The Ennepe is a river, and a left

tributary A tributary, or affluent, is a stream or river that flows into a larger stream or main stem (or parent) river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean. Tributaries and the main stem river drain the surrounding drai ...

of the

Volme The Volme is a river in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, and is a tributary of the river Ruhr. It is long, of which about lie within the city limits of Hagen. Its largest tributary is the Ennepe. The Volme rises at above sea level in the sout ...

in Northern Sauerland,

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

. It gave its name to the town

Ennepetal Ennepetal (; wep, Iämpedal) is a town in the district of Ennepe-Ruhr-Kreis, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It was created in 1949 out of the former municipalities Milspe and Voerde. It was named after the river Ennepe, which flows through ...

, and the district

Ennepe-Ruhr-Kreis The Ennepe-Ruhr-Kreis is a district in the center of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is part of the southern Ruhr urban area and has ca. 324,000 inhabitants (2012). The district's seat (capital city) is Schwelm; the largest of its nine town ...

Course of River

The Ennepe begins in the

Märkischer Kreis The Märkischer Kreis is a district ('' Kreis'') in central North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Neighbouring districts are Unna, Soest, Hochsauerland, Olpe, Oberbergischer Kreis, Ennepe-Ruhr, and the city of Hagen. History The district was creat ...

southeast of

Halver Halver is a town in Germany. History Around 950 the ''Oberhof Halvara'' was first mentioned in the ''Werdener Probsteiregister''. For more than 500 years Halver was the seat of a Fehmic court, the earliest definite evidence of which is in 1243; i ...

, at 422 m above sea level, and continues to the Ennepetalsperre (reservoir, 307 m above sea level). The river flows through

Gevelsberg Gevelsberg (; Westphalian: ''Gievelsbiärg'') is a town in the district of Ennepe-Ruhr-Kreis, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Geography The town lies in the valley of the river Ennepe in the Süder Uplands, which is part of the Rhenish Mas ...

, and the western boroughs of Hagen. It flows into the

, near

Hagen Central Station Hagen Hauptbahnhof is a railway station serving the city of Hagen in western Germany. It is an important rail hub for the southeastern Ruhr area, offering regional and long distance connections. The station was opened in 1848 as part of the Bergis ...

(elevation: 99 m above sea level). Parts of the river are canalized.

Flora and fauna

The Ennepe provides habitat for numerous animal and plant types. Among are fishes, the

grey heron The grey heron (''Ardea cinerea'') is a long-legged wading bird of the heron family, Ardeidae, native throughout temperate Europe and Asia and also parts of Africa. It is resident in much of its range, but some populations from the more norther ...

neophyte A neophyte is a recent initiate or convert to a subject or belief. Neophyte may also refer to: Science * Neophyte (botany), a plant species recently introduced to an area As a proper noun Arts and entertainment * Neophyte, a character class ...

plants, and Orange Jewelweed (''Impatiens capensis'', in Hagen).

Industrial use

In the pre-industrial age, several

mills Mills is the plural form of mill, but may also refer to: As a name * Mills (surname), a common family name of English or Gaelic origin * Mills (given name) *Mills, a fictional British secret agent in a trilogy by writer Manning O'Brine Places Uni ...

were built alongside the river. In the 19th and 20th centuries, several small iron plants were operated there.

References

{{Authority control Rivers of North Rhine-Westphalia Rivers of Germany