The Tongelreep is a small tributary of the Dommel that flows through
Belgium
Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to th ...
and the
Netherlands
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, subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands
, established_title = Before independence
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. It begins in Belgium near Neerpelt (where the stream is called the Warmbeek) and runs into the Dommel in
Eindhoven
Eindhoven () is a city and municipality in the Netherlands, located in the southern province of North Brabant of which it is its largest. With a population of 238,326 on 1 January 2022,Valkenswaard
Valkenswaard () is a municipality and a town in the southern Netherlands, in the Metropoolregio Eindhoven of the province of North Brabant. The municipality had a population of in and spans an area of of which is water.
The name Valkenswaard ...
Achel Abbey
The Trappist Abbey of Achel or Saint Benedictus-Abbey or Achelse Kluis (which means hermitage of Achel), which belongs to the Cistercians of Strict Observance, is located in Achel in the Campine region of the province of Limburg (Flanders, Belgi ...
, the Leenderbos, the Valkenhorst estates and the Genneper Parken park area.
The Tongelreep has always remained a relatively naturally flowing, clear river with natural interaction between water and landscape; this despite the fact that man has tried to alter the river bed since the
Middle Ages
In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire a ...
, the stretch to the west of the current Leenderbos was canaled in 1890 in order to create a series of fishing ponds and the stretch to the south of that was canaled by the Achel Abbey monks before that. The natural character of the southern Tongelreep has been returning since 1989, when the Achel Abbey agricultural activities were ceased and the lands were sold to environmental groups, who are restoring the natural flow of the river. The grassy lands of the Warmbeek valleys are also being restored.
Etymology
The word Tongelreep derives from the old regional words ''tonge'' and ''reep''. ''Tonge'' is an older, local word for a sandy plain or hill in a
raised bog
Raised bogs, also called ombrotrophic bogs, are acidic, wet habitats that are poor in mineral salts and are home to flora and fauna that can cope with such extreme conditions. Raised bogs, unlike fens, are exclusively fed by precipitation ( ombro ...
; a ''reep'' is a Dutch word (still in use today) which means ''strip'' (in this case a strip of land). ''Tongelreep'' therefore means "a strip of land with sandy hills", which is borne out by its surroundings: there are a number of sandy hills along the run of the river, including the Stepkesberg, the Wolfsberg and the Zeelberg (which is now part of Valkenswaard).
The land formations of the region most likely also explain why the Tongelreep is called the Tongelreep and not just the Warmbeek. When the region was first settled, the land south of the Zeelberg was very rugged and impassable. Since the region was not tractable to extensive exploration, the early settlers probably never realized that the Tongelreep was a continuation of the Warmbeek. This theory is reinforced by early maps of the region, which show varying sources for the Tongelreep but do not suggest any link to the Belgian river.
Drainage area
The spring of the Tongelreep is southwest of Erpekom in
Belgium
Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to th ...
, where the name is ''Jongemansbeek'' or ''Vrenenbeek''. It then flows north by Brogel and
Kaulille
Bocholt (; li, Bóggetj) is a municipality located in the Belgian province of Limburg. On January 1, 2021, Bocholt had a total population of 13,144. The total area is 59.34 km2 which gives a population density of 208 inhabitants per km2.
Be ...
, where the local name is ''Kleine Broekbeek''. The stream is joined by the Dorperloop just south of Sint-Huibrechts-Lille; this is where the stream starts being called ''Warmbeek''. The Warmbeek is then led under the Bocholt-Herentals Canal and flows into a
water-meadow
A water-meadow (also water meadow or watermeadow) is an area of grassland subject to controlled irrigation to increase agricultural productivity. Water-meadows were mainly used in Europe from the 16th to the early 20th centuries. Working water-m ...
. In this area the river is joined by a parallel canal, which was built to power the Grevenbroek mill. Continuing on to the
Achel Abbey
The Trappist Abbey of Achel or Saint Benedictus-Abbey or Achelse Kluis (which means hermitage of Achel), which belongs to the Cistercians of Strict Observance, is located in Achel in the Campine region of the province of Limburg (Flanders, Belgi ...
, the river is then joined by the Haagbroekerloop. Upon crossing the Dutch border, the river becomes the ''Tongelreep''. The river was canaled at this point, but this was undone by Staatsbosbeheer after they bought the land from the Abbey monks.
The current river runs west of the Leenderbos and past Valkenswaard. Water from the Tongelreep feeds several fishing ponds along the way to Aalst, where the Tongelreep enters the Genneper Parken area. Finally, the river reaches the
Eindhoven
Eindhoven () is a city and municipality in the Netherlands, located in the southern province of North Brabant of which it is its largest. With a population of 238,326 on 1 January 2022,Stadswandelpark and runs into the Dommel.
Natural landscapes
The Warmbeek/Tongelreep is one of the clearest rivers of
Flanders
Flanders (, ; Dutch: ''Vlaanderen'' ) is the Flemish-speaking northern portion of Belgium and one of the communities, regions and language areas of Belgium. However, there are several overlapping definitions, including ones related to culture, ...
and
North Brabant
North Brabant ( nl, Noord-Brabant ; Brabantian: ; ), also unofficially called Brabant, is a province in the south of the Netherlands. It borders the provinces of South Holland and Gelderland to the north, Limburg to the east, Zeeland to the we ...
. It flows through
natural landscape
A natural landscape is the original landscape that exists before it is acted upon by human culture
Culture () is an umbrella term which encompasses the social behavior, institutions, and norms found in human societies, as well as the kn ...
watermill
A watermill or water mill is a mill that uses hydropower. It is a structure that uses a water wheel or water turbine to drive a mechanical process such as milling (grinding), rolling, or hammering. Such processes are needed in the production of ...
Achel
Hamont-Achel (; li, Haëmet-Achel) is a city and municipality located in the Belgian province of Limburg. It was founded in 1977 by a fusion of the city Hamont and the village Achel. On January 1, 2020, Hamont-Achel had a total population of 14. ...