Helle (Orke)

BW

The Light is about 3.7 km long, western and orographic right tributary of the Orke in the northeast part of the Rothaargebirge in North Rhine- Westphalia ( Germany ).

Course

The Bright springs west of the center of Winterberg's urban core. Your source is located in a residential area between Herrlohtunnel in West southwest and a west of Winterberg's Old nearby, small park located in the east-northeast.

The Light flows - in Winterberg partly underground - shortly after their source by the aforementioned park, where a small pond located. Then it happened - after passing under the highway 236 - the old town to the north and then runs through the park In the Light of the nature reserve ravine forest Bright. Henceforth, it flows within this conservation area in an easterly direction through the steep Helletal where it is dammed to the small lake.

Shortly thereafter, the Light flows from the south, situated on the Orke Elkeringhausen in the Eder inflow Orke.

Catchment and inflows

The Bright, whose catchment area is 3.891 km ² in size, has many small tributaries, but the most lead only during snow melt or after heavy rains water.

Find out more

Until the construction of the St. Francis Hospital in 1888, the Bright sprang still south of the old town on the Kreuzberg. However, it was then partly conducted underground at the Old Town over. In some houses, there are still wells that collect the water.

Watershed

The headwaters of the Light is located on the Rhine -Weser watershed: while the water of the Light flows through the Orke to the southeast in the Eder and Fulda to the Weser, aiming the water which is approximately 800 m to the west rises, the path of the Nameless, Negroes and Ruhr to the Rhine.

Nature, environment, fauna

The outstanding run of Light is located in the 58 acre nature reserve "Glen Forest Light ". The entire reserve is also part of the identical in the delimitation FFH area "Glen Forest Light at Winterberg " in which occur many rare plants and animals of the Red List. The forest stands are Luzulo -Buchwald, silver leaf maple ravine forest and talus forest. In the forest stands several meters find high cliffs, and there make a variety of sources and rivulets for a rich structuring. In the protected area there are extensive wetlands and wet meadows. Meanwhile, the North Rhine -Westphalia Foundation and the State of North Rhine -Westphalia have purchased large areas in a nature reserve at the request of the association for nature and bird protection in Hochsauerlandkreis. The areas of the Foundation and of the country are farmed extensively according to the specifications of the cultural landscape care program of Hochsauerlandkreises.

In the forests of the NSG several woodpecker species, including the gray-headed woodpecker come before. Am Bach dippers can be found. The Black Stork, which nests in the adjacent forests of southeast Glindfelder Forst, is more common food guest on stream. Until the early 1990s occurring species Common Snipe, Meadow Pipit and Whinchat are extinct in the nature reserve.