Ranelva

Course of Ranelva in the municipality Rana

Selfors bridge at about the Ranelva

Ranelva at Storvoll

Template: Infobox River / Obsolete

The Ranelva is a 130 km long river in the municipality of Rana, and thus one of the longest rivers in the Norwegian county of Nordland. The river has its origin in Saltfjell, on the border of Norway to Sweden, and flows northwestward as Randalselv ( Sami: Goabdesjåhkå ). The actual Ranelva begins at the confluence of Randalselva and Gubbeltåga. The river flows mainly west- southwesterly direction.

On his way to the southwest of the river coming takes on the Virvasselva from the south. This section of the river has the Sami name Ruovadajåhkå.

In Storvoll rivers flow Bjøllåga, Tespa and Stormdalsåga from the north and the south of Messingåga in the Ranelva. The river continues its path in a south-westerly direction continuing through the valley Dunderlandsdal where the rivers flow to him Grønfjellåga and pluralism.

Southwest of the small settlement Røssvoll, flows into the river Langvassåga which the lake drained Langvatnet, in the Ranelva. The Ranelva opens in Selfors near Mo i Rana in the eastern end of Ranfjords.

The catchment area of the river is 3790 km ². Before the construction of hydropower plants Reinforsen (1925) and Langvatnet (1964 ) was this even 3843 km ².

The European Route 6 follows the course of the river from the Arctic Circle to its mouth in Mo i Rana.

The Ranelva is popular with anglers. The river is rich in salmon and trout. One of the biggest salmon tunnel in Norway ( 385 m long, built in 1956 ) is located at the waterfall Reinforsen. The river has been treated under the waterfall Sjøforsen in the years 1996, 2004 and 2005 with rotenone to combat the salmon parasite Gyrodactylus salaris, which first appeared in 1975 in the river.