Olef

Olef
Confluence of the Olef and the Urft in Gemünd
Native name	Template:Native name checker
Location
Countries	Germany and Belgium
Reference no.	DE: 28228
Physical characteristics
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Mouth
• location	In Gemünd into the Urft
• coordinates
• elevation	Template:Infobox river/calcunit
Length	Template:Infobox river/calcunit
Basin size	Template:Infobox river/calcunit
• minimum	Template:Infobox river/calcunit
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Basin features
Progression	Template:RUrft
Waterbodies	Reservoirs: Olef Reservoir
File:Rurverlauf.JPG The Olef, tributary of the Urft

The Olef is a river in Liège, Belgium and North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is 27.9 kilometres (17.3 mi) long and a left-hand tributary of the Urft. It flows through the Eifel Mountains in the western part of the Germany and eastern part of Belgium.

Geography

The Olef rises on the Ramscheider Höhe, near the Zitter Forest, about Template:Cvt southwest of Hollerath at an elevation of 639 m above sea level (NHN), immediately on the state border. From here it flows initially northwest and through the woods of the Dreiherren Wald. The valley of the Olef forms the state border here which runs along the river. From its confluence with the Wiesbach it enters Germany. It then forms inter alia, the eastern boundary of the safety zones of the Elsenborn Military Training Area. The river course changes direction in a wide arc to head east.

In the next section the Olef flows through the Schleiden Forest (Forst Schleiden) and is impounded to create the Olef Reservoir in front of Hellenthal. In Hellenthal it is joined from the right and southwest by the Platißbach. At the end of the village of Hellenthal, near Kirschseiffen, the river turns north. At the northern edge of Blumenthal it picks up the Reifferscheider Bach from the right. Other villages en route are Oberhausen, Schleiden, Olef, Nierfeld and Gemünd. Here the Olef discharges into the Urft from the left at a height of 334 m above NHN.

Along its 27.9-kilometre-long route the Olef descends through 335 metres, which represent an average riverbed gradient of 12 ‰. It drains an area of Template:Cvt

File:Schleiden Schloss 12.JPG

The Olef in Schleiden

Tributary streams

• Jansbach – 4.7 km Template:GeoQuelle long, left-hand tributary at 560 m above NHN
• Troglichtenbach – 2.9 km Template:GeoQuelle long, left-hand tributary
• Rathssiefen – 1.7 km Template:GeoQuelle long, right-hand tributary
• Merlenbach – 1.4 km Template:GeoQuelle long, right-hand tributary at 486 m above NHN
• Wiesbach – 5.8 km Template:GeoQuelle long, left-hand tributary at 481 m above NHN
• Reiffelbach – 1.8 km Template:GeoQuelle long, left-hand tributary at 479 m above NHN
• Kürteborn – 0.7 km Template:GeoQuelle long, right-hand tributary discharging into the Olef Reservoir at 465 m above NHN
• Lehrbach – 1.1 km Template:GeoQuelle long, right-hand tributary discharging into the Olef Reservoir at 465 m above NHN
• Birkensiefen – 1.5 km Template:GeoQuelle long, left-hand tributary
• Hesselbach – 1.8 km Template:GeoQuelle long, left-hand tributary discharging into the Olef Reservoir at 465 m above NHN
• Hesselbach – 1.2 km Template:GeoQuelle long, right-hand tributary discharging into the Olef Reservoir at 465 m above NHN
• Engelmannssiefen – 0.9 km Template:GeoQuelle long, left-hand tributary
• Jüngselbach – 2.5 km Template:GeoQuelle long, left-hand tributary discharging into the Olef Reservoir at 465 m above NHN
• Schürenter Siefen – 0.5 km Template:GeoQuelle long, left-hand tributary
• Tössiefen – 0.8 km Template:GeoQuelle long, right-hand tributary discharging into the Olef Reservoir at 465 m above NHN
• Gammelsbach – 1.0 km Template:GeoQuelle long, left-hand tributary
• Moderbach – 1.1 km Template:GeoQuelle long, right-hand tributary discharging into the Olef Reservoir at 465 m above NHN
• Bernerssiefen – 0.8 km Template:GeoQuelle long, left-hand tributary
• Kohlsiefen – 1.3 km Template:GeoQuelle long, left-hand tributary
• Platißbach – 7.4 km Template:GeoQuelle long, right-hand tributary in Hellenthal at 403 m above NHN
• Hintersiefen – 0.9 km Template:GeoQuelle long, right-hand tributary
• Reifferscheider Bach – 13.7 km Template:GeoQuelle long, right-hand tributary in Blumenthal at 387 m above NHN
• Mühlenseifen – 1.4 km Template:GeoQuelle long, right-hand tributary
• Rinkenbach – 2.9 km Template:GeoQuelle long, right-hand tributary in Oberhausen at 379 m above NHN
• Holzbach – 1.9 km Template:GeoQuelle long, left-hand tributary
• Hellesbach – 2.3 km Template:GeoQuelle long, left-hand tributary near Oberhausen at 375 m above NHN
• Scheidebach – 2.2 km Template:GeoQuelle long, right-hand tributary near Wiesgen at 374 m above NHN
• Holgenbach – 1.3 km Template:GeoQuelle long, right-hand tributary
• Dieffenbach – 7.3 km Template:GeoQuelle long, left-hand tributary in Schleiden at 363 m above NHN
• Höddelbach – 4.3 km Template:GeoQuelle long, left-hand tributary in Schleiden at 362 m above NHN
• Rosselbach – 2.1 km Template:GeoQuelle long, right-hand tributary near Schleiden at 357 m above NHN
• Selbach – 2.6 km Template:GeoQuelle long, right-hand tributary near Olef at 351 m above NHN
• Paffenbach – 1.4 km Template:GeoQuelle long, left-hand tributary
• Frohnbach – 1.1 km Template:GeoQuelle long, right-hand tributary
• Dehlenbach – 2.2 km Template:GeoQuelle long, right-hand tributary
• Tränkelbach – 1.6 km Template:GeoQuelle long, right-hand tributary

File:Truppenübungsplatz Elsenborn.jpg

Training and security areas on the Olef and Olef Reservoir

External links

• Media related to at Wikimedia Commons