Ems (river)

River course

The river a few hundred meters from their source

The Ems (Latin Amisia; Westphalian iems, North Low Saxon and Dutch Eemian, Sater Frisian: Oamse ) is a river in the northwest of the Federal Republic of Germany. It rises in the Senne in Schloss Holte- Stukenbrock in the area of ​​Westphalia, first direction flows through the Westphalian Bay in a northwesterly approximately parallel to the Teutoburg Forest and from the border with Lower Saxony, between Rheine and salt mountains, then north as the North Sea. From the Ems Dollard which forms the partially disputed border to the Dutch province of Groningen. It flows about 27 kilometers northwest of Emden between Pilsum and Eemshaven in the North Sea.

Origin of the name

The name of the Ems derives from the Indo - old European word " Tamesis " from whose root 'tem' turn as much as dark means ( in this sense for dark river). Becomes clearer this relationship in the Latin name of the Ems " Amisia ".

The English River Thames is the same Indo-European word origin basis; here the similarity to the name of the Ems is particularly clear when the English pronunciation of the Thames into account: Thames [ TEMZ ]. The coinage of the word Tamesis than often -used name for (pour ) water goes back to the 2nd century BC.

Geography

Catchment area

The catchment area of the river Ems is as narrow, extending to südnördlich approximate rectangle between the river system of the Rhine in the west and in the east of the Weser. The river runs mostly near the western edge, so that the river system is asymmetric. From the right (east ) open the largest tributaries, hare and Leda, a. They together control about 45 m³ / s for the water supply of the Ems. The largest left tributary is the Werse around 6 m³ / s

The westward lower courses of hare and Leda run in meltwater channels before former Eisrandlagen the Saale glaciation ( glacial valleys ). In the southernmost former meltwater channel, between the Teutoburg Forest and Wiehengebirge, is the famous, albeit artificial bifurcation of the upper hare ( lower in the flowing to the left and the Hare flowing eastward Else ). Even the western edge of the catchment area is caused mainly by glacial formation: The Munsterlander Kiessandzug separates the field of EMS by which the Stever ( lip ) and the Vecht in the West.

The layer rib of the Teutoburg Forest is the most concise survey of the otherwise largely determined by lowlands and rather low in relief surveys Emsgebietes. Here is the Bielenstein ( 393.6 m), the highest elevation of the Emsgebietes.

River course

The river is 371 kilometers long, 206 kilometers of which are navigable. Your average flow is in their middle reaches at 80 m³ / s ( 79.8 m³ / s at the level verses ) and at its mouth at 125 m³ / s The source in the district Stukenbrock senna match the source type of the Sickerquelle, she pours all year. The source stream is created from a variety of water leakage that lie outside of the metropolitan area of ​​Schloss Holte- Stukenbrock ( Gütersloh ) on the territory of the municipality Hovelhof (Kreis Paderborn ).

The river is divided into three sections ( see Emsland):

• Upper Ems ( between the source and the Emswehr Hanekenfähr in Lingen )
• Average Ems ( between Lingen - Hanekenfähr and Papenburg )
• Lower Ems ( between Papenburg and the mouth in the North Sea)

The Ems estuary forms the lower reaches of the Ems, which is subject to tidal influence of the North Sea and the upper water influence. This area is divided into the following areas:

• Outer Ems estuary
• Westerems ( west and south of Borkum)
• Osterems ( north and east of Borkum)
• Outer Ems
• Emden fairway
• Dollard
• Lower Ems
• Leda Jümme area

The course of the river Ems has changed mainly by the action of the tides of the sea, where storm surges, especially at its lower run over the centuries. As in 1509, the Second Cosmas and Damianflut penetrated far into the interior of Rheiderland, today Ness Erland was ( the nephew ) separated at Emden Rheiderland. The Dollard was born. This will also be paved the Ems in the decades that followed a different course. In order to keep the port of Emden seaworthy, was already in 1583 begun to regulate the flow conditions in the river Ems by an oak wood sheet piling. Nevertheless, the so-called silted Emsbogen at Emden.

The Ems - Jade Canal, built in 1880-1888, runs between Emden and Wilhelmshaven and joins the Ems to the Jade Bay.

In Gandersum the Ems barrier was completed in 2002 to better protect the storm surge -prone areas at the lower Ems. For conversion of ships of the Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg the Emswasser is dammed by means of the Ems barrier.

In Bingum the 945 -meter-long Ems Highway 31 crosses under the river.

At idle the Jann -Berghaus Bridge, the longest bascule bridge in Northern Europe, the Ems spans.

The coastal channel since 1935 connects the Ems with the Hunte in Oldenburg, which then connects to the Weser in the following.

From Papenburg Ems is included at 59 km waterway in the Dortmund- Ems Canal. At the height of Haren Ems runs from the starting of the Haren- Ruetenbrock channel to the Netherlands. This channel is between the Rhine and the North Sea, the only navigable link between Germany and the Netherlands. The channel is primarily today of motor boats and the like. traveled. In Meppen the Dortmund -Ems Canal leaves the bed of the river Ems and runs after using the mouth of the bunny route to Hanekenfähr south of Lingen about 26 kilometers long parallel east of the Ems. In Hanekenfähr the Ems - Vecht channel branches off towards Nordhorn. From Hanekenfähr the channel again used the bed of the river Ems for 1.7 km, then the channel finally leaves the Ems. In the Ems salt mountains is crossed by more than 100 meters long bridge of the A30. Further upstream the border between Lower Saxony and North Rhine -Westphalia is achieved. About ten kilometers north of Münster is the channel transfer Münster- Gelmer whose "old approach", also called " CT " represents an important industrial monument of the late 19th century.

Tides

The tidal influence extends upstream to the lowest EMS barrage ( weir and sluice ) Herbrum, about 13 kilometers above Papenburg. The mean tidal range is three feet, at low water, it may be a tidal wave.

Environment

The river is in many places straightened, a few points of the natural river course have been preserved. In recent years, river sections were renatured with measures of restoration ecology, with some remaining old branches were reconnected in order to decrease the flow rate. Three Auenabschnitte at Westbevern north-east of Münster are supported by the NABU nature conservation station Münster. There Heck cattle and Konik be used to maintain the grassland and transform gradually the floodplain again in a designed landscape of large mammals. Between 2010 and 2013 several kilometers between Telgte and Warendorf were renatured ( area A ), with the purpose of development of so-called Sekundärauen Initialgerinne were dug during the canalized main run was filled.

Tributaries

The largest tributaries are the hare in Meppen and Leda in Leer.

Left tributaries

Rights tributaries

Shipping

The Ems is on the largest part of their navigable route a federal waterway, as an inland waterway of EMS 44.8 km south of Rheine to its seaward limits under the Federal Waterways Act at lower Ems - km 67.76. The section from Rheine to Gleesen ( 82.7 km ) belongs to the so-called other inland waterways of the covenant. Until 1998, the section between Greven ( km 0 ) and Rheine belonged to the federal waterways, but was ceded to the State of North Rhine -Westphalia. This section is also navigable for pleasure boats. The outdoor area of the Ems part of the North Sea seawater road. The federal waterway is managed by Waterways and Shipping Offices (ESC), initially by the ESC Rheine to Gleesen, then the ESC Meppen to Papenburg and finally by the WSA Emden. To the confluence with the Dortmund- Ems Canal at Meppen (km 124.1 ) is used exclusively by the Ems -motorized sports and recreational boat traffic.

In the further course of the river also serves as part of the Dortmund- Ems Canal commercial shipping, below Papenburg as a transport route for large ships of the Meyer -Werft. Because of the ever bigger ships, which are manufactured at the Meyer -Werft in particular for the cruise range, the EMS using the Ems barrier must be dammed at Gandersum. Only in this way a sufficient depth of water for the transfer of the cruise ships in the North Sea is possible. So far could this "congestion case " only in the winter months ( 16 September to 14 March ) are performed in order to be considerate of the breeding birds in the foreland of the Ems, since their eggs would otherwise be flooded. The Meyer Werft is pressing economic reasons to the possibility of a traffic jam and a boat transfer in the summer. There are currently plans for the construction of a canal from Papenburg to empty to relieve the Ems Ship Management of the Meyer -Werft. Angedacht is also an extension of the planned Emskanals about Papenburg addition to the Dortmund -Ems Canal at Dörpen. A feasibility study has been commissioned. The new channel could then mean a restoration of the river between Papenburg and Leer.

The chainage of the Ems in Greven starts at km 0 and ends in Meppen at 124.10 km. From there on, applies to Papenburg the chainage of the Dortmund- Ems Canal. From Papenburg begins with the lower Ems with a new chainage km 0, which ends at km 67.76 near Pilsum.

In the Outer Ems and on the lower Ems to Papenburg applies - under an agreement with the Netherlands from 1986 - the special shipping order Ems estuary instead of Maritime Traffic Regulations. Above Papenburg applies the inland waterways order.

Tourism

The Federal Highway 31 runs largely parallel to the Ems in Lower Saxony. Above idle it follows that river to the east, between Leer and Emden in the west and the north. The highway crosses under the river west of the Ems empty.

The river is crossed and accompanied by various Radfernwanderwegen:

• EmsRadweg between Schloss Holte- Stukenbrock and Hovelhof at the sources of the Ems Emden and at the mouth of the Ems
• German Fen Route
• Dollardroute between Papenburg and Delfzijl to the mouth of the Ems Dollard and
• Dortmund -Ems canal route
• Emsauenweg between Warendorf and Rheine
• Emsland- Route
• Hase- Ems - way
• United Countries Tour

Many sections of the Ems landscape protection areas. The natural and non- navigable areas are popular targets for canoeists. Inter alia is part of the Ems between Lingen and Meppen - Hanekenfähr - downtown ( total distance about 40 km ) is not or only partially usable by motorized boats. At fixed moorings, however, the loading and emerge from canoes is possible and allowed. Between Lingen - Schepsdorf and Lingen -Holthausen two smaller rapids are manageable.

The EMS has been included twice in Landesgartenschauen. Rheda In -Wiedenbrück 1988 ( as Flora Westfalica ) and in Rietberg 2008 Both areas today are available as high-quality recreation areas.

The EMS experience world in Schloss Holte -Stukenbrock near the Emsquellen provides an interactive tour information with information about the river from its source to its mouth in the North Sea and its surroundings.

Places on the Ems

• Westphalia Westphalian and Emsland

(Circles Gütersloh, Paderborn, Warendorf, Steinfurt ) Schloss Holte- Stukenbrock, Hovelhof, stone Horst, Westerwiehe, Schöning, Rietberg, Rheda- Wiedenbrück, Gütersloh, Harsewinkel, Herzebrock- Clarholz, Beelen, Warendorf, a, Telgte, Greven, Saerbeck, Emsdetten, Rheine

• Lower Saxony Emsland

( Counties Emsland and Leer, and the independent city of Emden ) salt mountains, Emsbueren, Elbergen, Lingen, Bee, Geestemünde, Meppen, Haren, Heede, Lathen, Fresenburg, stone image, Kluse, Dersum, Dörpen, Lehe, ash village, roadstead, Tunxdorf, Papenburg, Weener, Leer, Jemgum, Midlum, Critzum, Ditzum, Pogum, Rorichum, Oldersum, Gandersum, Emden, Knock

• Netherlands

(Groningen ) Delfzijl, Eemshaven

Chainage

• EMS 80 km Rheda- Wiedenbrück

• EMS 40 km Warendorf

• EMS 26 km Telgte

• EMS 11 km tributary of the Werse of links

• EMS km 10 km canal bridge Münster- Gelmer (Dortmund -Ems Canal )

• EMS km 0 Greven, military Schöneflieth, from here chainage for the federal waterway downstream

• EMS 1 km tributary of the Munster Aa from left

• Ems km 27.4 Emsdetten

• EMS 44.8 km south of Rheine, beginning as a federal waterway (as of 1 January 1998)

• Ems km 46.2 Rheine Rheine with Emswehr

• Ems km 46.6 Upper lock Rheine

• Ems km 47.5 Under lock Rheine

• Ems km 51.7 sluice Bentlage

• Ems km 58.1 salt mountains

• Ems km 71.9 sluice Listrup

• Ems km 82.7 to km 84.4 of Gleesen Emswehr Hanekenfähr common bed with the Dortmund -Ems Canal

• Ems km 86.5 Lingen plant

• EMS km 106.5 Dalum

• EMS km 124.1 common bed with the Dortmund -Ems Canal

• EMS km 124.15 Meppen, tributary of the rabbit from the right than the bed of the Dortmund- Ems Canal. The chainage of the Ems ends and we will continue to Papenburg by the chainage of the Dortmund- Ems Canal (DEK ). From here a number of military arms and oxbow lakes that still have the old Emskilometersteine ​​part.

• DEK - km 166.6 Meppen, early EMS as part of the Dortmund -Ems Canal

• DEK - km 174.1 lock Hüntel

• DEK - km 178.9 Haren

• DEK - km 185.9 lock Hilter

• DEK - km 195.1 lock Düthe

• DEK - km 202.5 mouth of the channel coast

• DEK - km 205.9 lock Bollingerfähr

• DEK - km 212.6 Herbrum lock, tidal limit

• DEK - km 225.8 Papenburg, Ems end as part of the Dortmund- Ems Canal, end as inland road

• Lower Ems km 0 Papenburg, start own chainage lower Ems, beginning as a shipping lane

• Lower Ems km 14.2 - empty, inflow of Leda from right

• Lower Ems km 30.3 - Oldersum, branch of the Ems - side channel

• Lower Ems km 32.2 - Emssperrwerk at Gandersum

• Lower Ems km 40.9 - entrance port of Emden

• Lower Ems - km 67.76 seaward limit of inland waterway Ems, beginning Outer Ems as seawater road

Trivia

With the name Ems River a cargo ship is christened, which was raided on 27 December 2010 by pirates.