River Salzach

The Salzach (Austrian: ˆsaltsax ) is a river in Austria and Germany. It is in length and is a right tributary of the Inn, which eventually joins the Danube. Its drainage basin of comprises large parts of the Northern Limestone and Central Eastern Alps. 83% of its drainage basin () lies in Austria, the remainder in Germany (Bavaria). Its largest tributaries are Lammer, Berchtesgadener Ache, Saalach, Sur and Götzinger Achen.

Etymology

The river's name is derived from the German word ''Salz'' "salt" and '' Aach''. Until the 19th century, shipping of salt down the ''Salzach'' was an important part of the local economy. The shipping ended when the parallel Salzburg-Tyrol Railway line replaced the old transport system.

Course

The Salzach is the main river in the Austrian state of Salzburg. The source is located on the edge of the Kitzbühel Alps near Krimml in the western Pinzgau region. Its headstreams drain several alpine pastures at around (metres above the Adriatic), between Krimml and the Tyrolean state border, north of the Gerlos Pass on the slopes of the Salzachgeier () and the nearby Schwebenkopf peak ).

From here, it runs eastwards through a large valley via Bruck south of Lake Zell to Schwarzach im Pongau. It then turns northwards and passes Sankt Johann im Pongau. North of here, the Salzach forms the narrow Salzachöfen Gorge between the Berchtesgaden Alps and the Tennen Mountains and then flows to Hallein and the city of Salzburg.

From the junction with its Saalach tributary in the northern Salzburg basin, the Salzach forms the border between Bavaria, Germany and the Austrian states of Salzburg and Upper Austria for almost . Cities on the banks in this lower section include Laufen and its sister town Oberndorf bei Salzburg, Tittmoning, and Burghausen. All these towns have border crossings.

The river finally joins the Inn in Haiming between Burghausen and Braunau.

Tributaries

Upper and lower reaches: , and from the Kitzbühel Alps, Krimmler Ache, , , , , , , from the High Tauern, Pinzga from Lake Zell, Fuscher Ache, from the High Tauern, from the Salzburg Slate Alps, , , from the High Tauern, from the , and from the Hochkönig.

Lower reaches: Lammer from the east, (in the ) from the Berchtesgaden Alps, and Almbach from the , both from the Osterhorn Group, Königsseer Ache from the Königssee, , Fischach from the lake Wallersee, Klausbach, Saalach the largest tributaries, Sur and Götzinger Achen on the Bavarian side, Oichten near Oberndorf and Moosach in the Salzburg-Upper Austrian border region.

Hydroelectric power plants

Currently, there are 12 hydroelectric power plants on the Salzach. The power plants are listed beginning at the headwaters:

Photos

Image:to WIKI panorama Salzburg Salzach river Oct2005.jpg, Salzach in Salzburg
Image:Salzburg 15.jpg, Salzach in Salzburg
Image:Tussen Hallein en Salzburg, berglandschap langs de Salzach foto1 2011-0717 11.35.JPG, Salzach between Hallein and Salzburg
Image:Tussen Tenneck en Pass Lueg, panorama mer de Salzach foto2 2011-07-17 14.29.JPG, Salzach between Tenneck and Pass Lueg
Image:Pfarrwerfen, dorpszicht positie3 foto3 2011-07-17 15.52.JPG, Salzach near Pfarrwerfen
Image:Most Staatsbrücke, Salzburg - jugozapad.jpg, "Staatsbrücke" bridge over Salzach in Salzburg

See also

* Salza (Austria)

Sources

* Österreichisches Bundesministerium für Land- und Forstwirtschaft, Umwelt und Wasserwirtschaft:
Die Salzach - ein Fluss bewegt!
' (PDF, 7,94 MB)
* Norbert Winding und Dieter Vogel (Hrsg.): ''Die Salzach. Wildfluss in der Kulturlandschaft.'' Verlag Kiebitz Buch, Vilsbiburg 2003,

References

{{Authority control

Austria–Germany border
International rivers of Europe
Rivers of Upper Austria
Rivers of Bavaria
Altötting (district)
Traunstein (district)
Berchtesgadener Land
Rivers of Salzburg (state)

Rivers of Austria
Rivers of Germany
Border rivers