Jona (river)
Encyclopedia
The Jona is a river
in the Swiss
cantons
of Zurich
and St. Gallen
.
near Gibswil
and Fischenthal
in the Zürcher Oberland
. Passing an impressive waterfall, the river flows near the municipality of Wald
through a little valley eastward and changes its direction to the south by a ravine, which a viaduct of the Tösstalbahn
(S26
) is crossing. Jona river turns to the west, dividing the municipalites Dürnten
and Rüti, passing the village of Tann and Rüti in the so-called Tannertobel. Once again, it changes its direction, flowing to the south (and slightly meander
ing) through Rüti and the so-called Joner Wald (forrest of Rapperswil-Jona
), followed by the S-Bahn Zürich lines S5
and S15
. The river underneaths here Oberland Autobahn (A53 highway), now reaching the canton of St. Gallen
and Rapperswil-Jona
, flowing nearly in straight direction through the village of Jona (SG)
. Finally, it forms a small river delta
near Busskirch
and flows at Stampf lido in the upper Lake Zurich
(Obersee).
Jauna (the cold one) – Jona river is still largely determined by forest area – or, as Indo-Eurepean
yamam, meaning stream
. Latest interpretations say that the Indo-European word jeu roughly means to move, followed by the Old High German
name Jouna .
In the Middle Ages
, its hydropower
was used for a larger number of watermill
s along the small river. As a renewable source, in the 19th century, the river was important for industrialization (textile industry) of the communities Wald, Rüti, and Rapperswil-Jona.
Jona river measures 20 km in all, rising at 950 m.ü.M. (above sea level) and flowing in Lake Zurich at 406 m.ü.M. The river belongs to the Limmat
→Aar→Rhine system. Its drainage basin
measures 65 km².
River
A river is a natural watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, a lake, a sea, or another river. In a few cases, a river simply flows into the ground or dries up completely before reaching another body of water. Small rivers may also be called by several other names, including...
in the Swiss
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
cantons
Cantons of Switzerland
The 26 cantons of Switzerland are the member states of the federal state of Switzerland. Each canton was a fully sovereign state with its own borders, army and currency from the Treaty of Westphalia until the establishment of the Swiss federal state in 1848...
of Zurich
Canton of Zürich
The Canton of Zurich has a population of . The canton is located in the northeast of Switzerland and the city of Zurich is its capital. The official language is German, but people speak the local Swiss German dialect called Züritüütsch...
and St. Gallen
Canton of St. Gallen
The Canton of St. Gallen is a canton of Switzerland. St. Gallen is located in the north east of Switzerland. It covers an area of 2,026 km², and has a population of . , the population included 97,461 foreigners, or about 20.9% of the total population. The capital is St. Gallen. Spelling...
.
Geography
The Jona rises on the eastern slope of Bachtel hillBachtel Tower
Bachtel Tower is a tall radio tower on high Bachtel mountain near Hinwil, Switzerland, overloking Zürcher Oberland....
near Gibswil
Gibswil
Gibswil is a town in Fischenthal, Switzerland. Partly known for the ski jumping hill Bachtelblick-Schanze. Road 16, Tösstalstrasse is passing trough Gibswil. Gibswil also has a train station and some hotels and restaurants.-Transport:...
and Fischenthal
Fischenthal
Fischenthal is a municipality in the district of Hinwil in the canton of Zürich in Switzerland.-Geography:Fischenthal has an area of . Of this area, 31.6% is used for agricultural purposes, while 63.1% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 4% is settled and the remainder is non-productive...
in the Zürcher Oberland
Zürcher Oberland
The Zürcher Oberland in Switzerland, is the hilly south-eastern part of the Canton of Zurich, bordering on the Toggenburg, including the districts of Uster, Hinwil, Pfäffikon as well as the Töss Valley as far as the district of Winterthur. The territory gradually fell under the control of the city...
. Passing an impressive waterfall, the river flows near the municipality of Wald
Wald, Zurich
Wald is a municipality in the district of Hinwil in the canton of Zürich in Switzerland.-History:Wald is mentioned for the first time in a document from 1217. In the year 1621 the municipality received market rights....
through a little valley eastward and changes its direction to the south by a ravine, which a viaduct of the Tösstalbahn
Töss Valley
The Töss Valley is a valley and a region of the canton of Zürich in Switzerland.- Geography :The valley compromises parts of the Zürcher Oberland including the districts of Hinwil, Pfäffikon and Winterthur, in addition to parts of the Zürcher Unterland .Usually Tösstal is the name of the upper...
(S26
S26 (ZVV)
The S26 is a regional railway line of the Zürich S-Bahn on the ZVV and is one of the network's less-heavily traveled lines...
) is crossing. Jona river turns to the west, dividing the municipalites Dürnten
Dürnten
Dürnten is a municipality in the district of Hinwil in the canton of Zürich in Switzerland.-Geography:Dürnten has an area of . Of this area, 60.4% is used for agricultural purposes, while 17% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 21.4% is settled and the remainder is non-productive...
and Rüti, passing the village of Tann and Rüti in the so-called Tannertobel. Once again, it changes its direction, flowing to the south (and slightly meander
Meander
A meander in general is a bend in a sinuous watercourse. A meander is formed when the moving water in a stream erodes the outer banks and widens its valley. A stream of any volume may assume a meandering course, alternately eroding sediments from the outside of a bend and depositing them on the...
ing) through Rüti and the so-called Joner Wald (forrest of Rapperswil-Jona
Rapperswil-Jona
Rapperswil-Jona is a municipality in the Wahlkreis of See-Gaster in the canton of St. Gallen in Switzerland.Besides Rapperswil and Jona, which were separate municipalities until 2006, the municipality includes Bollingen, Busskirch, Curtiberg, Kempraten-Lenggis, Wagen, and Wurmsbach.-Today:On...
), followed by the S-Bahn Zürich lines S5
S5 (ZVV)
The S5 is a regional railway line of the S-Bahn Zürich on the Zürcher Verkehrsverbund , Zürich transportation network, and is one of the network's lines connecting the cantons of Zürich, St...
and S15
S15 (ZVV)
The S15 is a regional railway line of the S-Bahn Zürich on the Zürcher Verkehrsverbund , Zürich transportation network, and is one of the network's lines connecting the cantons of Zürich and St...
. The river underneaths here Oberland Autobahn (A53 highway), now reaching the canton of St. Gallen
Canton of St. Gallen
The Canton of St. Gallen is a canton of Switzerland. St. Gallen is located in the north east of Switzerland. It covers an area of 2,026 km², and has a population of . , the population included 97,461 foreigners, or about 20.9% of the total population. The capital is St. Gallen. Spelling...
and Rapperswil-Jona
Rapperswil-Jona
Rapperswil-Jona is a municipality in the Wahlkreis of See-Gaster in the canton of St. Gallen in Switzerland.Besides Rapperswil and Jona, which were separate municipalities until 2006, the municipality includes Bollingen, Busskirch, Curtiberg, Kempraten-Lenggis, Wagen, and Wurmsbach.-Today:On...
, flowing nearly in straight direction through the village of Jona (SG)
Jona
Jona is a former municipality in the Wahlkreis of See-Gaster in the canton of St. Gallen in Switzerland.- Geography :Jona is located at the eastern shore of Lake Zürich...
. Finally, it forms a small river delta
River delta
A delta is a landform that is formed at the mouth of a river where that river flows into an ocean, sea, estuary, lake, reservoir, flat arid area, or another river. Deltas are formed from the deposition of the sediment carried by the river as the flow leaves the mouth of the river...
near Busskirch
Busskirch
Busskirch is a village within the municipality of Rapperswil-Jona in the canton of St. Gallen, Switzerland.- Geography :The village is located along the northern shore of the upper Lake Zurich between Jona and Bollingen...
and flows at Stampf lido in the upper Lake Zurich
Lake Zurich
Lake Zurich is a lake in Switzerland, extending southeast of the city of Zurich. It is also known as Lake Zürich and Lake of Zürich. It lies approximately at co-ordinates ....
(Obersee).
History and some facts
The river's name was first mentioned in 834 AD, the former municipality Jona was named much later. It is assumed that the name originates as either CelticCeltic languages
The Celtic languages are descended from Proto-Celtic, or "Common Celtic"; a branch of the greater Indo-European language family...
Jauna (the cold one) – Jona river is still largely determined by forest area – or, as Indo-Eurepean
Proto-Indo-European language
The Proto-Indo-European language is the reconstructed common ancestor of the Indo-European languages, spoken by the Proto-Indo-Europeans...
yamam, meaning stream
Stream
A stream is a body of water with a current, confined within a bed and stream banks. Depending on its locale or certain characteristics, a stream may be referred to as a branch, brook, beck, burn, creek, "crick", gill , kill, lick, rill, river, syke, bayou, rivulet, streamage, wash, run or...
. Latest interpretations say that the Indo-European word jeu roughly means to move, followed by the Old High German
Old High German
The term Old High German refers to the earliest stage of the German language and it conventionally covers the period from around 500 to 1050. Coherent written texts do not appear until the second half of the 8th century, and some treat the period before 750 as 'prehistoric' and date the start of...
name Jouna .
In the Middle Ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
, its hydropower
Hydropower
Hydropower, hydraulic power, hydrokinetic power or water power is power that is derived from the force or energy of falling water, which may be harnessed for useful purposes. Since ancient times, hydropower has been used for irrigation and the operation of various mechanical devices, such as...
was used for a larger number of watermill
Watermill
A watermill is a structure that uses a water wheel or turbine to drive a mechanical process such as flour, lumber or textile production, or metal shaping .- History :...
s along the small river. As a renewable source, in the 19th century, the river was important for industrialization (textile industry) of the communities Wald, Rüti, and Rapperswil-Jona.
Jona river measures 20 km in all, rising at 950 m.ü.M. (above sea level) and flowing in Lake Zurich at 406 m.ü.M. The river belongs to the Limmat
Limmat
The Limmat is a river in Switzerland. It is the continuation of the Linth river, known as Limmat from the point of effluence from Lake Zurich, in the city of Zurich. From Zurich it flows in a northwesterly direction, after 35 km reaching the river Aare...
→Aar→Rhine system. Its drainage basin
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...
measures 65 km².