The Molde River ( no, Moldeelva) is a river in

Molde Municipality Molde () is a town and municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Romsdal. It is located on the Romsdal Peninsula, surrounding the Fannefjord and Moldefjord. The administrative centre of the m ...

Møre og Romsdal Møre og Romsdal (; en, Møre and Romsdal) is a county in the northernmost part of Western Norway. It borders the counties of Trøndelag, Innlandet, and Vestland. The county administration is located in the town of Molde, while Ålesund is the ...

county,

Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and t ...

. The long river runs through the

Moldemarka Moldemarka is a hilly and mostly wooded recreational area north of Molde in Molde Municipality, Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. The area is known for the Molde panorama, with views of more than 222 rugged and partly snow-clad peaks, mountainous i ...

area and then through the city of

Molde Molde () is a town and municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Romsdal. It is located on the Romsdal Peninsula, surrounding the Fannefjord and Moldefjord. The administrative centre of the m ...

. Its origins are found at Lake Molde ( no, Moldevatnet). It follows the Molde Valley ( no, Moldedalen) on its way to the Molde Fjord ( no, Moldefjord). The approximately river is crossed by several bridges. Although the river is minor and seasonal, there were several

sawmill A sawmill (saw mill, saw-mill) or lumber mill is a facility where logs are cut into lumber. Modern sawmills use a motorized saw to cut logs lengthwise to make long pieces, and crosswise to length depending on standard or custom sizes (dimensi ...

s along its course in the 17th and 18th centuries. This gave rise to the city itself through a combination of a good

harbour A harbor (American English), harbour (British English; see spelling differences), or haven is a sheltered body of water where ships, boats, and barges can be docked. The term ''harbor'' is often used interchangeably with ''port'', which is a ...

, proximity to the sea routes, vast

timber Lumber is wood that has been processed into dimensional lumber, including beams and planks or boards, a stage in the process of wood production. Lumber is mainly used for construction framing, as well as finishing (floors, wall panels, wi ...

resources, and a river capable of supporting mills. In 1909, the river also housed the first

hydroelectric power plant Hydroelectricity, or hydroelectric power, is electricity generated from hydropower (water power). Hydropower supplies one sixth of the world's electricity, almost 4500 TWh in 2020, which is more than all other renewable sources combined and ...

capable of providing sufficient

electricity Electricity is the set of physical phenomena associated with the presence and motion of matter that has a property of electric charge. Electricity is related to magnetism, both being part of the phenomenon of electromagnetism, as described ...

to the city. Much of the drinking water for the city comes from the upper part of the river. During the reconstruction after the fire of 1916, the lower part of the river and the estuary is controlled by a

dam A dam is a barrier that stops or restricts the flow of surface water or underground streams. Reservoirs created by dams not only suppress floods but also provide water for activities such as irrigation, human consumption, industrial use, a ...

, built just north of the city, which also serves as a

reservoir A reservoir (; from French ''réservoir'' ) is an enlarged lake behind a dam. Such a dam may be either artificial, built to store fresh water or it may be a natural formation. Reservoirs can be created in a number of ways, including contro ...

and water supply reserve.

References

Rivers of Møre og Romsdal Molde Rivers of Norway {{Norway-river-stub

See also

References