Begna
Encyclopedia
Begna is a river in Buskerud
and Oppland
counties in Norway
. It is formed by the merging of the rivers Otrøelva
and Ylja above Lake Vangsmjøsa. It is also the name of the village of Begna
located by the river.
The Begna runs from the mountainous area of Filefjell
in the southern part of the Jotunheimen
range, through the traditional district
of Valdres
into the lakes Vangsmjøsi, Slidrefjord
, Strondafjorden
and Aurdalsfjorden, down Begnadalen to Nes
in Ådal
and Lake Sperillen
via the Ådal
River and southward to the city of Hønefoss
in Buskerud. There the Begna joins the Randselva river before discharges into Lake Tyrifjorden
. The Begna is 213 km long and has a high point of about 1850 meters. The Begna drains a watershed
of 4875 km² and is the primary river in this watershed. The Norwegian writer, Mikkjel Fønhus
lived much of his life and located most of his novels along the Begna in Oppland.
Association for Begna watershed Control (Foreningen til Bægnavassdragets Regulering) is an association under the provisions of the Norwegian Watercourse Act. The association's purpose is to protect members' common interests with regard to the use of water from the Begna basin used for power generation. Power company operate 20 power plants on the Begna and Drammen River below Tyrifjord. The association is responsible for maintenance and operation of dams, gates and stations along the Begna waterway. The plants are mainly located in Valdres.
Buskerud
is a county in Norway, bordering Akershus, Oslo, Oppland, Sogn og Fjordane, Hordaland, Telemark, and Vestfold. The county administration is located in Drammen.-Geography:...
and Oppland
Oppland
is a county in Norway, bordering Sør-Trøndelag, Møre og Romsdal, Sogn og Fjordane, Buskerud, Akershus, Oslo and Hedmark. The county administration is in Lillehammer. Oppland is, together with Hedmark, one of the only two landlocked counties of Norway....
counties in Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
. It is formed by the merging of the rivers Otrøelva
Otrøelva
The Otrøelva river is a small river in Oppland that originates from headwaters in the Fillefjell mountains to Lake Vangsmjøsa. It is a part of the Begna river watershed, joining the Begna above Lake Vangsmjøsa.-External links:...
and Ylja above Lake Vangsmjøsa. It is also the name of the village of Begna
Begna, Oppland
Begna is a village in the county of Oppland in Norway....
located by the river.
The Begna runs from the mountainous area of Filefjell
Filefjell
Filefjell is a mountainous area between Lærdal and Valdres in Norway.It is the historical, as well as modern, main route, linking West Norway and Østlandet.-Etymology:...
in the southern part of the Jotunheimen
Jotunheimen
Jotunheimen is a mountainous area of roughly 3,500 km² in Southern Norway and is part of the long range known as the Scandinavian Mountains. The 29 highest mountains in Norway are all in Jotunheimen, including the very highest - Galdhøpiggen...
range, through the traditional district
Districts of Norway
The country Norway is historically divided into a number of districts. Many districts have deep historical roots, and only partially coincide with today's administrative units of counties and municipalities. The districts are defined by geographical features, often valleys, mountain ranges, fjords,...
of Valdres
Valdres
Valdres is a traditional district in central, southern Norway, situated between Gudbrandsdal and Hallingdal.Administratively, Valdres belongs to Oppland. It consists of the municipalities Nord-Aurdal, Sør-Aurdal, Øystre Slidre, Vestre Slidre, Vang and Etnedal. The main town in the region is...
into the lakes Vangsmjøsi, Slidrefjord
Slidrefjord
Slidrefjord is a lake which lies in the municipalities of Vestre Slidre and Vang in Oppland county, Norway. The lake is part of the Begna Watershed....
, Strondafjorden
Strondafjorden
Strondafjorden is a lake which lies in the municipalities of Nord-Aurdal and Vestre Slidre in Oppland county, Norway. The lake is part of the Begna watershed....
and Aurdalsfjorden, down Begnadalen to Nes
Nes, Ådal
Nes i Ådal is a small village in Ådal in the Norwegian municipality Ringerike.The village lies on both sides of the river Begna, just northern of the river's outlet in Lake Sperillen, It is situated on the E16 Highway north of Hønefoss, towards Valdres and Vestlandet...
in Ådal
Ådal
Ådal is a valley in the municipality of Ringerike and was a former municipality in Buskerud County, Norway.The municipality was created in 1857 by a split from Norderhov. At that time Ådal had a population of 2,382. On 1 January 1964 Ådal was merged with Hønefoss, Tyristrand, Hole and Norderhov to...
and Lake Sperillen
Sperillen
Sperillen is Norway's 33rd largest lake.Sperillen is located in Ådal in Ringerike municipality in the county of Buskerud. The lake has an area of 37 km², has a volume of 13 km³ , is 123 meters deep at its deepest, and lies 150 meters above sea levelThe rivers Begna from the valley of...
via the Ådal
Ådal
Ådal is a valley in the municipality of Ringerike and was a former municipality in Buskerud County, Norway.The municipality was created in 1857 by a split from Norderhov. At that time Ådal had a population of 2,382. On 1 January 1964 Ådal was merged with Hønefoss, Tyristrand, Hole and Norderhov to...
River and southward to the city of Hønefoss
Hønefoss
Hønefoss is a city in Buskerud county, Norway, and the center of the municipality of Ringerike.In 1852, Hønefoss received town status and was separated from Norderhov. Hønefoss celebrated its 150th year of township in 2002...
in Buskerud. There the Begna joins the Randselva river before discharges into Lake Tyrifjorden
Tyrifjorden
Tyrifjorden is Norway's fifth largest lake with an area of 137 km2. It has a volume of 13 km3, is 295 meters deep at its deepest, and lies 63 meters above sea level...
. The Begna is 213 km long and has a high point of about 1850 meters. The Begna drains a watershed
Drainage basin
A drainage basin is an extent or an area of land where surface water from rain and melting snow or ice converges to a single point, usually the exit of the basin, where the waters join another waterbody, such as a river, lake, reservoir, estuary, wetland, sea, or ocean...
of 4875 km² and is the primary river in this watershed. The Norwegian writer, Mikkjel Fønhus
Mikkjel Fønhus
Mikkjel Fønhus was a Norwegian journalist, novelist and short story writer. Fønhus' stories are often set in the wilderness, featuring animals and animal behavior.-Personal life:...
lived much of his life and located most of his novels along the Begna in Oppland.
Association for Begna watershed Control (Foreningen til Bægnavassdragets Regulering) is an association under the provisions of the Norwegian Watercourse Act. The association's purpose is to protect members' common interests with regard to the use of water from the Begna basin used for power generation. Power company operate 20 power plants on the Begna and Drammen River below Tyrifjord. The association is responsible for maintenance and operation of dams, gates and stations along the Begna waterway. The plants are mainly located in Valdres.