Dreisam

The Dreisam (Celtic: *tragisamā, "the very fast one") is a 29 km long river, and a tributary of the Elz in the German state of Baden-Württemberg. The waters of the Dreisam feed the famous Freiburg Bächle runnels.

Geography

The Dreisam originates in the Dreisam valley (Dreisamtal) which is located in the Southern Black Forest (Südschwarzwald). The origin of the river can be found close to a bridge on the Landesstraße 127 which leads from Kirchzarten to Stegen. Here, two streams, the Rotbach and Wagensteinbach, meet to form the Dreisam river. This confluence is located in the western part of the Southern Black Forest Nature Park below the so-called Höllental, where the Rotchbach flows through, and the Wagensteigtal. From there on the Dreisam, which was canalized, flows towards the west and reaches Freiburg at the eastern end of Ebnet. Along the way the Dreisam meets the Krummbach and Brugga, two streams originating south of the Dreisam, as well as the Eschbach stream which flows north of the Dreisam. The river leaves the Black Forest at the Freiburg soccer stadium called Schwarzwald-Stadion and continues flowing westwards. In the eastern part of the city, water is withdrawn from the river at Sandfang. It is used to supply the Gewerbekanal, an industrial canal, and the famous Freiburg Bächle with water. A division of the river into a northern and southern branch takes place in the historic city center. The majority of the southern branch flows back into the Dreisam directly west of the Höllentahlbahnbrücke bridge which is located in the Stühlinger district. The remaining water runs through the areas Eschholz and Bischofslinde towards the west and ultimately flows back into the Dreisam near Lehen.