| Main | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Origin | Upper Franconia |
| Mouth | Rhine |
| Basin countries | Germany |
| Length | 529 km (329 miles) |
| Avg. discharge | ±200 m³/s (7,000 ft³/s) |
| Basin area | 27,292 km² (10,538 mi²) |
The Main (IPA: [maɪn]) is a river in Germany, 524 km (329 miles) long (including White Main, 574 km (357 mi)), and one of the more significant tributaries of the Rhine. It flows through the German states of Bavaria, Baden-Württemberg (forming the border with Bavaria for some distance) and Hesse. Its watershed competes with the Danube for water; as a result, many of its boundaries are identical with those of the European Watershed. The Main rises near Kulmbach at the joining of its two headstreams, the Red Main and the White Main. The former rises in the Frankish Alb, 50 km (30 mi) in length, and runs through Creussen and Bayreuth. The latter rises in the mountains of the Fichtelgebirge; it is 41 km (25 mi) long. Major tributaries of the Main are the Regnitz, the Fränkische Saale, the Tauber, and the Nidda.
Navigation
The Main is navigable for shipping from its mouth at the Rhine close to Mainz, via the Rhine-Main-Danube Canal and the highly regulated Altmühl river, all the way to the Danube. The river has been canalized with 34 large locks (300 m × 12 m, 984 feet × 39 feet) to allow CEMT class V (110 m × 11.45 m, 360 ft × 37.5 ft) vessels to navigate the total length of the river. The 16 locks in the adjacent Rhine-Main-Danube Canal are of the same dimensions, as are the locks on the Danube. The Main is navigable for 396 km of its length (starting from Bamberg), and since 1992 is connected to the Danube by the Rhine–Main–Danube Canal. Around Frankfurt are several large inland ports. Because the river is rather narrow on many of the upper reaches, navigation with larger vessels and push convoys requires great skill. The river has gained enormous importance as a vital part of European "Corridor VII", the inland waterway link from the North Sea to the Black Sea.[1]
References
- ^ NoorderSoft Waterways Database. Retrieved on 2007-10-24.
Tributaries of the Rhine | ||
|---|---|---|
| From the left | Vorderrhein · Thur · Töss · Glatt · Aare · Birs · Birsig · Ill · Sauer · Lauter (Wieslauter) · Queich · Speyerbach · Rehbach · Isenach · Eckbach · Eisbach · Pfrimm · Selz · Nahe · Moselle · Nette · Brohlbach · Ahr · Erft |  |
| From the right | Hinterrhein · Landquart · Ill · Dornbirner Ach · Bregenzer Ach · Argen · Schussen · Radolfzeller Aach · Wutach · Murg · Wehra · Wiese · Elz · Kinzig · Rench · Acher · Murg · Federbach · Alb · Pfinz · Kraichbach · Saalbach · Neckar · Weschnitz · Modau · Main · Wisper · Lahn · Wied · Sieg · Wupper · Düssel · Ruhr · Emscher · Lippe · Oude IJssel/Issel · Berkel · Schipbeek | |
