Tovdalselva

Infobox River
river_name = Tovdalselva


caption =
origin =
mouth = Topdalsfjorden
basin_countries =Norway
length = 143 km
elevation = 1101 m
mouth_elevation = 0 m
discharge =
watershed = 1800 km²

Tovdalselva (literally Tov valley river) is 143 kilometers long and is one of the longest river in southern Norway. The river flows from the northeast to the southwest and reaches the sea at the Topdalsfjorden between Hamresanden and Kjevik. The upper reaches of the river include many lakes, the largest of which is Straumsfjorden (757 meters above sea level). It drains about 1,800 km² in territory and the highest point is 1101 meters above sea level. The drainage area includes parts or all of the following municipalities: Fyresdal, Valle, Bygland, Evje og Hornnes, Åmli, Froland, Grimstad, Birkenes, Iveland, Lillesand and Kristiansand.

Salmon fishing

Tovdalselva was long considered one of the greatest salmon fishing rivers in the land. In the years 1880-83 it was third in the land in productivity, calculated both by weight and by value of the salmon caught. This had decreased seriously by the 1900s. By 1970 the salmon fishing in the Tovdalselva was almost completely lost.