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The Erms () is a river of the
karst Karst is a topography formed from the dissolution of soluble rocks such as limestone, dolomite, and gypsum. It is characterized by underground drainage systems with sinkholes and caves. It has also been documented for more weathering-resistant ro ...
ified
Swabian Alb The Swabian Jura (german: Schwäbische Alb , more rarely ), sometimes also named Swabian Alps in English, is a mountain range in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, extending from southwest to northeast and in width. It is named after the region of ...
range in
Baden-Württemberg Baden-Württemberg (; ), commonly shortened to BW or BaWü, is a German state () in Southwest Germany, east of the Rhine, which forms the southern part of Germany's western border with France. With more than 11.07 million inhabitants across a ...
, Germany. It flows into the
Neckar The Neckar () is a river in Germany, mainly flowing through the southwestern state of Baden-Württemberg, with a short section through Hesse. The Neckar is a major right tributary of the Rhine. Rising in the Schwarzwald-Baar-Kreis near Schwenn ...
in
Neckartenzlingen Neckartenzlingen is a town in the district of Esslingen in Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. Geography It is located 10 km north of Reutlingen, and 25 km south of Stuttgart. Twin towns — sister cities Neckartenzlingen is t ...
. On its way from the
Karst spring A karst spring or karstic spring is a spring (outflow of groundwater) that is part of a karst hydrological system. Description Because of their often conical or inverted bowl shape, karst springs are also known in German-speaking lands as a ''Top ...
to the next large municipality
Bad Urach Bad Urach () is a town in the Reutlingen (district), district of Reutlingen, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is situated 14 km east of Reutlingen, at the foot of the Swabian Jura, Swabian ''Alb'' (or Swabian Alps in English), and is known for ...
, a former Erms sedimented, especially during floods, no less than eight valley cataracts, where chemically
precipitated In an aqueous solution, precipitation is the process of transforming a dissolved substance into an insoluble solid from a super-saturated solution. The solid formed is called the precipitate. In case of an inorganic chemical reaction leading ...
travertine Travertine ( ) is a form of terrestrial limestone deposited around mineral springs, especially hot springs. It often has a fibrous or concentric appearance and exists in white, tan, cream-colored, and even rusty varieties. It is formed by a pro ...
repeatedly drops .


Geography

The Ermstal valley is one of the largest valley systems that have cut into the
layer Layer or layered may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media *Layers (Kungs album), ''Layers'' (Kungs album) *Layers (Les McCann album), ''Layers'' (Les McCann album) *Layers (Royce da 5'9" album), ''Layers'' (Royce da 5'9" album) *"Layers", the ...
of the Swabian Alb from the northwest. The nearby large waters of the
river system In geomorphology, drainage systems, also known as river systems, are the patterns formed by the streams, rivers, and lakes in a particular drainage basin. They are governed by the topography of land, whether a particular region is dominated by h ...
of the
Rhine ), Surselva, Graubünden, Switzerland , source1_coordinates= , source1_elevation = , source2 = Rein Posteriur/Hinterrhein , source2_location = Paradies Glacier, Graubünden, Switzerland , source2_coordinates= , so ...
lie much deeper than the
Danube The Danube ( ; ) is a river that was once a long-standing frontier of the Roman Empire and today connects 10 European countries, running through their territories or being a border. Originating in Germany, the Danube flows southeast for , pa ...
on the south-eastern side of the Alb, so that
regressive erosion Headward erosion is erosion at the origin of a stream channel, which causes the origin to move back away from the direction of the stream flow, lengthening the stream channel.Essentials of Geology, 3rd Ed, Stephen Marshak It can also refer to ...
of the Rhenish waters is gradually shifting back the European watershed at the expense of the Danube basin. Due to the Neckar river, which runs here particularly close to the Alb's eaves, and the great difference in altitude between them, the Erms possessed sufficient erosive power to form one of the most striking valleys of the Alb's eaves. The valley is rich in
karst Karst is a topography formed from the dissolution of soluble rocks such as limestone, dolomite, and gypsum. It is characterized by underground drainage systems with sinkholes and caves. It has also been documented for more weathering-resistant ro ...
phenomena. The longitudinal profile, stepped by limestone sinter deposits, was once more conspicuous than today due to several natural reservoirs and favoured the industrial development along the river because of the easily usable
water power Hydropower (from el, ὕδωρ, "water"), also known as water power, is the use of falling or fast-running water to produce electricity or to power machines. This is achieved by converting the gravitational potential or kinetic energy of a wa ...
.


Spring

The spring known as "Ermsursprung" is located just under southeast of the village Seeburg in the ''Mühltal''. The average flow rate of the
karst spring A karst spring or karstic spring is a spring (outflow of groundwater) that is part of a karst hydrological system. Description Because of their often conical or inverted bowl shape, karst springs are also known in German-speaking lands as a ''Top ...
is between and (this corresponds to 20.1 m³ or 22.8 m³ per minute). Depending on the weather, the source discharge fluctuates between .


Course

Coming from the Fischburg valley, the much longer Fischbach flows into Seeburg. Its valley is part of the western border of the former Münsingen military training area. Mühltal, Fischburgtal and the ''Seetal'', which flows in from the south, form here a three-part Talspinne. Between Seeburg and
Bad Urach Bad Urach () is a town in the Reutlingen (district), district of Reutlingen, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is situated 14 km east of Reutlingen, at the foot of the Swabian Jura, Swabian ''Alb'' (or Swabian Alps in English), and is known for ...
the river Erms flows through the upper Ermstal, which here forms the
Border Borders are usually defined as geographical boundaries, imposed either by features such as oceans and terrain, or by political entities such as governments, sovereign states, federated states, and other subnational entities. Political borders c ...
of the villages
Wittlingen Wittlingen () is a municipality in the southwestern German state of Baden-Württemberg, part of the district Lörrach. The coat of arms of Wittlingen was granted 1906 and shows the arms of Baden impaled by a plow iron as a symbol for the agri ...
and Sirchingen. The valley section is characterized by the closely opposite, wooded slopes of the Albtrauf, crowned by limestone rocks. Until the 19th century, several natural lakes existed, dammed by Kalktuffbarren. Since the limestone tuff (precipitated
lime Lime commonly refers to: * Lime (fruit), a green citrus fruit * Lime (material), inorganic materials containing calcium, usually calcium oxide or calcium hydroxide * Lime (color), a color between yellow and green Lime may also refer to: Botany ...
) is a good building material that is easy to extract, the lakes gradually disappeared. In the area of the old town of Urach lies the centre of another valley spider. Here, from the east, the multi-branched valley system of the
Elsach Elsach is a river of Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It flows into the Erms in Bad Urach. See also *List of rivers of Baden-Württemberg A list of rivers of Baden-Württemberg, Germany: A * Aal * Aalbach * Aalenbach * Ablach * Ach *Acher * Ad ...
, whose sources lie in the Falkensteiner Höhle and in the Elsachbröller, flows out. From the southwest, from the Maisental, where the Uracher Wasserfall and the Gütersteiner Wasserfall lie, the Brühlbach flows into the Elsachbröller. Below Urach, the Stufenrandtal valley, eroded by the Erms river, widens. Down the valley there are more and more traces of the early use of the Erms' water power during
industrialisation Industrialisation ( alternatively spelled industrialization) is the period of social and economic change that transforms a human group from an agrarian society into an industrial society. This involves an extensive re-organisation of an econo ...
. In Dettingen there is still a
paper mill A paper mill is a factory devoted to making paper from vegetable fibres such as wood pulp, old rags, and other ingredients. Prior to the invention and adoption of the Fourdrinier machine and other types of paper machine that use an endless belt, ...
. The Glemsbach flows into Neuhausen. Here as in
Metzingen Metzingen () is a Swabian city with about 22,000 inhabitants, in Reutlingen county, Baden-Württemberg, Germany, south of Stuttgart. Geography The following towns and municipalities are on the borders of Metzingen, they are named starting in ...
,
vineyard A vineyard (; also ) is a plantation of grape-bearing vines, grown mainly for winemaking, but also raisins, table grapes and non-alcoholic grape juice. The science, practice and study of vineyard production is known as viticulture. Vineyards ...
s accompany the course of the river. The Erms leaves the valley of the Jura mountains and flows into the Albvorland. Below Riederich the Riederichbach, which was previously called Stetterbach for a long time, flows out. After the river has passed Bempflingen, it flows into the Neckar at
Neckartenzlingen Neckartenzlingen is a town in the district of Esslingen in Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. Geography It is located 10 km north of Reutlingen, and 25 km south of Stuttgart. Twin towns — sister cities Neckartenzlingen is t ...
, whose waters reach the
North Sea The North Sea lies between Great Britain, Norway, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium. An epeiric sea on the European continental shelf, it connects to the Atlantic Ocean through the English Channel in the south and the Norwegian S ...
via the
Rhine ), Surselva, Graubünden, Switzerland , source1_coordinates= , source1_elevation = , source2 = Rein Posteriur/Hinterrhein , source2_location = Paradies Glacier, Graubünden, Switzerland , source2_coordinates= , so ...
.


Catchment area

The river Erms drains an area of about , mainly in the middle
Swabian Alb The Swabian Jura (german: Schwäbische Alb , more rarely ), sometimes also named Swabian Alps in English, is a mountain range in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, extending from southwest to northeast and in width. It is named after the region of ...
and its foreland. Its upper part belongs to the Mittleren Kuppenalb, the lower part almost entirely to the foothills of the central Swabian Alb, where it passes successively through the Neuffen-Vorberge and the Erms-Steinach-Albvorland. Finally, a gusset close to the mouth of the river counts towards the subspace Nürtinger-Esslinger Neckartal of the
Filder The Filder (plural) – also Filder Plain (german: Filderebene) – is a natural region (major unit no. 106) of the Swabian Keuper-Lias Land within the South German Scarplands. They form a gently rolling, fertile plateau in the German state of ...
n. The highest point in the area reaches about above sea level in the area of the
Römerstein Römerstein is a municipality in Baden-Württemberg, Germany; three formerly independent villages (Böhringen, Donnstetten, Zainingen) and two hamlets (Strohweiler and Aglishardt) were merged in 1975. Townhall is in Böhringen. The community is ...
on the Alb plateau.


Tributaries

Tributaries from the source to the estuary. With length and partial catchment area. Other sources are noted. Selection, usually without side channels. Ermsursprung in ''Mühltal'' less than one kilometre before Seeburg. * Trailfinger Bach, upper course through ''Trailfinger Schlucht'' and ''Mühltal'' to the official origin, about . Begins its course at the Trailfinger sewage plant. * Fischbach, from right in Bad Urach- Seeburg and . The Erms together with the Trailfinger Bach is only long at the confluence and has an aboveground catchment area of only . * Seebach, from left into the ''Mühlgraben'' left of the Erms in Seeburg, . * (stream from Fleinsbrunnen), from the right into the engine channel down from Seeburg, . * Coal Pond Ditch, from left, . * (stream from Jakobsbrunnen, from the right, . * Grindelbach, from left, . * (stream from Fischerbrunnen, from left, . * Übereich, alluvial spring inflow from the right into the Triebwerkskanal near Bad Urach-Georgenau, . * Sirching Waterfall, from left, . * Wittlinger Bach, from the right, . * Wiesengraben, from the right in front of the Georgii settlement, under . * Nottenbach, from left at the southern edge of the closed development of the central Bad Urach, . *
Elsach Elsach is a river of Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It flows into the Erms in Bad Urach. See also *List of rivers of Baden-Württemberg A list of rivers of Baden-Württemberg, Germany: A * Aal * Aalbach * Aalenbach * Ablach * Ach *Acher * Ad ...
, from the right in the centre of Bad Urach, and . * (stream from the Seltbachtal), from the left in Bad Urach, . * Brühlbach (Erms, Bad Urach) (!), from left, and . * Eschenbach, from left at the paper mill of Dettingen an der Erms, . * Herdterngraben, from the right at the paper mill of Dettingen an der Erms into the Erms canal, . * Gweidachgraben, from the right at the paper factory of Dettingen into the Ermskanal, . * Talgraben, from the right between Papierfabrik and Dettingen, and . * Rosstriebbach, from left in Dettingen, with right upper course Rohrbach. * Sulzbach, from right in Dettingen, . * Krebsgraben, from right in Dettingen, . * Lochbach, from right in Dettingen, . * Peteräckergraben, from left in Dettingen into the power plant canal Wasserschlössle next to the river Erms, . * Nitzenbach or Nützenbach, from the right in Dettingen, . * Saubronnenbach, from left, . * Saulbach, from right between Dettingen and
Neuhausen an der Erms Neuhausen may refer to: * Neuhausen am Rheinfall, a town in the canton of Schaffhausen, Switzerland *Neuhausen railway station, a railway station in Switzerland *Neuhausen Rheinfall railway station, a railway station in Switzerland *Neuhausen Badis ...
, and . * Leberbach, from left in Neuhausen, and . * Glemsbach, from left in Neuhausen, and . See also Pumped storage plant Glems. * Wangenbach, from left opposite the development boundary from Neuhausen to
Metzingen Metzingen () is a Swabian city with about 22,000 inhabitants, in Reutlingen county, Baden-Württemberg, Germany, south of Stuttgart. Geography The following towns and municipalities are on the borders of Metzingen, they are named starting in ...
, . * Spalerbach, from the right in Metzingen, . * Buchbach or Scheulerbach, from the left into the Ermskanal in Metzingen, . * Vogelherdbach, from left into the mentioned Erms canal in Metzingen, . * Hölzlebach, from left in Metzingen, . * Brühlbach (Erms, Metzingen)* (!), from the right in Metzingen, . * Korrenbach, from the right in Metzingen, . * Lindenbach, from the right, and . * Riederichbach, from left to Riederich, and . With section name sequence ''Riederichbach → Stettertbach → Brühlwiesenbach → Riederichbach''. * Ettwiesenbach, from right to Riederich into the Bempflinger mill canal, and . * Steidenbach, from the right in Bempflingen into the Bempflinger Mühlkanal, and . * Krotenbach, from the right in Bempflingen into the Bempflinger Mühlkanal, and .


Name and history

The name of the Erms goes back to the
Roman Empire The Roman Empire ( la, Imperium Romanum ; grc-gre, Βασιλεία τῶν Ῥωμαίων, Basileía tôn Rhōmaíōn) was the post-Republican period of ancient Rome. As a polity, it included large territorial holdings around the Mediterr ...
''Armissa'', which itself possibly has pre-Roman origins. During the Roman period, there was a more important Roman settlement at the strategically favourable place of the valley exit, at the place of today's
Metzingen Metzingen () is a Swabian city with about 22,000 inhabitants, in Reutlingen county, Baden-Württemberg, Germany, south of Stuttgart. Geography The following towns and municipalities are on the borders of Metzingen, they are named starting in ...
, which was called ''Vicus Armissium''. At that time the Ermstal was called ''Swiggerstal'', later the name was used as a landscape designation until the 15th century was transferred to a larger area .''Der Landkreis Reutlingen'', p. 96f. The villages came to
Württemberg Württemberg ( ; ) is a historical German territory roughly corresponding to the cultural and linguistic region of Swabia. The main town of the region is Stuttgart. Together with Baden and Hohenzollern, two other historical territories, Würt ...
in the Middle Ages and have shared its fate ever since. Therefore, in the 16th century all communities situated along the river Erms were
reformed Reform is beneficial change Reform may also refer to: Media * ''Reform'' (album), a 2011 album by Jane Zhang * Reform (band), a Swedish jazz fusion group * ''Reform'' (magazine), a Christian magazine *''Reforme'' ("Reforms"), initial name of the ...
. Within Württemberg the settlements belonged to Oberamt Urach, only Neckartenzlingen was part of the Oberamt Nürtingen. The towns of Urach were mainly transferred to the district of Reutlingen in 1938 when the district of Urach was dissolved. Bempflingen went with Neckartenzlingen to the district of Nürtingen to the district of Esslingen; the villages above Urach, like Seeburg, Wittlingen and Sirchingen, went to the district of
Münsingen Münsingen (Highest Alemannic German, Highest Alemannic: ''Münsige'') is a Municipalities of Switzerland, municipality in the Bern-Mittelland (administrative district), Bern-Mittelland administrative district in the Cantons of Switzerland, cant ...
in 1938, 1973 also to the Landkreis Reutlingen.


See also

*
List of rivers of Baden-Württemberg A list of rivers of Baden-Württemberg, Germany: A * Aal * Aalbach *Aalenbach * Ablach * Ach *Acher *Adelbach *Aich *Aid * Aischbach, tributary of the Kinzig * Aischbach, tributary of the Körsch * Aitrach, tributary of the Danube * Aitrach, tri ...


References

Hydropower utilisation in the Neckar-Alb Erms region
Regionalverband Neckar-Alb, March 2010, page 1 (Part B), accessed on 26 November 2017 (pdf, German, 47.6 MB)
length according to the layer ''Gewässernetz (AWGN)'': . catchment area according to the layer'' Basic catchment area (AWGN)'': . catchment area summed up according to the layer'' Basic catchment area (AWGN)'': }. <<< Sheet Stuttgart --> <<< Sheet Göppingen --> <<< Sheet Ulm --> Geotopes in the administrative district of Tübingen - Steckbriefe
{{Webarchive, url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160411185239/http://www.fachdokumente.lubw.baden-wuerttemberg.de/servlet/is/20103/lubws13_Anhang_LK_Reutlingen.pdf , date=2016-04-11 State Agency for the Environment, Measurements and Nature Conservation Baden-Württemberg, August 2007, accessed on 26 November 2017 (pdf, German, 9.40 MB)
Rivers of Baden-Württemberg Rivers of Germany