Abzucht (Oker)
Encyclopedia
The Abzucht, also known in its upper reaches as the Wintertalbach, is a 12.1 km (7.5 mi) long, orographically
left-hand, tributary
of the Oker
in Lower Saxony
, Germany
. The stream flows through the town of Goslar
.
. From here the stream flows initially in a northeasterly direction. West of the Rammelsberg the Abzucht is impounded by the Herzberger Teich. Below this pond the canalised stream passes through the area of the Rammelsberg Mine and reaches the southern edge of the town of Goslar
. Here it is joined by the Gose from the left before the Abzucht swings towards the east. After running through the Old Town (Altstadt) of Goslar it continues on, accompanied by the B 498 federal road to Goslar-Oker where it discharges into the Oker
from the left at a height of .
Along its 12.1 km long course the Abzucht descends a total of 188 metres (616.8 ft), which represents an average incline of 15.5 ‰. The stream drains a catchment area of 31.61 square kilometres (12.2 sq mi) before its waters pass down the Oker
, Aller
and Weser to the North Sea
.
In the area of the Winter valley and the Rammelsberg Mine the Abzucht drove water wheels and was used for washing the ore. Inside the town walls and outside on its way to its confluence with the Oker it drove numerous water wheels that supplied the mills or other industrial works (fulling mills, saw mills, etc.) with energy. The use of its name interchangeably after its confluence with the Gose is still reflected today in several road names, such as An der Abzucht, An der Gose or Abzuchtstraße.
Orography
Orography is the study of the formation and relief of mountains, and can more broadly include hills, and any part of a region's elevated terrain...
left-hand, tributary
Tributary
A tributary or affluent is a stream or river that flows into a main stem river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean...
of the Oker
Oker
The Oker is a river in Lower Saxony, Germany, that has historically formed an important political boundary. It is a left tributary of the River Aller, in length and runs in a generally northerly direction.- Course :...
in Lower Saxony
Lower Saxony
Lower Saxony is a German state situated in north-western Germany and is second in area and fourth in population among the sixteen states of Germany...
, 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...
. The stream flows through the town of Goslar
Goslar
Goslar is a historic town in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is the administrative centre of the district of Goslar and located on the northwestern slopes of the Harz mountain range. The Old Town of Goslar and the Mines of Rammelsberg are UNESCO World Heritage Sites.-Geography:Goslar is situated at the...
.
Geography
The Abzucht rises in the upper Winter valley (Wintertal) as the Wintertalbach at a height of . Its source lies on the northeast flank of the SchalkeSchalke (Harz)
The Schalke is a mountain, , in the Upper Harz in the German state of Lower Saxony. It lies in Goslar district north of Clausthal-Zellerfeld and west of Schulenberg....
. From here the stream flows initially in a northeasterly direction. West of the Rammelsberg the Abzucht is impounded by the Herzberger Teich. Below this pond the canalised stream passes through the area of the Rammelsberg Mine and reaches the southern edge of the town of Goslar
Goslar
Goslar is a historic town in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is the administrative centre of the district of Goslar and located on the northwestern slopes of the Harz mountain range. The Old Town of Goslar and the Mines of Rammelsberg are UNESCO World Heritage Sites.-Geography:Goslar is situated at the...
. Here it is joined by the Gose from the left before the Abzucht swings towards the east. After running through the Old Town (Altstadt) of Goslar it continues on, accompanied by the B 498 federal road to Goslar-Oker where it discharges into the Oker
Oker
The Oker is a river in Lower Saxony, Germany, that has historically formed an important political boundary. It is a left tributary of the River Aller, in length and runs in a generally northerly direction.- Course :...
from the left at a height of .
Along its 12.1 km long course the Abzucht descends a total of 188 metres (616.8 ft), which represents an average incline of 15.5 ‰. The stream drains a catchment area of 31.61 square kilometres (12.2 sq mi) before its waters pass down the Oker
Oker
The Oker is a river in Lower Saxony, Germany, that has historically formed an important political boundary. It is a left tributary of the River Aller, in length and runs in a generally northerly direction.- Course :...
, Aller
Aller
The Aller is a river, long, in the states of Saxony-Anhalt and Lower Saxony in Germany. It is a right-hand, and hence eastern, tributary of the River Weser and is also its largest tributary. Its last form the Lower Aller federal waterway...
and Weser to the North Sea
North Sea
In the southwest, beyond the Straits of Dover, the North Sea becomes the English Channel connecting to the Atlantic Ocean. In the east, it connects to the Baltic Sea via the Skagerrak and Kattegat, narrow straits that separate Denmark from Norway and Sweden respectively...
.
History
Whilst the water of the Gose can be used for brewing (Gose Beer), the Abzucht was heavily polluted by mining on the Rammelsberg. The name is derived from the word Abziehen i.e. 'flushing' or 'removing' the contaminated waters of the smelting works.In the area of the Winter valley and the Rammelsberg Mine the Abzucht drove water wheels and was used for washing the ore. Inside the town walls and outside on its way to its confluence with the Oker it drove numerous water wheels that supplied the mills or other industrial works (fulling mills, saw mills, etc.) with energy. The use of its name interchangeably after its confluence with the Gose is still reflected today in several road names, such as An der Abzucht, An der Gose or Abzuchtstraße.
Sources
- http://cdl.niedersachsen.de/blob/images/C22234659_L20.pdf Nds. Landesbetrieb für Wasserwirtschaft und Küstenschutz (NLWK), Gewässergütebericht Oker 2002, 2002 .