View source for Lech (river)

{{short description|River in Austria and Germany}}
{{more footnotes needed|date=August 2011}}
{{Infobox river
  | name              = Lech
  | image             = Karte einzugsbereich lech.png
  | image_caption     = Drainage basin of the Lech
  | source1_location  = [[Northern Limestone Alps]]
  | mouth_location    = [[Danube]]
  | mouth_coordinates = {{coord|48|44|6|N|10|56|11|E|display=inline,title}}
  | progression       = {{RDanube}}
  | subdivision_type1 = Countries
  | subdivision_name1 = [[Germany]] and [[Austria]]
  | length_km = 255.3|length_ref={{GeoQuelle|DE-BY|GV}}
  | source1_elevation = {{convert|1865|m|ft|0}}
  | discharge1_location= [[River mouth|mouth]]
  | discharge1_avg    = {{convert|115|m3/s|abbr=on}}
  | basin_size_km2 = 3919|basin_size_ref={{GeoQuelle|DE-BY|GV}}
}}

The '''Lech''' ({{IPA|de|lɛç|-|De-Lech.ogg}}; {{Langx|la|Licus}}, ''Licca'') is a river in [[Austria]] and [[Germany]]. It is a right tributary of the [[Danube]] {{convert|255|km|mi|0}} in length with a [[drainage basin]] of {{convert|3919|km2}}.<ref name="DE-BY_GV" /> Its average [[discharge (hydrology)|discharge]] at the [[River mouth|mouth]] is {{cvt|115|m3/s}}.{{GeoSource|Danube||12}}
Its source is located in the Austrian [[States of Austria|state]] of [[Vorarlberg]], where the river rises from lake [[Formarinsee]] in the [[Alps]] at an altitude of {{convert|6120|ft|order=flip}}. It flows in a north-north-easterly direction and crosses the German border, forming the Lechfall, a {{convert|12|m|ft|adj=mid|-high|0}} waterfall; afterwards the river enters a narrow gorge (the Lechschlucht). Leaving the Alps, it enters the plains of the [[Allgäu]] at [[Füssen]] at an elevation of {{convert|2580|ft|order=flip}} in the German state of [[Bavaria]], where it used to be the location of the boundary with [[Swabia]]. The river runs through the city of Füssen and through the [[Forggensee]], a man-made lake which is drained in winter. Here, it forms rapids and a waterfall.

The river flows further northwards through a region called the [[Lechrain]], and passes the cities of [[Schongau, Bavaria|Schongau]], [[Landsberg am Lech|Landsberg]], [[Augsburg]] (where it receives the [[Wertach (river)|Wertach]]) and [[Rain (Lech)|Rain]] before entering the [[Danube]] just below [[Donauwörth]] at an elevation of {{convert|1330|ft|order=flip}}. It is not navigable, owing to its torrential character and the gravel beds which choke its channel. There are extensive views of the Lech valley from [[Neuschwanstein Castle]], near Füssen.

==Etymology==
Inscriptions from 8/7 B. C. prove that the river name is first mentioned in the [[Celts|Celtic]] tribe name ''Licates''. The river itself is called ''Likios'' or ''Likias'' in the 2nd century. Around the year 570 the name ''Licca'' is found in records. In the 8th century, names such as ''Lecha'' and ''Lech'' appeared. The term ''Licus'' is still used in 1059.

The name stands in analogy to the [[Welsh language|Welsh]] word ''llech'' ("stone slab") and the [[Breton language|Breton]] word ''lec'h'' ("gravestone"). In this context, the meaning of the word "Lech" is explained as "the stony".<ref>"Wolf-Armin Frhr. v. Reitzenstein: Lexikon bayerischer Ortsnamen. Herkunft und Bedeutung. C.H.Beck, Munich 2006</ref>

== History ==
On more than one occasion, historic events have been decided on the banks of this river.

* In 278 Roman emperor [[Marcus Aurelius Probus|Probus]] vanquished a larger invasion force of [[Burgundians]] and [[Vandals]], which had been raiding the Roman province of [[Rhaetia]].
* At [[Lechfeld]], a stony plain between the Lech and the Wertach near Augsburg, [[Otto I]] defeated the [[Magyars]] in August 955.
* In the [[Battle of Rain]] in April 1632, [[Gustavus Adolphus]] of [[Sweden]] defeated and mortally wounded [[Johan Tzerclaes, Count of Tilly]].

== Hydroelectric power plants ==
Currently, there are 33 [[Hydroelectricity|hydroelectric]] power plants on the Lech. The power plants are listed beginning at the headwaters:<ref>"Fichtner: Die Wettbewerbsfähigkeit von großen Laufwasserkraftwerken im liberalisierten Strommarkt – Endbericht (Langfassung). Bundesministerium für Wirtschaft und Arbeit, 2003</ref>

{|class="wikitable sortable"
 |-
 ! Dam
 ! Name
 ! Installed capacity (MW)
 ! Year of completion
 ! Image
 |-
 | <small>1</small>
 | [[Lechstaustufe Horn]] || 5.0 || 1952 || [[File:Kraftwerk Horn (Horn hydro-power station) - geo.hlipp.de - 37358.jpg|100px]]
 |-
 | <small>2</small>
 | [[Forggensee]] || 45.5 || 1954 || [[File:Aerial image of the Forggensee (view from the southwest).jpg|100px]]
 |-
 | <small>3</small>
 | [[Premer Lechsee]] || 19.2 || 1972 ||  [[File:Lechstaustufe2004.JPG|100px]]
 |-
 | <small>4</small>
 | [[Lechstaustufe Lechbruck]] || 5.0 || 1903/1958 || [[File:Aerials Bavaria.2006 08-45-22.jpg|100px]]
 |-
 | <small>5</small>
 | [[Lechstaustufe 3 – Urspring]] || 10.2 || 1971 ||  
 |-
 | <small>6</small>
 | [[Lechstaustufe 4 – Dessau]] || 10.2 || 1971 ||  
 |-
 | <small>7</small>
 | [[Dornautalsperre]] || 16.6 || 1960 || [[File:Staudamm Lechstaustufe 6 September 2015.jpg|100px]]
 |-
 | <small>8</small>
 | [[Lechstaustufe 7 – Finsterau]] || 7.7 || 1950 ||   
 |-
 | <small>9</small>
 | [[Lechstaustufe 8 – Sperber]] || 7.3 || 1947 || [[File:Lechstaustufe 8 – Sperber.jpg|100px]]
 |- |}
 | <small>10</small>
 | [[Lechstaustufe 8a – Kinsau]] || 9.2 || 1992 || [[File:Lechstaustufe 8a Kinsau.jpg|100px]]
 |- |}
 | <small>11</small>
 | [[Lechstaustufe 9 – Apfeldorf]] || 7.2 || 1944 || [[File:Lechstaustufe 9 GO-1.jpg|100px]]
 |- |}
 | <small>12</small>
 | [[Lechstaustufe 10 – Epfach]] || 8.3 || 1948 || [[File:Lechstaustufe 10 – Epfach.jpg|100px]]
 |- |}
 | <small>13</small>
 | [[Lechstaustufe 11 – Lechblick]] || 8.1 || 1943 || [[File:Lechstaustufe 11 – Lechblick.jpg|100px]]
 |- |}
 | <small>14</small>
 | [[Lechstaustufe 12 – Lechmühlen]] || 7.9 || 1943 || [[File:Lechstaustufe 12 – Lechmühlen.jpg|100px]]
 |- |}
 | <small>15</small>
 | [[Lechstaustufe 13 – Dornstetten]] || 8.2 || 1943 || [[File:Lechstaustufe unterhalb von Seestall.JPG|100px]]
 |- |}
 | <small>16</small>
 | [[Lechstaustufe 14 – Pitzling]] || 7.9 || 1944 || [[File:Lechstaustufe 14 – Pitzling.jpg|100px]]
 |- |}
 | <small>17</small>
 | [[Lechstaustufe 15 – Landsberg]] || 8.0 || 1944 || [[File:Lechstaustufe 15 – Landsberg.jpg|100px]]
 |- |}
 | <small>18</small>
 | [[Lechstaustufe 18 – Kaufering]] || 16.7 || 1975 || 
 |- |}
 | <small>19</small>
 | [[Lechstaustufe 19 – Schwabstadl]] || 12.0 || 1981 || 
 |- |}
 | <small>20</small>
 | [[Lechstaustufe 20 – Scheuring]] || 12.2 || 1980 || 
 |- |}
 | <small>21</small>
 | [[Lechstaustufe 21 – Prittriching]] || 12.1 || 1983 || 
 |- |}
 | <small>22</small>
 | [[Lechstaustufe 22 – Unterbergen]] || 12.4 || 1982 || [[File:Lechstaustufe 22.jpg|100px]]
 |- |}
 | <small>23</small>
 | [[Lechstaustufe 23 – Mandichosee]] || 12.0 || 1978 || [[File:Aerial image of Mandichosee (view from the northwest).jpg|100px]]
 |- |}
 | <small>24</small>
 | [[Hochablass]] || 3.1 || 2013 || [[File:Hochablass Augsburg Foto Stadtwerke Augsburg.jpg|100px]]
 |- |}
 | <small>25</small>
 | [[Eisenbahnerwehr]] || 3.2 || 2006 || [[File:Eisenbahnerwehr.jpeg|100px]]
 |- |}
 | <small>26</small>
 | [[Wolfzahnauwehr]] || 2.0 || 2010 || [[File:Wolfzahnauwehr.jpg|100px]]
 |- |}
 | <small>27</small>
 | [[Kraftwerk Gersthofen]] || 9.9 || 1901 || 
 |- |}
 | <small>28</small>
 | [[Kraftwerk Langweid]] || 7.0 || 1908 || [[File:Lechmuseum Bayern 12.JPG|100px]]
 |- |}
 | <small>29</small>
 | [[Kraftwerk Meitingen]] || 11.6 || 1922 || [[File:Kraftwerk Meitingen02.JPG|100px]]
 |- |}
 | <small>30</small>
 | [[Staustufe Ellgau]] || 10.0 || 1952 || 
 |- |}
 | <small>31</small>
 | [[Staustufe Oberpeiching]] || 12.3 || 1954 ||
 |- |}
 | <small>32</small>
 | [[Staustufe Rain]] || 11.2 || 1955 || 
 |- |}
 | <small>33</small>
 | [[Staustufe Feldheim]] || 8.5 || 1960 || [[File:NSG Vogelfreistätte Feldheimer Stausee -.von SO Richtung Nord mit Kraftwerksgebäude.jpg|100px]]
 |- 
 |}

== Gallery ==

<gallery>
File:Lech Augsburg.jpg|The Lech in [[Augsburg]]
File:Lech-between-landsberg-kaufering.JPG|The Lech, in the background the city of [[Landsberg am Lech|Landsberg]]
File:Tussen Weissenbach en Forchach, de Lech foto7 2014-07-25 13.33.jpg|The Lech between [[Weißenbach am Lech|Weissenbach]] and [[Forchach]]
File:Tussen Elmen en Stanzach, der Lech foto6 2014-07-25 14.34.jpg|The Lech between [[Elmen]] and [[Stanzach]]
File:Blick auf Lech und Apfeldorf.jpg|The Lech between [[Apfeldorf]] and [[Epfach]]
File:Lech River.jpg|The Lech River by [https://www.instagram.com/andy.gavri.photography/ Andrei Gavrilița]
</gallery>

== See also ==
*[[List of rivers of Bavaria]]
*[[List of rivers of Austria]]

== References ==
* Eberhard Pfeuffer: ''Der Lech.'' Wissner-Verlag, Augsburg 2010, {{ISBN|3-89639-768-0}}.
* R. Zettl: ''Lechauf-lechab.'' Wißner-Verlag 2002, {{ISBN|3-89639-316-2}}.
* Dr. Peter Nowotny: ''Erlebnis Lech.'' Verlag – J. Eberl KG, Immenstadt 2001.
* Dr. Bernhard Raster: ''Nutzung und anthropogene Veränderung des Lechs in historischer Zeit.'' Diss. Würzburg 1979.
* Bayerisches Hauptstaatsarchiv (Hrsg.): ''Altbayerische Flusslandschaften an Donau, Lech, Isar und Inn.'' = Ausstellungskatalog, Anton H. Konrad, Verlag Weißenhorn 1998.
* Werner Gamerith: ''Lechtal.'' Tyrolia Verlag, Innsbruck-Wien 2002.
* Peter Nasemann: ''Lebensraum Füssener Lech.'' Holdenrieds Druck- und Verlags GmbH, o. J.
* Norbert Müller: ''Augsburger Ökologische Schriften, Heft 2: Der Lech.'' Stadt Augsburg 1991, {{ISSN|0941-2123}}

;Specific
<references />

== External links ==
{{Commons}}
{{Wiktionary|Lech}}
* {{austriaforum|AEIOU/Lech%2C_Fluss/Lech%2C_Fluss_english}}
* [http://www.stadtfuessen.com/en/the-lech.html The Lech in Füssen]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20110511132544/http://www.hnd.bayern.de/ Hochwassernachrichtendienst Bayern] Alle möglichen Daten über die bayerischen Flüsse: aktuelle Pegelstände, langjährige Abflussdaten, Einzugsgebiet, etc.
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20090317184604/http://www.tiroler-lech.at/ Life-Naturschutzprojekt Tiroler Lech]
* [http://www.lebensraum-lechtal.com/ Lebensraum Lechtal]
* [http://www.kajaktour.de/lech.htm Bericht über eine Kajaktour]

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

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lech (river)}}
[[Category:Lech basin| ]]
[[Category:Rivers of Bavaria]]
[[Category:Rivers of Tyrol (federal state)]]
[[Category:Rivers of Vorarlberg]]
[[Category:International rivers of Europe]]
[[Category:Braided rivers in Europe]]
[[Category:Rivers of Austria]]
[[Category:Rivers of Germany]]