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| Helge River | |
|---|---|
 | |
 Helge River watershed (Interactive map) | |
| Native name | |
| Location | |
| Country | Sweden |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Mouth | Hanöbukten |
• coordinates | 55°51′30″N 14°14′10″E / 55.85833°N 14.23611°E |
• elevation | 0 m (0 ft) |
| Length | 190 km (120 mi)[1] |
| Basin size | 4,748.9 km2 (1,833.6 sq mi)[2] |
| Discharge | |
| • average | 55 m3/s (1,900 cu ft/s)[1] |
| • maximum | 320 m3/s (11,000 cu ft/s)[1] |
| Basin features | |
| Designation | |
| Official name | Helge å |
| Designated | 5 December 1974 |
| Reference no. | 16[3] |
The river Helge or, in Swedish, Helgeån, alternatively Helge å (lit. The Holy river), is a river which flows through Småland and Skåne in southern Sweden. The course of the river takes it through Kristianstad and out to the Bay of Hanöbukten in the Baltic Sea.
In the southern parts, there are large wetland areas with a rich bird life. The Kristianstads Vattenrike (The Rich Wetlands of Kristianstad/Water Kingdom) reserve extends along 35km and covers 100,000 hectares in the river's lower course near the city of Kristianstad and the Bay of Hanöbukten.[4] This wetland is recognized as having international importance under the Ramsar Convention.
Within the catchment area, there are 14 major lakes and 16 watercourses designated as being of national or regional value. There are also 64 Natura 2000 areas, 14 of which have been established because of their high nature values in the water. [citation needed]
- ^ a b c "Helge å". Nationalencyklopedin (in Swedish). Retrieved 12 July 2010. (subscription required)
- ^ "Län och huvudavrinningsområden i Sverige" [County and main catchment areas in Sweden] (PDF) (in Swedish). Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute. Archived from the original (PDF) on 31 March 2005. Retrieved 12 July 2010.
- ^ "Helge å". Ramsar Sites Information Service. Retrieved 25 April 2018.
- ^ Magnusson, Sven-Erik (2004). "The Changing Perception of the Wetlands in and around Kristianstad, Sweden: From Waterlogged Areas toward a Future Water Kingdom, Kristianstads Vattenrike Biosphere Reserve". Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences. 1023 (1): 323–327. doi:10.1196/annals.1319.018. ISSN 1749-6632. Retrieved 2024-03-12.