Zorn (river)

Zorn
The Zorn near Waltenheim-sur-Zorn
Map of the catchment area
Location
CountryFrance
RegionGrand Est
Reference no.FR: Sandre. "A34-0200".
Physical characteristics
Source 
 • locationIn the central Vosges, in the department of Moselle
 • coordinates48°33′54″N 7°13′21″E / 48.56500°N 7.22250°E / 48.56500; 7.22250
 • elevationca. 830 m
Mouth 
 • location
Near Rohrwiller into the Moder
 • coordinates
48°45′07″N 7°54′57″E / 48.75194°N 7.91583°E / 48.75194; 7.91583
 • elevation
ca. 120 m
Length97 km [1]
Basin size757.2 km2 (292.4 sq mi)[2]
Discharge 
 • locationmouth
 • average5.91 m3/s (209 cu ft/s)[2]
Basin features
ProgressionModerRhineNorth Sea
LandmarksSmall towns: Saverne, Brumath
Lützelburg castle above the upper reaches of the Zorn

The Zorn is a river that flows through the Lorraine and the Alsace as the largest and last of the tributaries of the river Moder, before the latter empties into the Rhine. It rises on the territory of Walscheid as the Yellow Zorn (German: Gelber Zorn, French: Zorn Jaune) and becomes the Zorn after its confluence with the right-hand tributary, the White Zorn (Ge: Weißer Zorn, Fr.: Zorn Blanche). It has a length of just under 97[1] kilometres and drains an area of 757 km². The French spelling Zorn first surfaced in the 18th century. Hitherto the river was called the Sorn, which stems from the pre-Celtic era and probably meant "the flowing one".[3] The upper reaches of the river, as far as Saverne, are home to many fine examples of architecture.[citation needed]

  1. ^ a b The figures on river length are based on the information about the Sandre. "Fiche cours d'eau - Zorn (A34-0200)"., retrieved 27 August 2011, rounded to whole kilometres.
  2. ^ a b Débits caractéristiques de la Zorn, Agence de l'eau Rhin-Meuse (French)
  3. ^ Albrecht Greule: Vor- und frühgermanische Flußnamen am Oberrhein, Heidelberg, 1973, p. 97 ISBN 3-533-02294-3, zugl. Diss. of the University of Freiburg/Br. 1971