List of rivers of the Czech Republic

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Vltava River in Prague
Map of the 50 longest rivers of the Czech Republic

This is a list of rivers of the Czech Republic.

Naming conventions[]

Czech language distinguishes between larger (river) and smaller (stream, creek, brook etc.) watercourses; the respective nouns being řeka (feminine, "river") and potok (masculine, "stream"). River names are mostly self-standing nouns and not accompanied with the generic word for river (except when confusion might arose because name is shared with some towns, e.g. Jihlava; in such cases one sometimes says řeka Jihlava).

In contrast, stream names mostly consist of two words because they contain an adjective (usually stemming from physical properties (e.g. Černý potok-"Black Stream"), usage (e.g. Mlýnský potok – "Mill Stream") or derived from location through which it flows (e.g. Rakovnický potok-"Rakovník Stream")). These two-word names are used as a whole, the word potok making an inseparable part of the name (i.e. Mlýnský potok, not just Mlýnský). There are also streams with one-word names (either masculine or feminine) akin to rivers (e.g. Botič or Modla) but they are simply considered streams due to their small size. In such cases the word potok is optional and precedes the name (potok Modla).

Drainage basins[]

Catchment areas of the Elbe-Vltava system (dark grey) and the Morava-Thaya (light grey) before they leave Czech territory. The remaining white areas in the northeast and north belong to the Oder and its tributaries while narrow white strip along southwestern border denotes some smaller direct tributaries of the Danube.
Triple Divide Point marked on summit of Mt. Klepý

As the Main European Watershed passes through the Czech Republic, there are three directions and principal areas of drainage (very roughly overlapping with historical territories of Bohemia, Moravia and Silesia): Almost 2/3 of the country is drained in NW direction through the Elbe into the North Sea. The Morava flowing towards SE collects water from eastern regions of the Czech Republic and discharges into Danube which flows to the Black Sea. The northeast and some northern portions of the territory is drained by the Oder and its tributaries like Lausitzer Neisse into the Baltic Sea. The corresponding watershed tripoint with a marker for symbolic "roof of Europe" (50°9'27"N 16°47'27"E) is located at Czech-Polish border on Mt. near Dolní Morava in Králický Sněžník Mountains.

The catchment area of the Elbe down to Czech-German border in Hřensko/Schöna covers 51,394 square kilometres (19,843 sq mi). This figure includes upper courses of some tributaries starting in neighbouring countries. The area solely within Czech borders is slightly smaller and this is the figure given in the following table, which shows Czech territory divided after drainage basins.

River level 1 level 2 level 3
Elbe 49,933[1]
Vltava 27,006.70[2]
Ohře 4,601.05[3]
Danube 21,736[4]
Morava 20,692.4[5]
Thaya 11,164.7[6]
Oder 7,217
total (km²) 78,886

Table of rivers[]

While the Elbe is the longest Czech-related river when measured through its overall length (i.e. including its lower course in Germany), its tributary the Vltava surpasses it as the longest river within the territory of the Czech Republic itself. (In fact the Vltava also carries more water than the Elbe at their confluence.)

Rank River Length within CR (km) Avg. discharge[7] (m³/s) Total basin (km²) Tributary to Mouth location Photo
1st Vltava 430[8] 151 28,090 Elbe Mělník Slapy Reservoir on middle course of the Vltava
2nd Elbe 370[9] 308 144,055 North Sea Cuxhaven (Germany) Confluence of the Elbe and Ploučnice in Děčín
3rd Morava 284[10] 65[11] 26,658 Danube Bratislava-Devín (Slovakia) Morava near Uherský Ostroh
4th Ohře 256[12] 38 5,614 Elbe Litoměřice Ohře near Doksany during a dry summer
5th Berounka (Mže) 246 36 8,823 Vltava Prague-Lahovice Berounka flowing through Bohemian Karst near Tetín
6th Sázava 225 25 4,350 Vltava Davle Sázava near ruin of Zbořený Kostelec Castle
7th Thaya 209[13] 44 13,419 Morava Hohenau (Austria) Thaya in Podyjí National Park
8th Jihlava 185 12 3,117 Svratka Ivaň Jihlava near Dolní Kounice
9th Svratka 174 15[14] 7,119 Thaya Pouzdřany Svratka in Brno-Bystrc
10th Jizera 164 24 2,193 Elbe Lázně Toušeň Jizera near Malá Skála
11th Lužnice 153[15] 24 4,226 Vltava Neznašov A weir on the Lužnice in Dobronice near Bechyně
12th Oder 136[16] 48 118,861 Baltic Sea Świnoujście (Poland) Oder in Ostrava
13th Orlice (+Divoká Orlice) 136 22 2,036 Elbe Hradec Králové Orlice near Třebechovce pod Orebem
14th Otava (+Vydra) 134 26 3,788 Vltava Zvíkov Otava in Sušice
15th Opava 129 18 2,088 Oder Ostrava- Opava near Háj ve Slezsku
16th Bečva (Vsetínská Bečva) 120 18 1,626 Morava Troubky Bečva near Grymov
17th Radbuza 112 11 2,179 Berounka Plzeň Radbuza in Dobřany
18th Úhlava 109 6 919 Radbuza Plzeň- Upper course of the Úhlava
19th Moravice 105 8 901 Opava Opava Source of the Moravice is located high in the Hrubý Jeseník Mountains
20th Chrudimka 104 6 870 Elbe Pardubice Chrudimka near Škrovád
21th Ploučnice 103 9 1,194 Elbe Děčín Ploučnice near Česká Lípa
22th Oslava 100 4 867 Jihlava Ivančice- Oslava in Oslavany

Hierarchical list[]

Rivers not located themselves within the Czech Republic but possessing tributaries originating on the Czech territory are shown in strikethrough italics. Rivers over 100 km long or having average discharge greater than 10 m³/s are emphasized in bold.

Rivers flowing to the North Sea (Elbe basin)[]

tributaries joining the Elbe during its course through Germany (from area along Czech-German border in NW of the country, esp. from the Ore Mountains)
Some rivers of Saxony, Thuringia and Brandenburg have their headwaters located in the Czech Republic
Scheme of principal tributaries and their contribution to average discharge of the Elbe (in m³/s)
Křinice Gorge in the rocks of the Elbe Sandstone Mountains
  • Elbe; leaves the Czech Republic at Hřensko, empties into the North Sea)
    • Havel
      • Spree (c. 1 km section of upper course in Fukov salient; in Lusatian Highlands)
    • Saale
      • Rokytnice (German: Südliche Regnitz; originates in the Fichtel Mountains)
      • White Elster (originates in the Fichtel Mountains)
    • Mulde
      • Zwickauer Mulde
        • Černá (German: Schwarzwasser; originates in the Ore Mountains)
      • Moldavský potok (German: Freiberger Mulde; originates in Ore Mountains)
        • Zschopau
          • Polava (German: Pöhlbach; originates in the Ore Mountains)
          • Přísečnice (German: Preßnitz; originates in the Ore Mountains)
          • Flöha (originates in the Ore Mountains)
            • Černá (German: Schwarze Pockau)
            • Načetínský potok (German: Natzschung)
            • Svídnice (German: Schweinitz)
    • Weißeritz
    • Müglitz
      • (German: Weiße Müglitz; originates in the Ore Mountains)
      • (German: Schwarzbach, Schwarze Müglitz)
      • Rybný potok (German: Gottleuba; originates in the Ore Mountains)
        • Slatina (German: Bahra, Mordgrundbach)
          • (German: Buschbach)
        • (German: Fuchsenbach)
    • Ostrovská Bělá (German: Biela; originates in the Elbe Sandstone Mountains)
      • (German: Fuchsbach, Cunnersdorfer Bach)
        • (German: Taubenbach)
    • Lachsbach
      • Vilémovský potok (a.k.a. Sebnice, German: Sebnitz; originates in the Elbe Sandstone Mountains)
    • Křinice (German: Kirnitzsch; originates in the Elbe Sandstone Mountains)
tributaries joining the Elbe within Czech Republic, i.e. rivers from major part of Bohemia
The Bílina in Stadice before Ústí nad Labem
A barge with sand on the Vltava below Prague
Berounka as seen from Dolany Bridge near Dolany
Confluence of Vltava and Sázava in Davle
Orlík Dam on the Vltava in south-central Bohemia. The most important series of dams in the country, so called , is located on the middle Vltava above Prague.
Písek Stone Bridge over the Otava, the oldest bridge in the country
Canoeing on the Lužnice, a favorite river of water tourists
Vltava, a symphonic poem by Bedřich Smetana, describes the course of the Vltava from source to mouth
Riverbed full of boulders in upper course of the Jizera near Kořenov
Cidlina on its lower course in Libice nad Cidlinou
Confluence of the Elbe and Orlice in Hradec Králové
Viktorka's Weir on the Úpa featured in the popular Czech novel The Grandmother by Božena Němcová

Rivers flowing to the Baltic Sea (Oder basin)[]

tributaries joining the Oder during its course through Poland (from northern parts of Bohemia (esp. around city of Liberec - , and NW slopes of the Jizera Mountains) and NW portion of Czech Silesia (esp. Jeseník District))
Drainage basin of the Oder includes the northeast and some northern portions of Czech territory.
Lužická Nisa in Liberec
A flash flood on the Smědá in August 2010
in Mikulovice (Jeseník District)
Olza creating Czech-Polish border in Český Těšín/Cieszyn
Ostravice in downtown Ostrava
Natural monument Meandry Lučiny, a preserved meandering section of the Lučina near Havířov
Morávka near Raškovice
Confluence of the Oder (left) and the Opava (right) in Ostrava
tributaries joining the Oder within Czech Republic, i.e. rivers from NE parts of the country, esp. Moravian-Silesian Region

Rivers flowing to the Black Sea (Danube basin)[]

rivers from SE regions of the country (i.e. most of Moravia)

(The Morava accounts for almost all discharge, the only exception being the , which belongs to the Váh subbasin)

Drainage basin of the Danube with Morava, Svratka and Thaya shown in the southeast of the country
Confluence of the Thaya and Morava at A/CZ/SK tripoint
Flooded Jihlava in Třebíč (spring 2006)
tributaries to the Danube from SW borders of the country (i.e. rivers flowing from Bohemian Forest and Upper Palatinate Forest to Upper Austria and Bavaria)

Alphabetical list[]

Notes[]

  1. ^ 144,055 km² including part of basin extending to Germany, Austria and Poland
  2. ^ 28,090 km² including part of basin extending to Germany and Austria
  3. ^ 5,614 km² including part of basin extending to Germany
  4. ^ the remaining area of the Czech Republic after subtracting of Elbe and Oder drainage basins
  5. ^ 26,658 km² including part of basin extending to Austria and Slovakia
  6. ^ 13,419 km² including part of basin extending to Austria
  7. ^ at mouth (if within Czech Republic) or at national border
  8. ^ Total length of Vltava and Elbe courses combined within Czech territory is 530 km
  9. ^ Total length of the Elbe (including territory of Germany) is 1165 km
  10. ^ Total length of the Morava (including territory of Slovakia and Austria) is 353 km
  11. ^ before confluence with Thaya
  12. ^ Total length of the Ohře (including territory of Germany) is 316 km
  13. ^ Total length of the Thaya (including territory of Austria and Deutsche Thaya) is 306 km
  14. ^ before confluence with Jihlava
  15. ^ Total length of the Lužnice (including territory of Austria) is 208 km
  16. ^ Total length of the Oder (including territory of Poland and Germany) is 861 km
Retrieved from ""