Otra

The Otra is the largest river in the Sørlandet region of Norway. It begins in Setesdalsheiene mountains at the lake Breidvatnet in Bykle municipality in Agder county, just south of the border with Vinje municipality in Vestfold og Telemark county. The river then flows south through Bykle, Valle, Bygland, Evje og Hornnes, Iveland, Vennesla, and Kristiansand municipalities. The river empties into the Skagerrak in the center of the city of Kristiansand on the southern coast of Norway.

Otra
Torridalselva, Torridalselven
View of the river Otra running through the city of Kristiansand, where it is also called Torridalselva or Torridalselven
Location of the river mouth
Otra (Norway)
Location
CountryNorway
CountiesAgder
MunicipalitiesBykle, Valle, Bygland, Evje og Hornnes, Iveland, Vennesla, Kristiansand
Physical characteristics
Source 
  locationSetesdalsheiene, Bykle, Norway
  coordinates59.6284°N 07.4321°E / 59.6284; 07.4321
  elevation896 metres (2,940 ft)
Mouth 
  location
Skagerrak, Kristiansand, Norway
  coordinates
58.1434°N 08.0134°E / 58.1434; 08.0134
  elevation
0 metres (0 ft)
Length245 km (152 mi)
Basin size3,752 km2 (1,449 sq mi)
Discharge 
  average150 m3/s (5,300 cu ft/s)
Basin features
River systemOtra

The Otra is 245 kilometres (152 mi) long, making it Norway's eighth-longest river. There are many large lakes along the river including: Åraksfjorden, Byglandsfjorden, Hartevatnet, and Kilefjorden. There are 12 hydroelectric power plants built along the river, which produce much of the electricity for the southern part of Norway.[1]

The salmon do well in the Otra river because the water is not too acidic. The calcareous rocks in the catchment area at the northern end of the Setesdal valley give the water a certain buffer capacity against acidification.[2]

References

  1. "Otra" (in Norwegian). Store norske leksikon. Retrieved 2010-05-16.
  2. "Mindre forurensning og mer laks i Otra" (in Norwegian). Dirna.no.
  • Media related to Otra at Wikimedia Commons


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