Neumagen
Neumagen with cast iron bridge in Staufen
The Neumagen is a 26 km long tributary of the Möhlin in the district of Breisgau in the Black Forest. From its highest sources to the mouth of the total gradient is about 1000 meters. It is the steepest river on the west side of the southern Black Forest.
The name is such as Nijmegen (Latin Ulpia Noviomagus Batavorum ) of Celtic origin. He goes back to the Celtic word magos for " field ", " level ", then " market " and the Celtic adjective noviios for new. The ending was Latinized by -os to -us. The lower reaches of Neumagen various Roman settlement sites are archaeologically documented.
The Neumagen rises south-west of the hamlet of Schauinsland Stohren on the territory of the municipality Munster / Black Forest. The catchment area includes, among others, the southwestern foothills of the Schauinsland ( Obermünstertal ) and the northern part of the massif Ballon ( Untermünstertal ).
The idyllic run today in the Munster can hardly see how much the water power of the Neumagen was used through side channels for the mining and processing of ore in the Middle Ages. As a result of this use today have sediments or alluvial soils of the river to an elevated concentration of heavy metals.
In Staufen im Breisgau the Neumagen reached the Rhine valley into which he has poured a vast inland delta. He is heavily straightened to its mouth in the Möhlin on the territory of the municipality Bad Krozingen since the 18th century. This is due to the detectable 1708-1748 rafting. However, the river is divided with its tree-lined drive long-range, dominated by arable land level.
The Neumagen reached the Möhlin by branches and with reduced water flow through (especially in summer ) Seepage losses in the sandy- gravelly subsoil of its alluvial fan. The Möhlin appears so in spite of their much lower water flow than the main river, especially since her previously at the foot of Neumagen- alluvial fan entree also versickertes waters of Neumagen.
The Neumagen has its low-water phase (down to 0.1 m³ / s) in the summer months. Reinforced by the seepage may come from Oberkrozingen completely dry (1983, 1989, 1990, 2003, 2011).
In contrast, the Neumagen can swell dangerously after thunderstorm rainfall or in connection with the snow melt and burst their banks due to its low storage capacity of the soil. The highest measured effluent was 44.1 m³ / s achieved in May 1994.
In the area of Staufen the construction of a hydroelectric power plant is scheduled, leading to the medieval and modern use (commercial channel in Staufen formerly with numerous water mills) is a continuation of the river.