Geeste (river)
Encyclopedia
The Geeste is a river in northwestern Germany, running through Lower Saxony
and Bremen
. It is the most downstream tributary of the River Weser and joins it near Bremerhaven
. The Geeste rises in Hipstedt
(Geestequelle
- literally "Geeste springs") in the district of Rotenburg (Wümme) ten kilometres west of Bremervörde
and drains a large part of the old district of Wesermünde (now Cuxhaven).
Despite its name, only the upper reaches of the Geeste flow through geest
, the rest flows through marshland
. The navigable length of the Geeste is 25 kilometres and is the westernmost section of the Elbe-Weser Shipping Channel. The Geeste forms wide meander
s in is lower reaches and,in the area of Bremerhaven
there are still three river bends of the original five.
Just before the mouth of the Geeste is a storm surge
barrier beneath the Kennedy Bridge, which was completed in 1961 – just in time for the North Sea flood of 1962
. Without the barrier part of Bremerhaven would have been flooded 'from behind' over the low dyke
s of the Geeste. An estimate of the flood damage which would have been caused if the Geeste barrier in Bremerhaven owned/built by EGA Essen had failed projected the number of inhabitants who would have been affected as 10,860 at a cost of about 1,837 million euro
s and probable flood damage of about 247 million euros. This roughly 250 million euros would probably not have been covered by insurance
because the flooding would have been a consequence of a storm surge
, which counts as an act of God
.
Until the merger of the district of Wesermünde in 1932, the Geeste formed the boundary between the districts of Lehe and Geestemünde.
Lower Saxony
Lower Saxony is a German state situated in north-western Germany and is second in area and fourth in population among the sixteen states of Germany...
and Bremen
Bremen
The City Municipality of Bremen is a Hanseatic city in northwestern Germany. A commercial and industrial city with a major port on the river Weser, Bremen is part of the Bremen-Oldenburg metropolitan area . Bremen is the second most populous city in North Germany and tenth in Germany.Bremen is...
. It is the most downstream tributary of the River Weser and joins it near Bremerhaven
Bremerhaven
Bremerhaven is a city at the seaport of the free city-state of Bremen, a state of the Federal Republic of Germany. It forms an enclave in the state of Lower Saxony and is located at the mouth of the River Weser on its eastern bank, opposite the town of Nordenham...
. The Geeste rises in Hipstedt
Hipstedt
Hipstedt is a municipality in the district of Rotenburg, in Lower Saxony, Germany.Hipstedt belonged to the Prince-Archbishopric of Bremen, established in 1180. In 1648 the Prince-Archbishopric was transformed into the Duchy of Bremen, which was first ruled in personal union by the Swedish Crown -...
(Geestequelle
Geestequelle
Geestequelle is a Samtgemeinde in the district of Rotenburg, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated west of Bremervörde, and approx. 50 km northeast of Bremen. It is named after the source of the small river Geeste...
- literally "Geeste springs") in the district of Rotenburg (Wümme) ten kilometres west of Bremervörde
Bremervörde
Bremervörde is a town in the north of the district Rotenburg, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated at the Oste river near the mid of the triangle, which is formed of the rivers Weser and Elbe respectively the cities of Hamburg, Bremen and Cuxhaven....
and drains a large part of the old district of Wesermünde (now Cuxhaven).
Despite its name, only the upper reaches of the Geeste flow through geest
Geest (topography)
Geest is a type of slightly raised landscape that occurs in the plains of in Northern Germany, the Northern Netherlands and Denmark. It is a landscape of sandy and gravelly soils, usually mantled by a heathland vegetation, comprising glacial deposits left behind after the last ice age during the...
, the rest flows through marshland
Marsh
In geography, a marsh, or morass, is a type of wetland that is subject to frequent or continuous flood. Typically the water is shallow and features grasses, rushes, reeds, typhas, sedges, other herbaceous plants, and moss....
. The navigable length of the Geeste is 25 kilometres and is the westernmost section of the Elbe-Weser Shipping Channel. The Geeste forms wide meander
Meander
A meander in general is a bend in a sinuous watercourse. A meander is formed when the moving water in a stream erodes the outer banks and widens its valley. A stream of any volume may assume a meandering course, alternately eroding sediments from the outside of a bend and depositing them on the...
s in is lower reaches and,in the area of Bremerhaven
Bremerhaven
Bremerhaven is a city at the seaport of the free city-state of Bremen, a state of the Federal Republic of Germany. It forms an enclave in the state of Lower Saxony and is located at the mouth of the River Weser on its eastern bank, opposite the town of Nordenham...
there are still three river bends of the original five.
Just before the mouth of the Geeste is a storm surge
Storm surge
A storm surge is an offshore rise of water associated with a low pressure weather system, typically tropical cyclones and strong extratropical cyclones. Storm surges are caused primarily by high winds pushing on the ocean's surface. The wind causes the water to pile up higher than the ordinary sea...
barrier beneath the Kennedy Bridge, which was completed in 1961 – just in time for the North Sea flood of 1962
North Sea flood of 1962
The North Sea flood of 1962 was a natural disaster affecting mainly the coastal regions of Germany and in particular the city of Hamburg in the night from 16 February to 17 February 1962...
. Without the barrier part of Bremerhaven would have been flooded 'from behind' over the low dyke
Levee
A levee, levée, dike , embankment, floodbank or stopbank is an elongated naturally occurring ridge or artificially constructed fill or wall, which regulates water levels...
s of the Geeste. An estimate of the flood damage which would have been caused if the Geeste barrier in Bremerhaven owned/built by EGA Essen had failed projected the number of inhabitants who would have been affected as 10,860 at a cost of about 1,837 million euro
Euro
The euro is the official currency of the eurozone: 17 of the 27 member states of the European Union. It is also the currency used by the Institutions of the European Union. The eurozone consists of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,...
s and probable flood damage of about 247 million euros. This roughly 250 million euros would probably not have been covered by insurance
Insurance
In law and economics, insurance is a form of risk management primarily used to hedge against the risk of a contingent, uncertain loss. Insurance is defined as the equitable transfer of the risk of a loss, from one entity to another, in exchange for payment. An insurer is a company selling the...
because the flooding would have been a consequence of a storm surge
Storm surge
A storm surge is an offshore rise of water associated with a low pressure weather system, typically tropical cyclones and strong extratropical cyclones. Storm surges are caused primarily by high winds pushing on the ocean's surface. The wind causes the water to pile up higher than the ordinary sea...
, which counts as an act of God
Act of God
Act of God is a legal term for events outside of human control, such as sudden floods or other natural disasters, for which no one can be held responsible.- Contract law :...
.
Until the merger of the district of Wesermünde in 1932, the Geeste formed the boundary between the districts of Lehe and Geestemünde.