Schwarzbach (Blies)
Encyclopedia
The Schwarzbach is a river
in southwestern Germany
, left tributary of the Blies
. Its source is in the Palatinate Forest, near Trippstadt
. It flows through the states Rhineland-Palatinate
and Saarland
. Towns along its course are Waldfischbach-Burgalben
, Contwig
and Zweibrücken
. After 50 km, it flows into the Blies in Homburg-Einöd
.
The river then flows past Leimen
into the Schwarzbach valley. It takes up the Hundsbächel and the Dinkelsbächel from the right and the Rauschenbach from the left, before reaching the Clausensee reservoir. Then it flows to Waldfischbach-Burgalben
, where, where it takes up the Moosalb from the right. At the hamlet of Biebermühle, it takes up the Rodalb from the left, then flows to Thaleischweiler-Fröschen
. Below this twin village, it takes up the Wallhalb from the right. It then flows past Rieschweiler-Mühlbach
to Dellfield, where the Schwarzbach valley ends and the river flows into the Blies valley. It flows past Contwig
to Zweibrücken
, where it takes up the Wiesenbach from the right, follwed by the Hornbach from the left.
It then flows acress the state line into Saarland and into the Blies
in Einöd, a district of Homburg
, which in turn flows into the Saar 55 km further downstream.
At the confluence, the Schwarzbach carries twice as much water as the Blies (10.4 m³/s versus 5 m³/s). It is also some 10 percent longer. Since the Blies in turn carries slightly more water than the Saar, it could be argued that hydrologically speaking, the Schwarzbach is the main headwater of the Saar river system.
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 southwestern Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, left tributary of the Blies
Blies
The Blies is a right tributary of the Saar River in south-western Germany and north-eastern France . The Blies flows from three springs in the Hunsrück mountains near Selbach, Germany. It is approximately 100 km long, ending in the French city of Sarreguemines...
. Its source is in the Palatinate Forest, near Trippstadt
Kaiserslautern-Süd
Kaiserslautern-Süd is a Verbandsgemeinde in the district of Kaiserslautern, in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is situated in the Palatinate forest, approx...
. It flows through the states Rhineland-Palatinate
Rhineland-Palatinate
Rhineland-Palatinate is one of the 16 states of the Federal Republic of Germany. It has an area of and about four million inhabitants. The capital is Mainz. English speakers also commonly refer to the state by its German name, Rheinland-Pfalz ....
and Saarland
Saarland
Saarland is one of the sixteen states of Germany. The capital is Saarbrücken. It has an area of 2570 km² and 1,045,000 inhabitants. In both area and population, it is the smallest state in Germany other than the city-states...
. Towns along its course are Waldfischbach-Burgalben
Waldfischbach-Burgalben
Waldfischbach-Burgalben is a municipality in the Südwestpfalz district, in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is situated on the western edge of the Palatinate forest, approx. 10 km northeast of Pirmasens...
, Contwig
Zweibrücken-Land
Zweibrücken-Land is a Verbandsgemeinde in the Südwestpfalz district, in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is situated on the southwestern edge of the Palatinate forest, around Zweibrücken...
and Zweibrücken
Zweibrücken
Zweibrücken is a city in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, on the Schwarzbach river.- Name :Zweibrücken appears in Latin texts as Geminus Pons and Bipontum, in French texts as Deux-Ponts. The name derives from Middle High German Zweinbrücken...
. After 50 km, it flows into the Blies in Homburg-Einöd
Homburg-Einöd
Einöd is a village and a district of Homburg in the Bundesland Saarland, Germany. Once an independent municipality within the Saarpfalz-Kreis, Einöd was integrated into the city of Homburg in 1974.-Overview:...
.
Tributaries and course
The two headwaters of the Schwarzbach, the first 16 km of which is also known as Burgalb, rise on western side of the watershed in the middle of the Palatinate Forest, just south of the hamlet Johanniskreuz, at an altitude of about 500 m. One spring is located on the soutern slope of the 528 m high Mount Steinberg. The other spring is three kilometers away, on the southwest side of the 609m high Mount Eschkopf. The two headwaters meet after about 4 km.The river then flows past Leimen
Leimen
Leimen is the name of the following towns:* Leimen in Baden-Württemberg,* Leimen in Rhineland-Palatinate....
into the Schwarzbach valley. It takes up the Hundsbächel and the Dinkelsbächel from the right and the Rauschenbach from the left, before reaching the Clausensee reservoir. Then it flows to Waldfischbach-Burgalben
Waldfischbach-Burgalben
Waldfischbach-Burgalben is a municipality in the Südwestpfalz district, in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is situated on the western edge of the Palatinate forest, approx. 10 km northeast of Pirmasens...
, where, where it takes up the Moosalb from the right. At the hamlet of Biebermühle, it takes up the Rodalb from the left, then flows to Thaleischweiler-Fröschen
Thaleischweiler-Fröschen
Thaleischweiler-Fröschen is a municipality in the Südwestpfalz district, in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is situated on the western edge of the Palatinate forest, approx. 7 km north of Pirmasens....
. Below this twin village, it takes up the Wallhalb from the right. It then flows past Rieschweiler-Mühlbach
Rieschweiler-Mühlbach
Rieschweiler-Mühlbach is a municipality in Südwestpfalz district, in Rhineland-Palatinate, western Germany....
to Dellfield, where the Schwarzbach valley ends and the river flows into the Blies valley. It flows past Contwig
Contwig
Contwig is a municipality in Südwestpfalz district, in Rhineland-Palatinate, western Germany....
to Zweibrücken
Zweibrücken
Zweibrücken is a city in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, on the Schwarzbach river.- Name :Zweibrücken appears in Latin texts as Geminus Pons and Bipontum, in French texts as Deux-Ponts. The name derives from Middle High German Zweinbrücken...
, where it takes up the Wiesenbach from the right, follwed by the Hornbach from the left.
It then flows acress the state line into Saarland and into the Blies
Blies
The Blies is a right tributary of the Saar River in south-western Germany and north-eastern France . The Blies flows from three springs in the Hunsrück mountains near Selbach, Germany. It is approximately 100 km long, ending in the French city of Sarreguemines...
in Einöd, a district of Homburg
Homburg
-In Germany:* Homburg, Saarland, capital of the Saarpfalz district of Saarland* Bad Homburg, town and spa in Hesse* Homburg Forest, a hill range in Lower Saxony* Homburg, a quarter of Triefenstein, Bavaria...
, which in turn flows into the Saar 55 km further downstream.
At the confluence, the Schwarzbach carries twice as much water as the Blies (10.4 m³/s versus 5 m³/s). It is also some 10 percent longer. Since the Blies in turn carries slightly more water than the Saar, it could be argued that hydrologically speaking, the Schwarzbach is the main headwater of the Saar river system.
External links
- Walking in the Schwarzbach area: Tour 40, Tour 56, Tour 61
- Water gauge at Contwig