The Esla is a river in the provinces of
León and
Zamora in the northwest of
Spain
, image_flag = Bandera de España.svg
, image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg
, national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond")
, national_anthem = (English: "Royal March")
, i ...
. It is a tributary of the
Duero River
The Douro (, , ; es, Duero ; la, Durius) is the highest-flow river of the Iberian Peninsula. It rises near Duruelo de la Sierra in Soria Province, central Spain, meanders south briefly then flows generally west through the north-west part of ...
that starts in the
Cantabrian Mountains
, etymology=Named after the Cantabri
, photo=Cordillera Cantábrica vista desde el Castro Valnera.jpg
, photo_caption=Cantabrian Mountains parallel to the Cantabrian Sea seen from Castro Valnera in an east-west direction. In the background, th ...
and is long.
Its direction of flow is from north to south. It is the largest tributary of the Duero in terms of discharge; in fact, at its mouth at the confluence with the Duero, it has a greater discharge than the volume in the main river.
The most official source of the river is the “Fuente del Naranco” in Valdosín (near La Uña in León province).
[Atlas de España (1992). El Pais. Aguilar S.A. de Ediciones. ]
This river was known as the Astura to the ancient Romans, from which the
Asturian people
Asturians ( ast, asturianos) are a Celtic-Romance ethnic group native to the autonomous community of Asturias, in the North-West of the Iberian Peninsula.
Culture and society Heritage
Asturians are directly descended from the Astures, who were ...
took their name. They were ancestors of the modern inhabitants of Asturias and León, living on both sides of the Cantabrian Mountains. Many of the toponyms in the area owe their name to the river; for example,
Villafalé (''Villa Fértil a orillas del Río Astura''), ''Vega del Esla'', ''Mansilla del Esla'', etc.
In the 19th century, the Canal del Esla was built to irrigate the Vega de Toral. In the 1980s, a dam and reservoir project to generate hydroelectric power required the submersion of seven villages along the Esla in León, including
Riaño. New villages were built along the reservoir to replace these historic towns.
The principal tributaries of the Esla are:
*
Bernesga River
*
Cea River
The Cea River is a river of northwestern Spain. It is an affluent of the Esla River, and its course runs through the provinces of León, Valladolid and Zamora. It is 157 km long. Its source is in the municipality of Prioro, in León provi ...
*
Órbigo River
, name_etymology =
, image = Union del Rio Omaña y Rio Luna.JPG
, image_size = 250px
, image_caption = The union of the rivers Luna and Omaña at this point form the Órbigo river
, map = Órbigo ...
*
Porma River
*
Tera River
The Tera is a river in the north of Spain, a tributary of the River Esla.
It is of ecological importance, being the home of 24 species of the European Union Nature Directives. ''Riberas del Río Tera y afluentes'' was designated a Special Area o ...
*
Aliste River Aliste may refer to several municipalities in ''comarca'' of Aliste, in the Zamora province of northern Spain:
* Mahide de Aliste
*Rábano de Aliste
*Riofrío de Aliste
Alternately, it may refer to a ''comarca'' (shire) within Zamora:
*Aliste ( ...
See also
*
List of rivers of Spain
This is an incomplete list of rivers that are at least partially in Spain. The rivers flowing into the sea are sorted along the coast. Rivers flowing into other rivers are listed by the rivers they flow into. Rivers in the mainland Iberian Peninsu ...
*
Ricobayo Arch Bridge
The Ricobayo Arch Bridge (Spanish: ''Puente de San Esteban'' or ''Arco de Ricobayo'') is a supported deck arch bridge that carries the National 122 Road over the Esla River at Ricobayo in the province of Zamora, Spain.
The original bridge at Ri ...
References
{{authority control
Rivers of Spain
Esla Esla or ESLA can refer to:
* Əşlə, Azerbaijani municipality
* Esla river
The Esla is a river in the provinces of León and Zamora in the northwest of Spain. It is a tributary of the Duero River that starts in the Cantabrian Mountains and i ...
Tributaries of the Douro River
Esla (river)