View source for Brigach

{{short description|River in Germany}}
{{infobox river
| name = 
| map = 
| map_size = 
| map_caption = 
| image = Donaueschingen Brigach 4320.jpg
| image_size = 
| image_caption = The Brigach in Donaueschingen
| subdivision_type1 = Country 
| subdivision_name1 = [[Germany]]
| subdivision_type2 = [[States of Germany|State]]
| subdivision_name2 = [[Baden-Württemberg]]
| subdivision_type3 = [[Districts of Germany|District]]
| subdivision_name3 = [[Schwarzwald-Baar-Kreis]]
| subdivision_type4 = Reference no.
| subdivision_name4 = DE:&nbsp;1112
| length_km = 40.4|length_ref={{GeoQuelle|DE-BW|LUBW}}
| width_avg = 
| depth_avg = 
| source1_location = in [[Brigach (St. Georgen im Schwarzwald)|Brigach]] near [[St. Georgen im Schwarzwald]]
| source1_coordinates = {{Coord|48.10667|8.28083|type:river_region:DE-BW|format=dms|display=inline,title}}
| source1_elevation = ca.&nbsp;{{Höhe|925|DE-NHN|link=true }}&nbsp;<ref name="LUBW-TK-HLB-Höhe"/>
| mouth_location = Confluence: with the [[Breg (river)|Breg]] to form the [[Danube]] east of [[Donaueschingen]]
| mouth_coordinates = {{Coord|47.950972|8.5201833|type:river_region:DE-BW|format=dms|display=inline}}
| mouth_elevation = ca.&nbsp;{{Höhe|672|DE-NN|link=true}}&nbsp;<ref name="LUBW-TK-HLB-Höhe"/>
| basin_population = 
| basin_landmarks = {{ubl
 | Large towns: [[Villingen-Schwenningen]], [[Donaueschingen]]
 | Small towns: [[St. Georgen im Schwarzwald]]
 | Villages: [[Unterkirnach]], [[Brigachtal]]
 }}
| progression = {{RDanube}}
| basin_size_km2 = 196.7|basin_size_ref={{GeoQuelle|DE-BW|LUBW}} 
| discharge1_location = at Donaueschingen&nbsp;/&nbsp;Brigach gauge{{GeoQuelle|DE-BW|HVZ}}
| discharge1_min = Record low: {{convert|250|L/s|cuft/s|abbr=on}} <small>(in 1997)</small><br />Average low: {{convert|500|L/s|cuft/s|abbr=on}}
| discharge1_avg = {{convert|3.21|m³/s|abbr=on}}
| discharge1_max = 
| tributaries_right = 
| tributaries_left = 
| waterbodies = 
| ports = 
| bridges = 
}}
The '''Brigach''' is the shorter of two streams that jointly form the river [[Danube]] in [[Baden-Württemberg]], [[Germany]]. The Brigach has its source at {{convert|925|m|abbr=on}} above sea level within [[Sankt Georgen im Schwarzwald|St. Georgen]] in the [[Black Forest]]. The Brigach crosses the city [[Villingen-Schwenningen]]. {{convert|40.4|km|abbr=on}} from the source, the Brigach joins the [[Breg (river)|Breg]] in [[Donaueschingen]] to form the Danube River.

== Name ==
The name Brigach is of [[Celtic languages|Celtic]] origin and means ''"light coloured, pure water"''. A relief found here points to the goddess, [[Abnoba]].<ref>Wolfdieter Gramlich: ''[http://www.suedkurier.de/region/schwarzwald-baar-heuberg/st-georgen/Steinernes-Zeugnis-vergangener-Zeit;art410944,5590286 Steinernes Zeugnis vergangener Zeit.]'' In: ''[[Südkurier]]'', 12 July 2012</ref>

== Geography ==
=== Sources ===
[[File:Donaueschingen Donauzusammenfluss 20080714.jpg|thumb|left|Confluence with the Breg (left) to form the [[Danube]] (foreground)]]
One source of the Brigach is impounded in the cellar of a farmhouse in the upper valley near the village of [[Brigach (St. Georgen im Schwarzwald)|Brigach]] and may be visited by the public. On the official state water map the Brigach begins, however, at a height of about {{Höhe|925|DE-NHN|link=true}} somewhat below a small pond near this farm in the borough of [[Sankt Georgen im Schwarzwald]].<ref name="LUBW-Quelllage" />

== Course ==
The Brigach flows initially along a gently descending course and roughly east-north-east through the landscape of the [[Black Forest]], which consists here of open fields across the  width of the valley with woods on the accompanying heights, before reaching the first large village of Sankt Georgen. From here [[Baden]]'s [[Black Forest Railway (Baden)|Black Forest Railway]] runs down to the mouth of the valley. In Sankt Georgen, the river is already 100 metres below the surrounding highland and it now swings slowly around the woods of the ''Röhlinswald'' on the right to head southeast through a typical high Black Forest landscape of scattered settlements. By the place where the Brigach is joined from the WNW by its first long tributary, the ''Röhlinsbach'', it leaves the parish of Sankt Georgen and enters a valley called the ''Groppertal'', a [[protected landscape]] about half a square kilometre in area, which lies within the municipality of [[Unterkirnach]] and the town of [[Villingen-Schwenningen]]. It continues down the valley until it is joined, near Kirnach railway station outside the village of Villingen, by its most important tributary, the [[Kirnach (Brigach)|Kirnach]] which has a length of over 12 kilometres and a catchment of 33&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>. In this area the Birgach runs for just under a quarter of a kilometre alongside the railway line which itself runs close to the right side of the valley, below the hillside.

Shortly thereafter, the Brigach leaves the Black Forest behind, about halfway along its course, and enters the much flatter [[Baar (region)|Baar]] region near [[Villingen-Schwenningen|Villingen]], which is dominated by open countryside, with larger settlements than in its upper reaches. In the middle of the town, it changes direction to the south and receives a number of tributaries from the north, of which two are from the Black Forest to the west and are more than 10 kilometres long: the ''Warenbach'', whose confluence is in the borough of Villingen, and the ''Holenbach'' whose confluence is in the next municipality of [[Brigachtal]]. Below the village of [[Brigachtal|Klengen]], the Brigach passes over the boundary of the district into the borough of [[Donaueschingen]]. Once again, the valley passes through wooded hills, the river develops meanders and then swings left on an easterly course through the urban part of the borough. In the left-hand part of the castle park, a [[karst spring]], which has been regarded as a [[source of the Danube]] for centuries and whose upper reaches are called the ''[[Donaubach]]'' ("Danube Stream") is routed underground through the park into the Brigach. Its confluence is marked by a temple dedicated to the former German Emperor, [[William II of Germany|Kaiser William II]]. Compared with its two headstreams, this source of the Danube is, however, hydrologically insignificant. A mile and a half east of the ''Donaubach'' spring, the Brigach unites with the [[Breg (river)|Breg]], a river which joins from the right and originates in the [[High Black Forest]], to form the River Danube.

The Brigach descends through more than 250 metres during its course which is approximately 40.5 kilometres long.

== Catchment ==
The Brigach's catchment covers an area of 196.7&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup> and lies entirely within the county of [[Schwarzwald-Baar-Kreis]], almost two-thirds within the Black Forest, the remaining eastern area is part of the Baar. Within its catchment the Brigach flows very close to its northern and then eastern side. Through the centre of the catchment is the Kirnach which flows very consistently towards the south-southeast and rises very close to the source of the Brigach. The watershed, which is close to the Kirnach to the northwest, separates it from the catchment of the [[Gutach (Kinzig)|Gutach]] which flows via the [[Kinzig (Rhine)|Kinzig]] into the [[River Rhine]] and, in its subsequent northeasterly course from the [[Schiltach (river)|Schiltach]] to the upper Kinzig. Beyond the long northeastern watershed the upper [[Neckar]] and its tributaries also drain into the Rhine. On the remaining outer edge of the catchment, by contrast, precipitation flows into the [[Danube]]. In front of the short southeastern boundary there are only a few significant tributaries into this river. Beyond the long southwestern perimeter lies the considerably larger catchment (291.5&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup><ref name="LUBW-Agg05-EZG" />) of the right-hand Danube tributary, the [[Breg (river)|Breg]].

The highest point in the catchment is about a kilometre southwest of the source on the summit of the [[Kesselberg (Schwarzwald)|Kesselberg]] ({{Höhe|1024.2|DE-NN}}). This is the [[tripoint]] of the catchments of the Gutach to the northwest, the Brigach to the east and the Breg to the southwest.

=== Tributaries ===
This list shows those tributaries that are over 3.0&nbsp;km long, together with the direction and location of their confluence. They are listed in order from source to mouth. For the full list of tributaries with additional data, see [[:de:Liste der Zuflüsse der Brigach]].

* Röhlinbach (right, Stockburg Mill, St. Georgen)
* [[Kirnach (Brigach)|Kirnach]] (right, Kirnach railway station, Villingen-Schwenningen)
* Krebsgraben (left, Villingen)
* Ziegelbach (left, Villingen)
* Steppach (left, Villingen)
* Warenbach (right, Villingen)
* Talbach (left, Villingen-Marbach)
* Holenbach (right, Brigachtal-Kirchdorf)

== References ==
<references>
    <ref name="LUBW-TK-HLB-Höhe">Height based on the contours on the background layer ''Topographische Karte'' of the online map server of the [[Landesanstalt für Umwelt, Messungen und Naturschutz Baden-Württemberg]] (LUBW). See →&nbsp;[[#External links|External links]] section.</ref>

    <ref name="LUBW-Quelllage">See the online map server of the LUBW.</ref>

    <ref name="LUBW-Agg05-EZG">Catchment based on the ''Aggregierte Gebiete 05'' layer of the online map server of the LUBW.</ref>

</references>

==External links==
* [https://www.alemannische-seiten.de/deutschland/st-georgen_brigachquelle.php Brigach] {{in lang|de}}
*{{GeoQuelle|DE-BW|LUBW|ref=nein}}

{{Danube}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Rivers of Baden-Württemberg]]
[[Category:Danube]]
[[Category:Rivers of the Black Forest]]
[[Category:Sankt Georgen im Schwarzwald]]
[[Category:Rivers of Germany]]