The Teplá () 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 the

Czech Republic The Czech Republic, also known as Czechia, and historically known as Bohemia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the south ...

, a right

tributary A tributary, or an ''affluent'', is a stream or river that flows into a larger stream (''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 into which they ...

of the

Ohře The Ohře (), also known in English and German as Eger (), is a river in Germany and the Czech Republic, a left tributary of the Elbe River. It flows through the Bavarian district of Upper Franconia in Germany, and through the Karlovy Vary Region ...

River. It flows through the

Karlovy Vary Region The Karlovy Vary Region () is an administrative unit () of the Czech Republic, located in the westernmost part of the country. It is named after its capital Karlovy Vary. It is known for spas, which include Karlovy Vary and Mariánské Lázně. ...

. It is long. The basin of the river is known for thermal springs.

Etymology

The name literally means 'warm' and refers to its warm water. In the basin of the river (in the city of

Karlovy Vary Karlovy Vary (; , formerly also spelled ''Carlsbad'' in English) is a spa town, spa city in the Karlovy Vary Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 49,000 inhabitants. It is located at the confluence of the Ohře and Teplá (river), Teplá ri ...

) there are well-known thermal springs.

Characteristic

The Teplá originates in the territory of Mariánské Lázně in the

Teplá Highlands Teplá () is a town in Cheb District in the Karlovy Vary Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 2,900 inhabitants. The historic town centre is well preserved and is protected by law as urban monument zone. Administrative division Teplá cons ...

at an elevation of and flows to Karlovy Vary, where it enters the Ohře River at an elevation of . It is long. Its

drainage basin A drainage basin is an area of land in which all flowing surface water converges to a single point, such as a river mouth, or flows into another body of water, such as a lake or ocean. A basin is separated from adjacent basins by a perimeter, ...

has an area of . The longest tributaries of the Teplá are:

Settlements

The river flows through the municipal territories of

Mariánské Lázně Mariánské Lázně (; ) is a spa town in Cheb District in the Karlovy Vary Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 14,000 inhabitants. Most of the town's buildings come from its Golden Era in the second half of the 19th century, when many c ...

, Zádub-Závišín,

Ovesné Kladruby Ovesné Kladruby () is a municipality and village in Cheb District in the Karlovy Vary Region of the Czech Republic The Czech Republic, also known as Czechia, and historically known as Bohemia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The ...

Teplá Teplá () is a town in Cheb District in the Karlovy Vary Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 2,900 inhabitants. The historic town centre is well preserved and is protected by law as urban monument zone. Administrative division Teplá cons ...

, Nová Ves,

Bečov nad Teplou Bečov nad Teplou () is a town in Karlovy Vary District in the Karlovy Vary Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 900 inhabitants. The historic town centre is well preserved and is protected by law as urban monument zone. Administrative div ...

, Teplička, Březová and

Bodies of water

There are 638 bodies of water in the basin area; the largest of them is the Stanovice Reservoir with an area of . The second largest body of water is Podhora Reservoir with an area of , built directly on the Teplá. In the lower course of the river is also Březová Reservoir. On the upper course there is a system of several fishponds.

Nature

The almost entire flow of the river is located in the protected landscape area of

Slavkov Forest The Slavkov Forest (formerly also Emperor's Forest; , ) is a highland and geomorphological mesoregion of the Czech Republic. It is located in the Karlovy Vary Region. Slavkov Forest is also the name of a protected landscape area, partially locat ...

. The area of bogs where the Teplá originates is protected as Prameniště Teplé Nature Reserve with an area of . The valley of the river south of Bečov nad Teplou is protected as Údolí Teplé Nature Reserve with an area of . Species of animals that live in the river include the

brook lamprey The brook lamprey (''Lampetra planeri''), also known as the European brook lamprey and the western brook lamprey is a small European lamprey species that exclusively inhabits freshwater environments. The species is related to, but distinct from, ...

, ide,

European bullhead The European bullhead (''Cottus gobio'') is a freshwater fish that is widely distributed in Europe, mainly in rivers. It is a member of the family Cottidae, a type of sculpin. It is also known as the miller's thumb, freshwater sculpin, common bu ...

and European crayfish.

Tourism

The sections of the river from

and from Bečov nad Teplou to Březová Reservoir are suitable for river tourism, but only in spring or after heavy rains.

Sport

Once a year in September, the Březová Reservoir is drained and paddling races take place under the reservoir.

References

External links

River flow at VD Březová station
– Flood Warning and Forecasting Service of the

Czech Hydrometeorological Institute The Czech Hydrometeorological Institute (CHMI; ) is the central state office of the Czech Republic in the fields of air quality, meteorology, climatology and hydrology. It is an organization established by the Ministry of the Environment of the Cz ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Tepla Rivers of the Karlovy Vary Region Rivers of the Czech Republic