View source for Inn (river)

{{short description|River in Switzerland, Austria and Germany}}
{{use dmy dates |date=September 2021}}
{{Infobox river
|name              = Inn
|name_other        = {{langx|rm|En}}
|image             = UnterinntalWest.JPG
|image_caption     = Lower Inn valley from Rattenberg castle
|mapframe          = yes
|mapframe-zoom     = 6
|source1_location  = [[Swiss Alps]] ([[Lägh dal Lunghin]])
|source1_elevation = {{convert|2484|m|ft|abbr=on}}
|source1_coordinates = {{coord|46.41673|9.67645}}
|mouth_location    = [[Danube]] ([[Passau]])
|mouth_elevation   = {{convert|291|m|ft|abbr=on}}
|mouth_coordinates = {{coord|48.57353|13.47713|display=inline,title}}
|progression       = {{RDanube}}
|subdivision_type1 = Countries
|subdivision_name1 = {{ubl|[[Switzerland]]|[[Austria]]|[[Germany]]}}
|subdivision_type2 = Cities
|subdivision_name2 = {{hlist|[[St. Moritz]]|[[Scuol]]|[[Landeck]]|[[Innsbruck]]|[[Wörgl]]|[[Kufstein]]|[[Rosenheim]]|[[Wasserburg am Inn]]|[[Mühldorf am Inn]]|[[Braunau am Inn]]|[[Schärding]]|[[Passau]]}}
| length_km = 518.5
| length_ref = {{GeoQuelle|DE-BY|GV}}
|discharge1_location= [[River mouth|mouth]]
|discharge1_avg    = {{convert|735|m3/s|abbr=on}}
| basin_size_km2 = 26053
| basin_size_ref = {{GeoQuelle|DE-BY|GV}}
| extra            = 
}}

[[File:Verlaufskarte Inn DE.png |thumb|265px|Map highlighting the Inn River]]
The '''Inn''' ({{IPA|de|ɪn|-|De-Inn.ogg}}; {{langx|la|Aenus}};<ref>{{cite book |title=Barrington Atlas of the Greek and Roman World: Map-By-Map Directory |editor=Richard J.A. Talbert |volume=I |year=2000 |publisher=Princeton University Press |location=Princeton, NJ and Oxford, UK |isbn=0691049459 |page=171 }}</ref> {{langx|rm|En}}) is a [[river]] in [[Switzerland]], [[Austria]] and [[Germany]]. The {{convert|518|km|abbr=on}} long river is a right [[tributary]] of the [[Danube]], being the third largest tributary of the Danube by discharge. The highest point of its [[drainage basin]] is the summit of [[Piz Bernina]] at {{convert|4049|m|abbr=on|sp=us}}. The [[Engadin]]e, the valley of the En, is the only Swiss valley whose waters end up in the [[Black Sea]] (via the Danube).

==Etymology==
The name Inn is derived from the old Celtic words ''en'' and ''[[wiktionary:Reconstruction:Proto-Celtic/ɸenos|enios]]'', meaning ''water''. In a document of 1338, the river was named ''Wasser'' (German for water). The first written mention from the years 105 to 109 (Publii Corneli Taciti historiarium liber tertius) reads: "''... Sextilius Felix... ad occupandam ripam Aeni fluminis, quod Raetos Noricosque interfluit, missus...''" ("... Sextilius Felix was sent to capture the banks of the Inn, which flows between the Rhaetian people and the Noric people.")<ref>"Wolf-Armin Frhr. v. Reitzenstein: Lexikon bayerischer Ortsnamen. Herkunft und Bedeutung. C.H.Beck, Munich 2006</ref> The river is also mentioned by other authors of the Roman Empire as ''Ainos'' (Greek) or ''Aenus'' (Latin). In medieval Latin it was written as ''Enus'' or ''Oenus''. The change in the old Bavarian language from ''e'' to ''i'' turned Enus to ''In''. Until the 17th century, it was written like this or ''Yn'', but also ''Ihn'' or ''Yhn''. The double-n appeared only in the 16th century, for example in the Tyrolian Landreim of 1557, and since the 18th century this spelling and pronunciation with a short vowel has been customary.<ref name="stolz">Otto Stolz: ''Geschichtskunde der Gewässer Tirols.'' Schlern-Schriften, Band&nbsp;32, Innsbruck 1932, S.&nbsp;6–14 und 83–88 ([http://dza.tessmann.it/tessmannPortal/Medium/Seite/12721/19 Digitalisat])</ref>

The mentions in Roman times refer to the lower course. The Tyrolean section was first called Aenus by [[Venantius Fortunatus]] in the 6th century. The name [[Engadin]] and the Romansh name ''En'' indicate that the upper reaches of the river have always been called this way.{{citation needed|date=May 2019}} Even though it was occasionally believed that the Inn originated near the [[Adige]] at the [[Reschen Pass]], since the 16th century at the latest the origin has been seen uniformly in the area of the lakes at the [[Maloja Pass]].<ref name="stolz" />

A connection may exist between the name Inn and the name of the French river [[Ain (river)|Ain]].<ref>Arnaud Vendryes: ''L'Ain : le nom d'une rivière à travers les sources.'' In: Société d'Emulation du Jura, Travaux 2015, S. 147–168</ref>

==Geography==
The source of the Inn is located in the [[Swiss Alps]], west of [[St. Moritz]] in the [[Engadin]]e region, which is named after the river ([[Romansh language|Romansh]] ''Engiadina''; [[Latin language|Latin]] ''vallis Eniatina''). Shortly after it leaves its source, the Inn flows through the largest lakes on its course, [[Lake Sils]] and [[Lake Silvaplana]]. It runs north-eastwards, entering Austria, and from [[Landeck]] eastwards through the Austrian state of [[Tyrol (state)|Tyrol]] and its capital, [[Innsbruck]] (''bridge over the Inn''), and crosses the border into [[Bavaria]] near [[Kufstein]].

On Bavarian territory the river runs northwards and passes [[Rosenheim]], [[Wasserburg am Inn]], and [[Waldkraiburg]]; then it turns east, runs through [[Mühldorf]] and [[Neuötting]] and is enlarged by two major tributaries, the [[Alz]] and the [[Salzach]]. From here to the [[Danube]], it forms the border between Germany (Bavaria) and Austria ([[Upper Austria]]). Towns on this last section of the river are [[Marktl am Inn]], [[Simbach on Inn]], [[Braunau am Inn]] and [[Schärding]].

In [[Passau]] the Inn finally enters the Danube (as does the river [[Ilz]] there). Although the Inn has a greater average flow than the Danube when they converge in Passau, and its watershed contains the Piz Bernina, the highest point in the Danube watershed, the Inn is considered a tributary of the Danube, which has a greater length, drains a larger surface area, and has a more consistent flow.
The Inn is the only river originating in Switzerland that ends in the Black Sea (via the Danube).

===Tributaries===
[[File:W Inntal.JPG|thumb|600px|center|View of the Lower Inn Valley. On the right is the entrance to the [[Ziller Valley]].]]{{clear|left}}
* Right tributaries (in downstream order): <!--[[La Clozza]], [[Tasnan]], [[La Brancla]]?-->[[Flaz]], [[Spöl]], [[Clemgia]], [[Faggenbach]], [[Pitzbach]], [[Ötztaler Ache]], [[Melach]], [[Sill (river)|Sill]], [[Ziller]], [[Alpbachtal|Alpbach]], [[Wildschönauer Ache]], [[Brixentaler Ache]], [[Weißache]], [[Kaiserbach]], [[Rohrdorfer Ache]], [[Sims (river)|Sims]], [[Murn (river)|Murn]], [[Alz]], [[Salzach]], [[Enknach]], [[Mattig]], [[Ach (Inn)|Ach]], [[Hartbach]], [[Antiesen]], [[Pram (river)|Pram]]
* Left tributaries (in downstream order; two different rivers called Rott exist): [[Beverin (river)|Beverin]], [[Schergenbach]], [[Sanna (Inn)|Sanna]], [[Gurglbach]], [[Höttinger Bach]], [[Mühlauer Bach]], [[Brandenberger Ache]], [[Kieferbach]], [[Auerbach (Inn)|Auerbach]], [[Kirchbach (Inn)|Kirchbach]], [[Mangfall]], [[Rott (Inn, Rott am Inn)|Rott]], [[Attel]], [[Isen (river)|Isen]], [[Rott (Inn, Neuhaus am Inn)|Rott]]

== Flow ==
The average [[discharge (hydrology)|discharge]] at the [[River mouth|mouth]] of the Inn is {{cvt|735|m3/s}}.{{GeoSource|Danube||12}}
{{center|1='''Average monthly flow (m³/s) of the Inn in Passau'''<br />
<span style="font-size:smaller">Years 1921/2006<ref name="hnd"/></span>}}
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=== 2013 flood ===
{{Main|2013 European floods}}
[[File:MG 1230 (8935814428).jpg|The Old City of Passau during the flood|thumb]]
[[File:Passau Pegel Rathaus 8-6-2013.jpeg|Water level marks on the Town Hall in Passau|thumb]]
On 3 June 2013 the [[Discharge (hydrology)|discharge]] of the Inn in [[Passau]] reached {{convert|6,820|m3/s|abbr=on}}<ref name="hnd"/> and the water levels reached {{convert|12.85|m|abbr=on}}, the highest recorded historic flood level since 1501.<ref name="in"/> The historic centre of Passau, where the [[Danube]], Inn and [[Ilz]] converge, was flooded severely.

== Hydroelectric power plants ==
Currently, there are 24 [[Hydroelectricity|hydroelectric]] power plants on the Inn. 17 of them are operated by [[Verbund|Verbund AG]].<ref name="ve"/> The power plants are listed beginning at the headwaters:

{|class="wikitable sortable"
! Dam
! Nameplate capacity (MW)
! Annual generation (Mio. kwh)
|-
| [[Islas Hydropower Plant|Islas]]<ref name="st"/>
| 4.3
| 17
|-
| [[Ova Spin Hydropower Plant|Ova Spin]]<ref name="en1"/>
| 50
| 100
|-
| [[Pradella Hydropower Plant|Pradella]]<ref name="en2"/>
| 288
| 1,000
|-
| [[Martina Hydropower Plant|Martina]]
| 70
| 290
|-
| [[Imst Hydropower Plant|Imst]]<ref name="ti1"/>
| 89
| 550
|-
| [[Kirchbichl Hydropower Plant|Kirchbichl]]<ref name="ti2"/>
| 19.3
| 131
|-
| [[Langkampfen Hydropower Plant|Langkampfen]]<ref name="ti3"/>
| 31.5
| 169
|-
| [[Oberaudorf-Ebbs Hydropower Plant|Oberaudorf-Ebbs]]
| 60
| 268
|-
| [[Nussdorf Hydropower Plant|Nussdorf]]
| 48
| 245.8
|-
| [[Rosenheim Hydropower Plant|Rosenheim]]
| 35
| 179.5
|-
| [[Feldkirchen Hydropower Plant|Feldkirchen]]
| 38
| 204
|-
| [[Wasserburg Hydropower Plant|Wasserburg]]
| 29
| 165.7
|-
| [[Teufelsbruck Hydropower Plant|Teufelsbruck]]
| 25
| 150.4
|-
| [[Gars Hydropower Plant|Gars]]
| 30
| 169.2
|-
| [[Jettenbach Hydropower Plant|Jettenbach]]
| 6
| 30.2
|-
| [[Töging Hydropower Plant|Töging]]
| 85
| 564.6
|-
| [[Neuötting Hydropower Plant|Neuötting]]
| 26
| 159.4
|-
| [[Perach Hydropower Plant|Perach]]
| 19
| 128.4
|-
| [[Stammham Hydropower Plant|Stammham]]
| 23
| 136.4
|-
| [[Braunau-Simbach Hydropower Plant|Braunau-Simbach]]
| 100
| 550
|-
| [[Ering-Frauenstein Hydropower Plant|Ering-Frauenstein]]
| 72
| 434
|-
| [[Egglfing-Obernberg Hydropower Plant|Egglfing-Obernberg]]
| 84
| 485
|-
| [[Schärding-Neuhaus Hydropower Plant|Schärding-Neuhaus]]
| 96
| 541.8
|-
| [[Passau-Ingling Hydropower Plant|Passau-Ingling]]
| 86
| 504.7
|-
|}

==See also==
* [[List of rivers of Austria]]
* [[List of rivers of Germany]]
* [[List of rivers of Switzerland]]

==References==
{{reflist
| refs =

<ref name="en1">{{cite web
 |title       = Zentrale Ova Spin
 |publisher   = [[Engadiner Kraftwerke]]
 |url         = http://engadin-strom.ch/anlagen/zentrale-ova-spin.html
 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160419115933/http://engadin-strom.ch/anlagen/zentrale-ova-spin.html
 |url-status  = dead
 |archive-date = 19 April 2016
 |language    = de
 |access-date = 2016-01-18
}}</ref>

<ref name="en2">{{cite web
 |title        = Zentrale Pradella
 |publisher    = Engadiner Kraftwerke
 |url          = http://ekwstrom.ch/anlagen/zentrale-pradella.html
 |language     = de
 |access-date  = 2016-01-18
 |archive-date = 25 March 2016
 |archive-url  = https://web.archive.org/web/20160325202028/http://www.ekwstrom.ch/anlagen/zentrale-pradella.html
 |url-status   = dead
}}</ref>

<ref name="hnd">{{cite web
| title      = Statistik Passau Ingling / Inn
| publisher  = www.hnd.bayern.de
| url        = http://www.hnd.bayern.de/pegel/inn/passau-ingling-18008008/statistik?
| language   = de
| access-date = 2016-04-05
}}</ref>

<ref name="in">{{cite web
| title      = Central Europe Hit by Rains, Floods and Landslides: AIR Analysis
| publisher  = www.insurancejournal.com
| url        = http://www.insurancejournal.com/news/international/2013/06/04/294260.htm
| date       = 2013-04-06
| access-date = 2016-04-05
}}</ref>

<ref name="st">{{cite web
 |title        = Elektrizitäts-Produktion
 |publisher    = www.stmoritz-energie.ch
 |url          = http://www.stmoritz-energie.ch/ueber-uns/portrait/elektrizitaets-produktion.html
 |language     = de
 |access-date  = 2016-01-18
 |archive-date = 2 December 2015
 |archive-url  = https://web.archive.org/web/20151202091822/http://www.stmoritz-energie.ch/ueber-uns/portrait/elektrizitaets-produktion.html
 |url-status   = dead
}}</ref>

<ref name="ti1">{{cite web
| title      = Kraftwerk Imst
| publisher  = [[Tiroler Wasserkraft]]
| url        = https://www.tiroler-wasserkraft.at/www_tiwag/de/hn/stromerzeugung/kraftwerkspark/imst/index.php
| language   = de
| access-date = 2016-01-18
}}</ref>

<ref name="ti2">{{cite web
| title      = Kraftwerk Kirchbichl
| publisher  = [[Tiroler Wasserkraft]]
| url        = https://www.tiroler-wasserkraft.at/www_tiwag/de/hn/stromerzeugung/kraftwerkspark/kirchbichl/index.php
| language   = de
| access-date = 2016-01-18
}}</ref>

<ref name="ti3">{{cite web
| title      = Kraftwerk Langkampfen
| publisher  = [[Tiroler Wasserkraft]]
| url        = https://www.tiroler-wasserkraft.at/www_tiwag/de/hn/stromerzeugung/kraftwerkspark/langkampfen/index.php
| language   = de
| access-date = 2016-01-18
}}</ref>

<ref name="ve">{{cite web
| title      = VERBUND on the Inn
| publisher      = [[Verbund]]
| url      = http://www.verbund.com/pp/en/waters/inn
| access-date      = 2016-01-18
| archive-url      = https://web.archive.org/web/20160306112158/http://www.verbund.com/pp/en/waters/inn
| archive-date      = 2016-03-06
| url-status      = dead
}}</ref>
}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Inn River}}
* {{HDS|8089|Inn (district and river)|rm=250}}

{{Danube}}

{{Rivers of Germany}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Inn (river)| ]]
[[Category:Rivers of Switzerland]]
[[Category:Rivers of Bavaria]]
[[Category:International rivers of Europe]]
[[Category:Engadin]]
[[Category:Celerina/Schlarigna]]
[[Category:La Punt Chamues-ch]]
[[Category:Madulain]]
[[Category:S-chanf]]
[[Category:Scuol]]
[[Category:Sils im Engadin/Segl]]
[[Category:Silvaplana]]
[[Category:St. Moritz]]
[[Category:Valsot]]
[[Category:Zernez]]
[[Category:Zuoz]]
[[Category:Rivers of Tyrol (federal state)]]
[[Category:Inn basin| ]]
[[Category:Austria–Germany border]]
[[Category:Rivers of Graubünden]]
[[Category:Braided rivers in Europe]]
[[Category:Rivers of Austria]]
[[Category:Rivers of Germany]]