Tverrvatnet

Tverrvatnet or Tvervatnet [tvær'vatne] is a lake in the municipality of Rana in Nordland county, Norway. The European route E12 highway between Mo i Rana and Sweden passes along the northern and eastern shores of the lake. Tverrvatnet gets its name from the fact that it is located "across" (Norwegian: på tvers), in a north-south direction, while most lakes in Rana are located in an east-west direction.

Watershed

The water in Tverrvatnet flows northwards into the lake Raudvatnet. The two lakes are connected by a short channel of water which is why the lake is sometimes considered to be the southern part of Raudvatnet. The river Tverråga flows to the north out of Raudvatnet towards the Ranfjorden. The river Tverråga is thus named after the lake Tverrvatnet, and those who gave the river Tverråga its name, did not consider Raudvatnet as a lake of its own, but as the northern part of Tverrvatnet. If Raudvatnet was the original name, the correct name of the river Tverråga, in local dialect, would in fact have been "Rauvassåga".