in Buskerud, Norway. Located just south of Geithus, the two villages have grown closer to each other. They have a combined population of 5,694.
Stolsvatnet is a regulated lake in the municipalities of Ål and Hol in Buskerud, Norway. Stolsvatnet was formed in the late 1940s by the damming of the upper parts of three rivers, which created a continuous lake across the watersheds. The new lake covered a number of existing smaller lakes. It is a reservoir for Hol I kraftverk, a hydroelectric power plant located off FV 50 by Hovet in Hol. The power plant is owned and operated by E-Co Energi.
Frits Thaulow was a Norwegian Impressionist painter, best known for his naturalistic depictions of landscape.
Hans Andersen Foss was a Norwegian-American author, newspaper editor and temperance leader. Foss is most noted for his Norwegian language novel, Husmands-gutte (1885) which was translated into English as The Cotter's Son. A story from Sigdal.
Aamodt bru is a suspension bridge located Oslo, Norway. It is a pedestrian bridge over the Aker River in the Oslo district of Grünerløkka.
Ringerike is a traditional district in Norway, commonly consisting of the municipalities Hole and Ringerike in Buskerud county. In older times, Ringerike had a larger range which went westward to the municipalities Krødsherad, Modum, and Sigdal, also in Buskerud.
The Småvatna Hydroelectric Power Station is a hydroelectric power station in the municipality of Kvænangen in Troms county, Norway. The plant utilizes a 283-meter (928 ft) drop between Lake Lassa and Little Lakes. Lake Lassa is regulated at a level between 543 m (1,781 ft) and 519 m (1,703 ft), and Little Lakes serves as the reservoir for the Kvænangsbotn Hydroelectric Power Station. The Småvatna plant also utilizes water from Abo River and the Lassajavre Hydroelectric Power Station. The plant came into operation in 1969. It has a Francis turbine and operates at an installed capacity of 18.8 MW, with an average annual production of about 61 GWh. The plant is controlled by Kvænangen Kraftverk AS, with a 48.2% share owned by Troms Kraft.
Snarumselva is a river in Buskerud county, Norway. It flows north to south from Krøderen, a lake in Krødsherad municipality, to Geithus, a village in Modum municipality, where it joins the Drammenselva river. The total length of Snarumselva is about 50 km (31 mi) and the total altitude loss is about 100 m (330 ft).