Lysakerelven
Encyclopedia
Lysakerelven is a river
in Norway
that forms the boundary between the municipalities of the capital city of Oslo
and Bærum
.
The river by this name has its source in Bogstadvannet
, though the source is further up, at Langlivann, and Søndre and Nordre Heggelivann in Oslomarka, the forests surrounding Oslo. Consequently, it is considered part of Oslomarkvassdragene, the river system flowing through these forests, and more specifically Sørkedalsvassdraget, the valley above Bogstadvannet. It flows out into Lysakerfjorden
, part of Oslofjorden near Lysaker
.
was also known as Faavandet.
By 1660, twelve farms had claims to the hydromechanical power generated by the river. These farms, several of which have since given names to neighborhoods in Aker (now Oslo) and Bærum, were:
From Bogstadvannet going south, there are several sites of historical significance.
in 1666. The mill was in operation until 1915, when the owners at Bogstad agreed with the mill owner at Grini, Løvenskiold, to shut down the mill in return for enough electricity to set up a sawmill at Zinoerbrua.
and trip hammer
were established here around 1780 by Conrad Clausen, the owner of Bærum Jernverk (Bærum Ironworks). The forge was situated on the Bærum side and measured 30 by 19 Norwegian ell
s (about 18 meters by 12 meters). It had an annual capacity of about 250 tons of wrought iron
. The pig iron
originated in Southern Norway, whence it was transported by ship and unloaded at the dock at Vækerø before being pulled by horse and cart to the mill.
forest. From this source, the river at first meanders to about Grinidammen, and then carves an increasingly deep valley into the landscape, and at the stretch around and south of Jar, it forms a canyon
with a few natural pools occurring along the way. Historically, a number of mills and also manufacturing facilities were based around the river south of Bogstad, but these have largely given way to large residential areas that are part of the Oslo and Bærum conurbation.
The banks of the river include a wide variety of plant life. Though environmental conditions in the river have improved significantly in the last few decades, efforts are underway to improve it further. A study in 2006 recommended that the area be designed a "very important" natural resource, with most areas set aside as a natural reservation. The findings showed that the area around the river contained a rich diversity of plant and animal species, including 27 that are on the national IUCN Red List
. A good variety of fish thrive in the river, and limited recreational fishing is permitted, particularly for trout. 68 different species of birds have been identified, among them the Dendrocopos minor (Lesser Spotted Woodpecker), which is redlisted in Norway; and the area is considered an essential habitat for passerine
birds in the metropolitan Oslo area. The area serves as a wildlife thoroughfare for mammals from the forests to the coastal regions, including moose
and deer
, who also graze there. Squirrels, red fox, badgers and other smaller rodents make their homes in the area.
The redlisted species found in the area include 2 species of vascular plants, 8 moss
es, 13 fungi, 2 insects, and 1 species of bird.
Fishing is allowed in Lysakerelven with the necessary permits only. Two species of fish dominate the river: brown trout
and common minnow. salmon
and sea trout will make their way from the ocean up to Fåbrofossen, whereas perch
, common roach, northern pike
, and common bleak will swim down from Bogstadvannet
River
A river is a natural watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, a lake, a sea, or another river. In a few cases, a river simply flows into the ground or dries up completely before reaching another body of water. Small rivers may also be called by several other names, including...
in 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...
that forms the boundary between the municipalities of the capital city of Oslo
Oslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
and Bærum
Bærum
is a municipality in Akershus county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Sandvika. Bærum was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838. A suburb of Oslo, Bærum is located on the west coast of the city....
.
The river by this name has its source in Bogstadvannet
Bogstadvannet
Bogstadvannet is a lake between the city of Oslo and the municipality of Bærum, Akershus, Norway. It is part of Sørkedalsvassdraget, which in turn is part of Oslomarkvassdraget....
, though the source is further up, at Langlivann, and Søndre and Nordre Heggelivann in Oslomarka, the forests surrounding Oslo. Consequently, it is considered part of Oslomarkvassdragene, the river system flowing through these forests, and more specifically Sørkedalsvassdraget, the valley above Bogstadvannet. It flows out into Lysakerfjorden
Lysakerfjorden
Lysakerfjorden is an arm of the Oslofjord in Norway. It starts at the mouth of the Lysaker River, and is bordered by the peninsulas Snarøya to the west and Bygdøy to the east.-References:...
, part of Oslofjorden near Lysaker
Lysaker
Lysaker is a section of and a postal code area of the Norwegian municipality of Bærum, just west of Oslo.Geographically, it is bordered by Lysakerelven on the east, which also forms the border to Oslo; Fornebu to the south; Stabekk to the west; and Jar to the north...
.
History
There is evidence that the river has been used for mills since the 12th century, and probably earlier. The old name of the river was Få (Norse Fǫð), which means "fence" or "boundary". In the 18th century, BogstadvannetBogstadvannet
Bogstadvannet is a lake between the city of Oslo and the municipality of Bærum, Akershus, Norway. It is part of Sørkedalsvassdraget, which in turn is part of Oslomarkvassdraget....
was also known as Faavandet.
By 1660, twelve farms had claims to the hydromechanical power generated by the river. These farms, several of which have since given names to neighborhoods in Aker (now Oslo) and Bærum, were:
- In Aker, Voksen, Nordre Rød, Søndre Rød, Ullern, Øraker, and Sollerud
- In Bærum, Fossum, Grini, Øvre Vold, Nedre Vold, Jar, and Lysaker
From Bogstadvannet going south, there are several sites of historical significance.
Osdammen
Osdammen was a dam with a resident mill for the sawmill at Bogstad. There is evidence that there was a sawmill at this site going back as far as the 16th century. Sources also suggested it delivered lumber for reconstruction in London after the Great FireGreat Fire of London
The Great Fire of London was a major conflagration that swept through the central parts of the English city of London, from Sunday, 2 September to Wednesday, 5 September 1666. The fire gutted the medieval City of London inside the old Roman City Wall...
in 1666. The mill was in operation until 1915, when the owners at Bogstad agreed with the mill owner at Grini, Løvenskiold, to shut down the mill in return for enough electricity to set up a sawmill at Zinoerbrua.
Fossum Jernverk
A mill with a finery forgeFinery forge
Iron tapped from the blast furnace is pig iron, and contains significant amounts of carbon and silicon. To produce malleable wrought iron, it needs to undergo a further process. In the early modern period, this was carried out in a finery forge....
and trip hammer
Trip hammer
A trip hammer, also known as a helve hammer, is a massive powered hammer used in:* agriculture to facilitate the labor of pounding, decorticating and polishing of grain;...
were established here around 1780 by Conrad Clausen, the owner of Bærum Jernverk (Bærum Ironworks). The forge was situated on the Bærum side and measured 30 by 19 Norwegian ell
Ell
An ell , is a unit of measurement, approximating the length of a man's arm.Several national forms existed, with different lengths, includingthe Scottish ell ,the Flemish ell ,the French ell...
s (about 18 meters by 12 meters). It had an annual capacity of about 250 tons of wrought iron
Wrought iron
thumb|The [[Eiffel tower]] is constructed from [[puddle iron]], a form of wrought ironWrought iron is an iron alloy with a very low carbon...
. The pig iron
Pig iron
Pig iron is the intermediate product of smelting iron ore with a high-carbon fuel such as coke, usually with limestone as a flux. Charcoal and anthracite have also been used as fuel...
originated in Southern Norway, whence it was transported by ship and unloaded at the dock at Vækerø before being pulled by horse and cart to the mill.
Recreation
The river is 7.4 kilometres (4.6 mi) long, with a total fall of 145 metres (475.7 ft). It includes several smaller rapids and waterfalls, the most prominent of these being Granfossen, often known as Fåbrofossen. In later years, the area around the river has been developed as a recreational area, and a footpath follows the entire length of the river on both the Oslo and Bærum sides, so that it is possible to hike around the entire river, from the Oslofjord to Bogstadvannet on one side, and back on the other. Further, the footpath connects to the network of paths throughout the forests outside Oslo, and those around the Oslofjord. The path on the Oslo side is also suitable for cycling. The terrain and scenery is quite varied along the footpaths, ranging from significant hills to flat and undulating stretches. Some of the rapids are strong enough that the river is used for kayak training; other places swimming has become popular.Natural resources
Lysakerelven runs through a varied landscape. The basin consists mainly of spruce forest, but in the area around Bogstadvannet there is also deciduousDeciduous
Deciduous means "falling off at maturity" or "tending to fall off", and is typically used in reference to trees or shrubs that lose their leaves seasonally, and to the shedding of other plant structures such as petals after flowering or fruit when ripe...
forest. From this source, the river at first meanders to about Grinidammen, and then carves an increasingly deep valley into the landscape, and at the stretch around and south of Jar, it forms a canyon
Canyon
A canyon or gorge is a deep ravine between cliffs often carved from the landscape by a river. Rivers have a natural tendency to reach a baseline elevation, which is the same elevation as the body of water it will eventually drain into. This forms a canyon. Most canyons were formed by a process of...
with a few natural pools occurring along the way. Historically, a number of mills and also manufacturing facilities were based around the river south of Bogstad, but these have largely given way to large residential areas that are part of the Oslo and Bærum conurbation.
The banks of the river include a wide variety of plant life. Though environmental conditions in the river have improved significantly in the last few decades, efforts are underway to improve it further. A study in 2006 recommended that the area be designed a "very important" natural resource, with most areas set aside as a natural reservation. The findings showed that the area around the river contained a rich diversity of plant and animal species, including 27 that are on the national IUCN Red List
IUCN Red List
The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species , founded in 1963, is the world's most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of biological species. The International Union for Conservation of Nature is the world's main authority on the conservation status of species...
. A good variety of fish thrive in the river, and limited recreational fishing is permitted, particularly for trout. 68 different species of birds have been identified, among them the Dendrocopos minor (Lesser Spotted Woodpecker), which is redlisted in Norway; and the area is considered an essential habitat for passerine
Passerine
A passerine is a bird of the order Passeriformes, which includes more than half of all bird species. Sometimes known as perching birds or, less accurately, as songbirds, the passerines form one of the most diverse terrestrial vertebrate orders: with over 5,000 identified species, it has roughly...
birds in the metropolitan Oslo area. The area serves as a wildlife thoroughfare for mammals from the forests to the coastal regions, including moose
Moose
The moose or Eurasian elk is the largest extant species in the deer family. Moose are distinguished by the palmate antlers of the males; other members of the family have antlers with a dendritic configuration...
and deer
Deer
Deer are the ruminant mammals forming the family Cervidae. Species in the Cervidae family include white-tailed deer, elk, moose, red deer, reindeer, fallow deer, roe deer and chital. Male deer of all species and female reindeer grow and shed new antlers each year...
, who also graze there. Squirrels, red fox, badgers and other smaller rodents make their homes in the area.
The redlisted species found in the area include 2 species of vascular plants, 8 moss
Moss
Mosses are small, soft plants that are typically 1–10 cm tall, though some species are much larger. They commonly grow close together in clumps or mats in damp or shady locations. They do not have flowers or seeds, and their simple leaves cover the thin wiry stems...
es, 13 fungi, 2 insects, and 1 species of bird.
Fishing is allowed in Lysakerelven with the necessary permits only. Two species of fish dominate the river: brown trout
Brown trout
The brown trout and the sea trout are fish of the same species....
and common minnow. salmon
Salmon
Salmon is the common name for several species of fish in the family Salmonidae. Several other fish in the same family are called trout; the difference is often said to be that salmon migrate and trout are resident, but this distinction does not strictly hold true...
and sea trout will make their way from the ocean up to Fåbrofossen, whereas perch
Perch
Perch is a common name for fish of the genus Perca, freshwater gamefish belonging to the family Percidae. The perch, of which there are three species in different geographical areas, lend their name to a large order of vertebrates: the Perciformes, from the Greek perke meaning spotted, and the...
, common roach, northern pike
Northern Pike
The northern pike , is a species of carnivorous fish of the genus Esox...
, and common bleak will swim down from Bogstadvannet
Environmental statistics
| Type of habitat | Area | % of total |
|---|---|---|
| Alnus incana and bird cherry Bird cherry The bird cherries are a subgenus of the genus Prunus, characterised by having deciduous leaves, flowers 12-30 together on slender racemes produced in late spring well after leaf emergence, and small, sour fruit usually only palatable to birds, hence the name... mixed forest |
0.74 hectares (1.8 acre) | 1.0% |
| Boreonemoral mixed forest | 23.8 hectares (58.8 acre) | 32.5% |
| Cultivated meadowland | 0.1 hectare (0.247105163015276 acre) | 0.1% |
| Dams | 2.16 hectares (5.3 acre) | 3% |
| Important creek area | 27 hectares (66.7 acre) | 36.8% |
| Natural grazing | 0.32 hectare (0.790736521648883 acre) | 0.4% |
| Old deciduous forest | 3.86 hectares (9.5 acre) | 5.3% |
| Rich southern deciduous forest | 15.3 hectares (37.8 acre) | 20.9% |
| Waterfall mist zone | 0.01 hectare (0.0247105163015276 acre) | -% |
| Totals | 73.3 hectares (181.1 acre) |
| Classification | Area | Percent of total |
|---|---|---|
| Very important | 23.93 hectares (59.1 acre) | 32.66% |
| Important | 44.44 hectares (109.8 acre) | 61.25% |
| Locally important | 4.46 hectares (11 acre) | 6.09% |