Numedalslågen

Numedalslågen
Numedalslågen at Skjønne
Origin	Hardangervidda
Mouth	Larvik, Skagerrak
Length	250 km (approx.)

Numedalslågen is a river located in southeastern Norway.

Location

Numedalslågen stretches for over 250 kilometres through the counties of Vestfold and Buskerud, beginning at the Hardangervidda plateau and meeting the ocean at Larvik in Vestfold. Numedalslågen is one of Norway's longest rivers. The rivers runs through the municipalities Larvik, Lardal, Kongsberg, Flesberg, Rollag and Nore og Uvdal. These municipalities cooperate in the administration and use of resources connected to the river in various projects under the Green Valley (Grønn Dal) umbrella.

There are a number of hydroelectric plants located in the higher range of Numedalslågen. Most of the power potential of the main river is developed, except the stretch between Hvittingfoss and Larvik and Godfarfossen in Dagali. Nore I kraftverk, the first power plant built in the Nore municipality in Buskerud utilized Norefallene between Tunhovdfjorden and Rødberg. It was completed in 1928 and was designed by Norwegian architects Carl Buch and Lorentz Harboe Ree. Nore II kraftverk utilizes drop between Rødberg dam and Norefjord and was completed in 1947.

Numedalslågen is known for being a good location for salmon fishing, although a parasite known as Gyrodactylus salaris has recently been found in Numedalslågen that may pose a threat to its salmon stock. Among the other fish species of Numedalslågen are trout, eel, and pike.^[1]

The name

The river is named after the valley Numedal - the last element is the finite form of låg (Norse 'lǫgr m) 'water; river'. But the old and original name of the river was Nauma, and the valley is named after this name.

See also

• Gudbrandsdalslågen

References

1. ^ Oppvandring av radiomerket laks i Numedalslågen i 2003 (Norsk institutt for naturforskning. 2003)

Other sources

• Nasjonalgalleriet and Riksantikvaren (1982) Norsk Kunstnerleksikon (Oslo: Universitetsforlaget) ISBN 82-00-05689-9
• Tråen, Even, Tor Bjørvik & Sølver Sjulstad (2001) Livet langs Numedalslågen (Oslo) ISBN 82-996056-0-1

Coordinates: 59°02′15″N 10°03′20″E / 59.0375°N 10.0556°E / 59.0375; 10.0556