Alf (river)
The Alf is a small river in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, a left tributary of the Moselle. It rises in the Eifel, near Darscheid, east of Daun. The Alf flows south through Mehren, Gillenfeld and Bausendorf, where it turns east to flow into the Moselle at the village of Alf.
Alf | |
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Rapids in the Strohn Gorge near Strohn | |
Location | |
Country | Germany |
State | Rhineland-Palatinate |
Reference no. | DE: 268 |
Physical characteristics | |
Source | |
• location | North of Darscheid |
• coordinates | 50°13′41″N 6°53′08″E |
• elevation | 549 m above sea level (NHN) |
Mouth | |
• location | Near Alf into the Moselle |
• coordinates | 50°03′26″N 7°07′43″E |
• elevation | 95 m above sea level (NHN) |
Length | 51.879 km [1] |
Basin size | 358.146 km² [1] |
Basin features | |
Progression | Moselle→ Rhine→ North Sea |
Landmarks | Villages: Darscheid, Gillenfeld, Strohn, Bausendorf, Kinderbeuern, Bengel, Alf |
Tributaries | |
• left | Laubach, Diefenbach, Holzbach, Salzbach, Olkenbach, Ewesbach, Kammerbach, Udelsbach, Saalsbach, Üßbach |
• right | Irlenbach, Sammetbach, Demichbach, Elterbach, Hoegbach, Ilbach, Erbach, Scherbach, |
Geography
Course
The Alf rises about 1 kilometre (0.62 mi) northeast of Hörscheid in the Volcanic Eifel. From its source at a height of 549 metres (1,801 ft), the Alf initially flows in a southerly direction to the village of Darscheid, from which it flows to the east through the villages of Gillenfeld and Strohn. The next section of the Alf, to Bausendorf, is very winding; it then turns towards the east and cuts through the south of the forest of Kondelwald, passing the villages of Kinderbeuern and Bengel. Around 3.5 kilometres (2.2 mi) beyond Bengel it changes course abruptly and swings north. A ridge prevents it from flowing further east unto the Moselle, here just 500 metres (1,600 ft) away. After breaking through the Moselle Hills the Alf finally reaches the Moselle at Alf (Cochem-Zell) at a height of 95 metres (312 ft). Along its 53 kilometres (33 mi) course from source to mouth, the Alf descends through 454 metres (1,490 ft), giving it an average river bed gradient of 8.6‰.
Tributaries
Left tributaries | Right tributaries |
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References
- Geoexplorer of the Rhineland-Palatinate Water Authority (Wasserwirtschaftsverwaltung Rheinland-Pfalz) (Checked on 15 November 2010)