Gudbrandsdalslågen
Encyclopedia
The Gudbrandsdalslågen river flows through the Gudbrandsdal
of Norway
.
The Gudbrandsdalslågen begins in the lake Lesjaskogsvatnet
(or Lesjavatn), which lies in Lesja
municipality in Oppland
. Lesjavatn is the only lake in Norway which has two outlets; they flow into two of Norway’s more famous rivers. In the southeast at Lesjaverk
village the lake serves as the headwaters for the Gudbrandsdalslågen, while in the northwest at Lesjaskog
village, Lesjavatn is the headwaters for the Rauma river.
The Gudbrandsdalslågen flows through the Gudbrandsdal. Western tributaries of the Gudbrandsdalslågen include the Gausa River flowing through the Gausdal
valley, the Otta River flowing through the Ottadalen valley, the Vinstra
River flowing through the Vinstradal
valley, and the Sjoa River
, flowing through the Heidal
valley. The eastern rivers, Jora, Ula
, Frya, Tromsa and Mesna
are shorter and drop precipitously from the heights of the Rondane.
Although relatively placid for extended stretches of its 200 km path, the Gudbrandsdalslågen drops rapidly through the Rosten Gorge in Sel
.
Between the municipalities of Ringebu
and Øyer
the river widens out and creates the large 'riverlake' Losna (lake)
.
The Gudbrandsdalslågen terminates in the lake of Mjøsa
at Lillehammer
. It is the largest river flowing into this lake, which discharges into the short Vorma
River. The Vorma joins the Glomma
River at Nes
.
Norwegian rivers crest in the spring as the snow melts. The Gudbrandsdalslågen, draining higher elevations and being primarily glacier fed, typically crests later than the Glomma river, which drains the east valleys. In the rare year when both crest at the same time, their confluence at Nes is the site of great floods. The most famous simultaneous crest of the Gudbrandsdalslågen and Glomma resulted in the flood of July 20–23, 1789 with crests over 50 feet above mean level at Lake Øyer below Nes and extensive damage, including 68 casualties.
lǫgr m) 'water; river'. The meaning is just 'the river', and this term must have replaced an old name that is now forgotten and unknown. (Compare with Numedalslågen
.)
Gudbrandsdal
The Gudbrandsdalen is a valley and traditional district in the Norwegian county of Oppland. The valley is oriented in a north-westerly direction from Lillehammer at Mjøsa, extending 230 km toward Romsdal...
of Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
.
The Gudbrandsdalslågen begins in the lake Lesjaskogsvatnet
Lesjaskogsvatnet
Lesjaskogsvatnet is a lake which serves as the headwaters for Gudbrandsdalslågen . Gudbrandsdalslågen flows through the Gudbrandsdal valley bottom, ending in lake Mjøsa....
(or Lesjavatn), which lies in Lesja
Lesja
Lesja is a municipality in Oppland county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Gudbrandsdal. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Lesja....
municipality in Oppland
Oppland
is a county in Norway, bordering Sør-Trøndelag, Møre og Romsdal, Sogn og Fjordane, Buskerud, Akershus, Oslo and Hedmark. The county administration is in Lillehammer. Oppland is, together with Hedmark, one of the only two landlocked counties of Norway....
. Lesjavatn is the only lake in Norway which has two outlets; they flow into two of Norway’s more famous rivers. In the southeast at Lesjaverk
Lesjaverk
Lesjaverk is a village in Lesja municipality in the upper Gudbrandsdal valley of Oppland county, Norway. It lies approximately 25 miles north of Dombås on the Raumabanen railway line. European route E136 goes from Ålesund up through the Romsdal valley and passes through Lesjaverk to end at Dombås...
village the lake serves as the headwaters for the Gudbrandsdalslågen, while in the northwest at Lesjaskog
Lesjaskog
Lesjaskog village in Lesja municipality in Oppland, Norway lies on lake Lesjaskogsvatnet.Lake Lesjaskogsvatnet has outlets at both ends. A dam that was constructed by the Lesja Iron Works at Lesjaverk village in the 1660s to improve transportation caused the water which normally drained only to the...
village, Lesjavatn is the headwaters for the Rauma river.
The Gudbrandsdalslågen flows through the Gudbrandsdal. Western tributaries of the Gudbrandsdalslågen include the Gausa River flowing through the Gausdal
Gausdal
Gausdal is a municipality in Oppland county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Gudbrandsdal. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Segalstad bru...
valley, the Otta River flowing through the Ottadalen valley, the Vinstra
Vinstra
Vinstra is the name of both a village and a river in Gudbrandsdalen. The village lies in Nord-Fron municipality in Oppland County, Norway. The administrative centre of Nord-Fron, the population is 2449. The village has rail connections via the Dovre railroad and has a high school. Highway E6...
River flowing through the Vinstradal
Vinstradal
Vinstradal valley is located in Sør-Trøndelag municipality, Oppland county, Norway.The Vinstra river flows into Gudbrandsdalslågen at Vinstra village. The valley of Vinstradal is a side valley to the valley of Drivdalen. Vinstradal is a narrow V-shaped valley with steep valley sides and with a...
valley, and the Sjoa River
Sjoa
The Sjoa river provides the outlet from lake Gjende at Gjendesheim in the Jotunheimen mountains of Norway's Jotunheim National Park. It flows eastward into the Gudbrandsdalslågen river via the Heidal traditional district in the Gudbrandsdal....
, flowing through the Heidal
Heidal
Heidal is a valley and parish within Gudbrandsdalen valley, in the county of Oppland, Norway.-History:Heidal parish was separated from Vågå as a separate municipality of its own on January 1, 1908. It was merged with the municipality of Sel on January 1, 1965.Heidal is a side valley of Gudbrandsdalen...
valley. The eastern rivers, Jora, Ula
Ula River
Ūla is a river in Dzūkija National Park in southern Lithuania.The total length of the river is 84 km. Ūla flows into Merkys....
, Frya, Tromsa and Mesna
Mesna
Mesna is an organosulfur compound. It is used in cancer chemotherapy involving cyclophosphamide and ifosfamide as an adjuvant. It is marketed by Baxter as Uromitexan and Mesnex...
are shorter and drop precipitously from the heights of the Rondane.
Although relatively placid for extended stretches of its 200 km path, the Gudbrandsdalslågen drops rapidly through the Rosten Gorge in Sel
Sel
Sel is a municipality in Oppland county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Gudbrandsdal. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Otta....
.
Between the municipalities of Ringebu
Ringebu
is a municipality in Oppland county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Gudbrandsdal. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Vålebru.The municipality of Ringebu was established on 1 January 1838...
and Øyer
Øyer
Øyer is a municipality in Oppland county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Gudbrandsdal. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Tingberg....
the river widens out and creates the large 'riverlake' Losna (lake)
Losna (lake)
Losna is a lake which lies in the municipalities of Ringebu and Øyer in Oppland county, Norway. Losna is a part of the Gudbrandsdalslågen, which is in this region so broad and runs so slowly that this stretch is recognized as a lake....
.
The Gudbrandsdalslågen terminates in the lake of Mjøsa
Mjøsa
Mjøsa is Norway's largest lake, as well as one of the deepest lakes in Norway and in Europe as a whole, after Hornindalsvatnet. It is located in the southern part of Norway, about 100 km north of Oslo...
at Lillehammer
Lillehammer
is a town and municipality in Oppland county, Norway, globally known for hosting the 1994 Winter Olympics. It is part of the traditional region of Gudbrandsdal. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Lillehammer. As of May 2011, the population of the town of Lillehammer was...
. It is the largest river flowing into this lake, which discharges into the short Vorma
Vorma
Vorma is a river in Norway that brings water from lake Mjøsa into the Glomma river. The Vorma is 30 kilometers long and flows through the town of Eidsvoll. The Vorma goes from Lake Mjøsa via Minnesund to join with the Glomma at Årnes....
River. The Vorma joins the Glomma
Glomma
The Glomma or Glåma is the longest and largest river in Norway. The long river has a drainage basin that covers a full 13% of Norway's area, all in the southern part of Norway.-Geography:...
River at Nes
Nes, Akershus
Nes is a municipality in Akershus county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Romerike. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Årnes.-Name:...
.
Norwegian rivers crest in the spring as the snow melts. The Gudbrandsdalslågen, draining higher elevations and being primarily glacier fed, typically crests later than the Glomma river, which drains the east valleys. In the rare year when both crest at the same time, their confluence at Nes is the site of great floods. The most famous simultaneous crest of the Gudbrandsdalslågen and Glomma resulted in the flood of July 20–23, 1789 with crests over 50 feet above mean level at Lake Øyer below Nes and extensive damage, including 68 casualties.
The name
Lågen is just the finite form of låg (Old NorseOld Norse
Old Norse is a North Germanic language that was spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia and inhabitants of their overseas settlements during the Viking Age, until about 1300....
lǫgr m) 'water; river'. The meaning is just 'the river', and this term must have replaced an old name that is now forgotten and unknown. (Compare with Numedalslågen
Numedalslågen
-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,...
.)