The Dal River () is a
river
A river is a natural stream of fresh water that flows on land or inside Subterranean river, caves towards another body of water at a lower elevation, such as an ocean, lake, or another river. A river may run dry before reaching the end of ...
in central
Sweden
Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. It borders Norway to the west and north, and Finland to the east. At , Sweden is the largest Nordic count ...
that flows from the north of
Dalarna
Dalarna (; ), also referred to by the English exonyms Dalecarlia and the Dales, is a (historical province) in central Sweden.
Dalarna adjoins Härjedalen, Hälsingland, Gästrikland, Västmanland and Värmland. It is also bordered by Nor ...
and runs into the sea in northern
Uppland
Uppland is a historical province or ' on the eastern coast of Sweden, just north of Stockholm, the capital. It borders Södermanland, Västmanland and Gästrikland. It is also bounded by lake Mälaren and the Baltic Sea.
The name literally ...
; it is commonly considered to be the southern border of
Norrland
Norrland (, , originally ''Norrlanden'', meaning 'the Northlands') is the northernmost, largest and least populated of the three traditional lands of Sweden, consisting of nine provinces. Although Norrland does not serve any administrative p ...
, however only the last part correlates with
Limes Norrlandicus
Limes may refer to:
*Limes (Roman Empire), ''Limes'' (Roman Empire), a border marker and defense system of the Roman Empire
*Limes (Italian magazine), ''Limes'' (Italian magazine), an Italian geopolitical magazine
*Limes (Romanian magazine), ''Lim ...
(the biological Norrland border). The northern part is split into two rivers:
Österdalälven (East Dal) and
Västerdalälven (West Dal). The two connect in
DjurÃ¥s. It is over long — the second longest river in Sweden, and has a
hydropower
Hydropower (from Ancient Greek -, "water"), also known as water power or water energy, is the use of falling or fast-running water to Electricity generation, produce electricity or to power machines. This is achieved by energy transformation, ...
potential of 1420
megawatt
The watt (symbol: W) is the unit of Power (physics), power or radiant flux in the International System of Units (SI), equal to 1 joule per second or 1 kg⋅m2⋅s−3. It is used to quantification (science), quantify the rate of Work ...
s, of which 2/3 is utilized. The largest
power plant
A power station, also referred to as a power plant and sometimes generating station or generating plant, is an industrial facility for the electricity generation, generation of electric power. Power stations are generally connected to an electr ...
is located at the
Trängslet Dam. Dalälven has been significant historically as a raft transport route.
Nedre Dalälven River Landscape, Sweden, covers with a mixture of wetlands, rivers, lakes, flood plains and productive forests. It includes Lake Hovran and Färnebofjärden Bay Ramsar site.
The region boasts high
biodiversity
Biodiversity is the variability of life, life on Earth. It can be measured on various levels. There is for example genetic variability, species diversity, ecosystem diversity and Phylogenetics, phylogenetic diversity. Diversity is not distribut ...
, as the river forms a clear border zone between the northern and southern flora and fauna of
Northern Europe
The northern region of Europe has several definitions. A restrictive definition may describe northern Europe as being roughly north of the southern coast of the Baltic Sea, which is about 54th parallel north, 54°N, or may be based on other ge ...
. Agriculture and forestry have evolved as a result of changes in the steel and iron industries.
More than 100 ‘Leader+ projects’ designed for sustainable development testify to the high dynamism of the region. The
biosphere
The biosphere (), also called the ecosphere (), is the worldwide sum of all ecosystems. It can also be termed the zone of life on the Earth. The biosphere (which is technically a spherical shell) is virtually a closed system with regard to mat ...
reserve benefits from a highly participatory governance system as well as numerous partnerships with universities and research centres for
environmental monitoring
Environmental monitoring is the processes and activities that are done to characterize and describe the state of the environment. It is used in the preparation of environmental impact assessments, and in many circumstances in which human activit ...
.
Description
Course
Sources
The Dalälven is the southernmost of the big rivers of northern Sweden. It extends between the mountains of
Dalarna
Dalarna (; ), also referred to by the English exonyms Dalecarlia and the Dales, is a (historical province) in central Sweden.
Dalarna adjoins Härjedalen, Hälsingland, Gästrikland, Västmanland and Värmland. It is also bordered by Nor ...
and the
Baltic Sea
The Baltic Sea is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that is enclosed by the countries of Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Russia, Sweden, and the North European Plain, North and Central European Plain regions. It is the ...
, which makes it the second longest river in the country after the
Göta älv
The (; "River of (the) Geats") is a river that drains lake Vänern into the Kattegat, at the city of Gothenburg, on the western coast of Sweden. It was formed at the end of the last glaciation, as an outflow channel from the Baltic Ice Lake to ...
.
[.] However, the river changes names several times, and only becomes the ''Dalälven'' at the confluence of the
Västerdalälven (''West Dalälven'') and the
Österdalälven (''East Dalälven''), which happens at
Djurås.
The principal of these two rivers, Österdalälven, begins where the Storån and Sörälven meet, near
Idre
Idre is a locality and ski resort situated in Älvdalen Municipality, Dalarna County, Sweden with 794 inhabitants in 2010. It was also a historical parish and former municipality.
History
The two parishes ''Särna'' and ''Idre'' were originall ...
.
Both the Storån and Sörälven begin in Norway, but soon reach the northwest of
Dalarna
Dalarna (; ), also referred to by the English exonyms Dalecarlia and the Dales, is a (historical province) in central Sweden.
Dalarna adjoins Härjedalen, Hälsingland, Gästrikland, Västmanland and Värmland. It is also bordered by Nor ...
.
After their confluence, the river enters into a series of narrow lakes (Idresjön, Alvrosfjorden, Kringelfjorden, Hedfjorden, Särnasjön, etc.). It then pools into the lake Trängsletsjön, in length, formed by the
Trängslet Dam.
The river then arrives at
Mora where it receives the waters of the
Oreälven, one of its major tributaries
[ and empties itself immediately after into the ]Lake Siljan
Siljan, in Dalarna in central Sweden, is Sweden's seventh largest lake. The cumulative area of Siljan and the adjacent, smaller lakes Orsasjön and Insjön is . Siljan reaches a maximum depth of , and its surface is situated above sea level. Th ...
, the largest lake in the entire catchment area, and the seventh largest in all of Sweden, with a surface area of . This lake is formed by the largest impact crater
An impact crater is a depression (geology), depression in the surface of a solid astronomical body formed by the hypervelocity impact event, impact of a smaller object. In contrast to volcanic craters, which result from explosion or internal c ...
in western Europe, of a diameter of . The river leaves the lake at Leksand
Leksand () is a Urban areas in Sweden, locality and the seat of Leksand Municipality in Dalarna County, Sweden, with 5,934 inhabitants in 2010. Leksand is situated on the southern branch of lake Siljan (lake), Siljan, where it flows into river Öst ...
and continues south to its confluence with Västerdalälven.
Västerdalälven is itself born of the confluence of two rivers, the Görälven and Fuluälven. These rivers have their sources not far from each other in Älvdalen Municipality
Älvdalen Municipality () is a municipality in Dalarna County in central Sweden. Its seat is located in the town of Älvdalen.
The two parishes ''Särna'' and ''Idre'' were ceded to Sweden from Norway under the treaty of Brömsebro on 13 Augus ...
in the Scandinavian Mountains
The Scandinavian Mountains or the Scandes is a mountain range that runs through the Scandinavian Peninsula. The western sides of the mountains drop precipitously into the North Sea and Norwegian Sea, forming the fjords of Norway, whereas to th ...
. Fuluälven heads south along the east face of the mountain Fulufjället, while the Görälven flanks Fulufjället to the west, crossing the frontier with Norway where it takes the name ''Ljøra''. After the confluence this river continues south, passing Sälen
Sälen () is a locality situated in Malung-Sälen Municipality, Dalarna County, Sweden with 652 inhabitants in 2010.
Despite its small population, Sälen receives many tourists every winter. Sälen is best known for hosting the start of Vasal ...
and then Malung
Malung is a locality and the seat of Malung-Sälen Municipality, Dalarna County, Sweden, with 5,126 inhabitants as of 2010.
Overview
Malung is home to Malungs Folkhögskola, two kilometers south of the town centre. Specialized courses include f ...
and forking east to arrive in Vansbro Municipality
Vansbro Municipality () is a municipality in Dalarna County in central Sweden. Its seat is located in the town of Vansbro.
During the local government reform of 1971 ''Järna'', ''Nås'' and ''Äppelbo'' were amalgamated to form the new Vansbro ...
. At Vansbro, it is met by the Vanån, its principal tributary. Its course then becomes more sinuous, tracing broad loops. It then enters Gagnef Municipality where it joins Österdalälven.
From Djurås to the sea
After the junction of the Österdalälven and Västerdalälven, the river heads east, passing Borlänge
Borlänge () is a Urban areas in Sweden, locality in Dalarna County, Sweden, with 44,898 inhabitants as of 2020. It is the seat of the Borlänge Municipality which as of 2017 had a total population of 51,604 inhabitants.
History
Originally Bor ...
, Dalarna's largest city, then receiving the waters of the Lillälven, itself fed by the Faluån, a river which goes through Falun
Falun () is a city and the seat of Falun Municipality in Dalarna County, Sweden, with 37,291 inhabitants in 2010. It is also the capital of Dalarna County. Falun forms, together with Borlänge, a metropolitan area with just over 100,000 inhabit ...
, Dalarna's second largest city.
The river then continues to Avesta
The Avesta (, Book Pahlavi: (), Persian language, Persian: ()) is the text corpus of Zoroastrian literature, religious literature of Zoroastrianism. All its texts are composed in the Avestan language and written in the Avestan alphabet. Mod ...
where it strongly changes character.[p. 32] It leaves a deep valley
A valley is an elongated low area often running between hills or mountains and typically containing a river or stream running from one end to the other. Most valleys are formed by erosion of the land surface by rivers or streams over ...
and enters into a flat country, uniquely marked by some esker
An esker, eskar, eschar, or os, sometimes called an ''asar'', ''osar'', or ''serpent kame'', is a long, winding ridge of stratified sand and gravel, examples of which occur in glaciated and formerly glaciated regions of Europe and North Amer ...
s.[ During the remaining that it travels to the sea, the river, now called the Lower Dalälven (''Nedre Dalälven''), alternates between large bays () and ]rapids
Rapids are sections of a river where the river bed has a relatively steep stream gradient, gradient, causing an increase in water velocity and turbulence. Flow, gradient, constriction, and obstacles are four factors that are needed for a rapid t ...
.[ This section is also characterized by regular flooding, sometimes over vast areas.][p. 44] The first rapids are those at Avesta, called Storfors and Lillfors (''big chute'' and ''little chute''), after which the river forms the lake Bäsingen, then the rapids Näs bruk, then the lake Bysjön. It forms the frontier between Västmanland County
Västmanland County () is a Counties of Sweden, county or ''län'' in central Sweden. It borders the counties of Södermanland County, Södermanland, Örebro County, Örebro, Gävleborg County, Gävleborg, Dalarna County, Dalarna and Uppsala Coun ...
to the south and Dalarna County
Dalarna County () is a county or '' län'' in central Sweden (Svealand). It borders on the counties of Uppsala, Jämtland, Gävleborg, Västmanland, Örebro and Värmland. It also borders on the Norwegian counties of Hedmark and Trøndelag to ...
to the north. It then forms the rapids at Tyttbo, and right after, one of its largest fjärds, that of Färnebofjärden National Park, forming the frontier between Uppsala County
Uppsala County () is a county or '' län'' on the eastern coast of Sweden, whose capital is the city of Uppsala. It borders the counties of Dalarna, Stockholm, Södermanland, Västmanland, Gävleborg, and the Baltic Sea.
Province
The nor ...
to the south and Gävleborg County
Gävleborg County () is a Counties of Sweden, county or ''län'' on the Baltic Sea coast of Sweden. It borders the counties of Uppsala County, Uppsala, Västmanland County, Västmanland, Dalarna County, Dalarna, Jämtland County, Jämtland and V� ...
to the north. More than 200 islands are strewn over this fjärd. The river continues to the rapids at Gysinge and then another great fjärd, Hedesundafjärden-Bramsöfjärden. The river passes through the rapids at Söderfors towards Untrafjärden, then by the rapids of Untra towards Marmafjärden, and then the rapids of Lanforsen. Finally, goes through its last rapids at Älvkarleby before rejoining the Baltic Sea.
History
First humans and agriculture
The first settlers in the region of the Dalälven arrived after the retreat of the ice sheet, 10,000 years ago. At that time, the Lower Dalälven was below sea level and was in the zone corresponding to today's Dalarna, which was the first area settled. The first settlers in the region settled the banks of the river and its tributaries, as well as the shore. They were hunter-gatherers.[ In the Lower Dalälven, which extended bit by bit, the ]esker
An esker, eskar, eschar, or os, sometimes called an ''asar'', ''osar'', or ''serpent kame'', is a long, winding ridge of stratified sand and gravel, examples of which occur in glaciated and formerly glaciated regions of Europe and North Amer ...
s were the best sites for the first permanent settlements.[p. 44] It was easy to nourish oneself, thanks to the river, and these places were also the easiest to defend.[ Besides this, the river was easiest to cross at this point.][
When ]agriculture
Agriculture encompasses crop and livestock production, aquaculture, and forestry for food and non-food products. Agriculture was a key factor in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created ...
developed, the lands south of the basin proved most fertile, and so the rest of the basin was used principally for pasture.[p. 23] There were some fields surrounding the villages, but were not very fertile.[ The forests were used for pasturing animals and ]fodder
Fodder (), also called provender (), is any agriculture, agricultural foodstuff used specifically to feed domesticated livestock, such as cattle, domestic rabbit, rabbits, sheep, horses, chickens and pigs. "Fodder" refers particularly to food ...
was harvested in the wetlands.[ ]Transhumance
Transhumance is a type of pastoralism or Nomad, nomadism, a seasonal movement of livestock between fixed summer and winter pastures. In montane regions (''vertical transhumance''), it implies movement between higher pastures in summer and low ...
was adopted.[ In certain cites, the wetlands and lakes were partially drained to try to recover good-quality agricultural lands.][
]
Log driving
Log driving
Log driving is a means of moving logs (sawn tree trunks) from a forest to sawmills and pulp mills downstream using the current of a river. It was the main transportation method of the early logging industry in Europe and North America.
History ...
in River Dalälven is documented from the 1600s onward. An important factor behind it was the 1607 prohibition from Charles IX of cutting wood closer than one Swedish mile from Falun Mine
Falun Mine () was a mine in Falun, Sweden, that operated for a millennium from the 10th century to 1992. It produced as much as two-thirds of Europe's copper needs and helped fund many of Sweden's wars in the 17th century. Technological developme ...
. However, until the '' Storskiftet'' land amalgamation reform and England's abolition of customs on wood products in 1849, the logging stayed small-scale.
Four major sawmill companies dominated the logging in River Dalälven: Korsnäs AB at Lake Runn (Falun
Falun () is a city and the seat of Falun Municipality in Dalarna County, Sweden, with 37,291 inhabitants in 2010. It is also the capital of Dalarna County. Falun forms, together with Borlänge, a metropolitan area with just over 100,000 inhabit ...
), established in 1858; Kopparbergs och Hofors Sågverks Bolag at Lake Hosjön (Falun
Falun () is a city and the seat of Falun Municipality in Dalarna County, Sweden, with 37,291 inhabitants in 2010. It is also the capital of Dalarna County. Falun forms, together with Borlänge, a metropolitan area with just over 100,000 inhabit ...
), which started in 1861 and bought its competitor ''Carlfors Sågverksbolag'' in 1874; Stora Kopparbergs Bergslags AB, which modernized its mill at the rapids of Domnarvet (Borlänge
Borlänge () is a Urban areas in Sweden, locality in Dalarna County, Sweden, with 44,898 inhabitants as of 2020. It is the seat of the Borlänge Municipality which as of 2017 had a total population of 51,604 inhabitants.
History
Originally Bor ...
) in 1863; and the mill in Älvkarleby, which was replaced by Skutskär sawmill in 1870.
Log driving in River Dalälven reached its peak in 1952, when about 30 million logs per year were driven. It ended in most of the river in 1970. However, in the river's lower reaches, the driving continued until 1971, with some final emptying of the stocks in 1972. In 1973 the whole river was closed for log driving, and in 1977 all logging installations along River Dalälven were decommissioned.
In popular culture
In ''The Wonderful Adventures of Nils
''The'' is a grammatical article in English, denoting nouns that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The ...
'', Swedish author Selma Lagerlöf
Selma Ottilia Lovisa Lagerlöf (, , ; 20 November 1858 – 16 March 1940) was a Swedish writer. She published her first novel, ''Gösta Berling's Saga'', at the age of 33. She was the first woman to win the Nobel Prize in Literature, which she was ...
dedicates a chapter to the river. She describes the formation of the Dalälven as a race between the rivers Storån and Fuluälven from their sources to the sea. During the race, these rivers receive help from many tributaries, but also encounter many obstacles (lakes to fill, hills to pierce, etc.), so that halfway through, upon recognizing each other's merits, they unite their efforts.[The Swedish text is available o]
the website
of Project Runeberg
Project Runeberg () is a digital cultural archive initiative that publishes free electronic versions of books significant to the culture and history of the Nordic countries. Patterned after Project Gutenberg, it was founded by Lars Aronsson and ...
References
*''This article was initially translated from the French Wikipedia.''
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dalalven
Rivers of Västmanland County
Dalarna
Rivers of Dalarna County