Selz
Encyclopedia
The Selz is a river
in Rhineland-Palatinate
, Germany
, a left tributary to the Rhine. It flows through the biggest German wine region, which is called Rheinhessen
.
It rises near the village Orbis
in the Donnersbergkreis
, passes the border from the Palatinate to Rheinhessen and after about 8 km the city of Alzey
in the Alzey-Worms
district. There the river passes a pond
, and vanishes underground, flowing through the canalisation of the town. On their way she crosses Gau-Odernheim
, Nieder-Olm
and Ingelheim, finally discharging in Frei-Weinheim into the Rhine.
Its 375 km² comprising watershed
is determined by warm dry climate showing an average yearly precipitation
around 500 mm. Despite its slender, in many cases irregular water flow conditions, the Selz is regarded as receiving stream of the low rainfall area of the rheinhessian rolling country. During low water periods the discharge consists to a notable amount out of clean effluents of wastewater treating plants.
managed a revitalization of the Selz over a notale length between Hahnheim, Undenheim and Sörgenloch.
Loss of floodplain
and shorter river reaches caused higher flood peaks and risk of flood in the past. Some floods near disaster were the reason for a restoration concept. The concept contains flood protection, river bed stabilization and renaturation measures. The main objectives are:
Floodplains have been increased between 50 to 100 meter width. Nature is allowed to develop undisturbed in biotopes, which protect and promote the biodiversity
of the landscape with its meadow
s, trenches, bank slopes, marsh
areas, wetland
, phragmites, willow
s, hedges and boundary ridges. During the past 25 years, the village of Hahnheim has planted 27000 trees and hedges along the Selz in its boundary.
Since the Selz renaturation project covers several miles of the Selz River's bank, it is increasing the total length of the river.
The following villages and towns are located at the Selz:
A signposted cycle track along the Selz creek, the Selztalradweg, uses partially two old railway tracks of the Amiche and Zuckerlottche. Both railway tracks have an asphaltic surface. Sometimes a cycle path directly along the water bed may be used, as long as the weather is dry. Both ways proceed in parts under high trees, sheltering from the hot sun.
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 Rhineland-Palatinate
Rhineland-Palatinate
Rhineland-Palatinate is one of the 16 states of the Federal Republic of Germany. It has an area of and about four million inhabitants. The capital is Mainz. English speakers also commonly refer to the state by its German name, Rheinland-Pfalz ....
, 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...
, a left tributary to the Rhine. It flows through the biggest German wine region, which is called Rheinhessen
Rheinhessen
Rhenish Hesse refers to the part of the former Grand Duchy of Hesse-Darmstadt located west of the Rhine river and now part of Rhineland-Palatinate. It is a hilly countryside largely devoted to vineyards, therefore it is also called the "land of the thousand hills." Its larger towns include:...
.
It rises near the village Orbis
Orbis, Rhineland-Palatinate
Orbis is a municipality in the Donnersbergkreis district, in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany....
in the Donnersbergkreis
Donnersbergkreis
The Donnersbergkreis is a district in the middle of Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. Neighboring districts are Bad Kreuznach, Alzey-Worms, Bad Dürkheim, Kaiserslautern, Kusel.-History:...
, passes the border from the Palatinate to Rheinhessen and after about 8 km the city of Alzey
Alzey
Alzey is a Verband-free town – one belonging to no Verbandsgemeinde – in the Alzey-Worms district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is the fourth-largest town in Rhenish Hesse, after Mainz, Worms, and Bingen....
in the Alzey-Worms
Alzey-Worms
Alzey-Worms is a district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is bounded by the district Groß-Gerau , the city of Worms and the districts of Bad Dürkheim, Donnersbergkreis, Bad Kreuznach and Mainz-Bingen.- History :...
district. There the river passes a pond
Pond
A pond is a body of standing water, either natural or man-made, that is usually smaller than a lake. A wide variety of man-made bodies of water are classified as ponds, including water gardens, water features and koi ponds; all designed for aesthetic ornamentation as landscape or architectural...
, and vanishes underground, flowing through the canalisation of the town. On their way she crosses Gau-Odernheim
Gau-Odernheim
Gau-Odernheim is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of collective municipality – in the Alzey-Worms district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.- Location :...
, Nieder-Olm
Nieder-Olm
Nieder-Olm is a town in the Mainz-Bingen district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. Until 5 November 2006 it was an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of collective municipality – but it was raised to town the next day...
and Ingelheim, finally discharging in Frei-Weinheim into the Rhine.
Its 375 km² comprising 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...
is determined by warm dry climate showing an average yearly precipitation
Precipitation (meteorology)
In meteorology, precipitation In meteorology, precipitation In meteorology, precipitation (also known as one of the classes of hydrometeors, which are atmospheric water phenomena is any product of the condensation of atmospheric water vapor that falls under gravity. The main forms of precipitation...
around 500 mm. Despite its slender, in many cases irregular water flow conditions, the Selz is regarded as receiving stream of the low rainfall area of the rheinhessian rolling country. During low water periods the discharge consists to a notable amount out of clean effluents of wastewater treating plants.
Environmental restoration
Some decades of the 20th century were characterized by river straightening throughout the rivers and creeks in Germany. Due to this river training in the years between 1958–1963, the Selz creek is constricted between embankments and flows relative meandering through the plain, between the famous rolling hills of Rheinhessen. In order to stop river bed degradation and to improve both, biodiversity and flood protection, the local nature conservation foundation (Selztalverband) and the district Mainz-BingenMainz-Bingen
Mainz-Bingen is a district in the east of Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. Neighboring districts are Rheingau-Taunus, the district-free cities Wiesbaden and Mainz, the districts Groß-Gerau, Alzey-Worms, Bad Kreuznach, Rhein-Hunsrück.-History:During the French occupation under Napoleon the district...
managed a revitalization of the Selz over a notale length between Hahnheim, Undenheim and Sörgenloch.
Loss of floodplain
Floodplain
A floodplain, or flood plain, is a flat or nearly flat land adjacent a stream or river that stretches from the banks of its channel to the base of the enclosing valley walls and experiences flooding during periods of high discharge...
and shorter river reaches caused higher flood peaks and risk of flood in the past. Some floods near disaster were the reason for a restoration concept. The concept contains flood protection, river bed stabilization and renaturation measures. The main objectives are:
- flood protection for HQ100
- improvement of the ecological situation
- stabilizing river bed/erosion control
- stabilizing groundwater level
Floodplains have been increased between 50 to 100 meter width. Nature is allowed to develop undisturbed in biotopes, which protect and promote the biodiversity
Biodiversity
Biodiversity is the degree of variation of life forms within a given ecosystem, biome, or an entire planet. Biodiversity is a measure of the health of ecosystems. Biodiversity is in part a function of climate. In terrestrial habitats, tropical regions are typically rich whereas polar regions...
of the landscape with its meadow
Meadow
A meadow is a field vegetated primarily by grass and other non-woody plants . The term is from Old English mædwe. In agriculture a meadow is grassland which is not grazed by domestic livestock but rather allowed to grow unchecked in order to make hay...
s, trenches, bank slopes, marsh
Marsh
In geography, a marsh, or morass, is a type of wetland that is subject to frequent or continuous flood. Typically the water is shallow and features grasses, rushes, reeds, typhas, sedges, other herbaceous plants, and moss....
areas, wetland
Wetland
A wetland is an area of land whose soil is saturated with water either permanently or seasonally. Wetlands are categorised by their characteristic vegetation, which is adapted to these unique soil conditions....
, phragmites, willow
Willow
Willows, sallows, and osiers form the genus Salix, around 400 species of deciduous trees and shrubs, found primarily on moist soils in cold and temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere...
s, hedges and boundary ridges. During the past 25 years, the village of Hahnheim has planted 27000 trees and hedges along the Selz in its boundary.
Since the Selz renaturation project covers several miles of the Selz River's bank, it is increasing the total length of the river.
From Origin to Mouth
- OrbisOrbisOrbis may refer to:* Orbis , a Doctor Who audio play, starring Paul McGann and Sheridan Smith* Orbis , a quarterly journal of international affairs published by the Foreign Policy Research Institute...
- MorschheimMorschheimMorschheim is a municipality in the Donnersbergkreis district, in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany....
- MauchenheimMauchenheimMauchenheim is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of collective municipality – in the Alzey-Worms district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.- Location :...
- AlzeyAlzeyAlzey is a Verband-free town – one belonging to no Verbandsgemeinde – in the Alzey-Worms district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is the fourth-largest town in Rhenish Hesse, after Mainz, Worms, and Bingen....
- Alzey-Schafhausen
- FramersheimFramersheimFramersheim is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of collective municipality – in the Alzey-Worms district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.- Location :The municipality lies in Rhenish Hesse...
(Confluence of Weidas and Selz) - Gau-Köngernheim
- Gau-OdernheimGau-OdernheimGau-Odernheim is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of collective municipality – in the Alzey-Worms district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.- Location :...
- BechtolsheimBechtolsheimBechtolsheim is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of collective municipality – in the Alzey-Worms district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany...
- UndenheimUndenheimUndenheim is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of collective municipality – in the Mainz-Bingen district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany...
- Friesenheim
- KöngernheimKöngernheimKöngernheim is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of collective municipality – in the Mainz-Bingen district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.-Location:...
- SelzenSelzenSelzen is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of collective municipality – in the Mainz-Bingen district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.- Location :Selzen lies between Mainz and Worms in Rhenish Hesse on the Selz...
- HahnheimHahnheimHahnheim is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of collective municipality – in the Mainz-Bingen district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.-Location:Hahnheim lies between Mainz and Worms on the river Selz...
- SörgenlochSörgenlochSörgenloch is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of collective municipality – in the Mainz-Bingen district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.- Location :...
- Nieder-OlmNieder-OlmNieder-Olm is a town in the Mainz-Bingen district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. Until 5 November 2006 it was an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of collective municipality – but it was raised to town the next day...
, the reason for the foundation of Nieder-Olm is given by the passage of an old roman road over the Selz river which lead to the roman-camps around Mainz and the city itself. - Stadecken-ElsheimStadecken-ElsheimStadecken-Elsheim is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of collective municipality – in the Mainz-Bingen district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.-Location:...
- Bubenheim
- Schwabenheim an der SelzSchwabenheim an der SelzSchwabenheim an der Selz is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of collective municipality – in the Mainz-Bingen district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.- Location :...
- Groß-Winternheim
- Ingelheim am RheinIngelheim am RheinIngelheim am Rhein is a town in the Mainz-Bingen district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany on the Rhine’s west bank. The town calls itself the Rotweinstadt and since 1996 it has been Mainz-Bingen’s district seat....
Cycling along the Selz