Großache
Encyclopedia
The Großache is a river, 79 kilometres (49.1 mi) long, in the east of the Austria
n state of Tyrol
and the Bavaria
n region of Chiemgau
.
, and in its lower reaches in Germany as the Tiroler Achen. It rises on the Thurn Pass on the territory of Salzburg province, reaches the Tyrolean border after just 400 metres and the German border after 55 kilometres (34.2 mi), discharging 24 kilometres (14.9 mi) later near Grabenstätt
into the Chiemsee
lake.
The Großache is not the only river whose name changes at the border of 2 countries that share the same language. A variation of its Austrian name is the Große Ache; the Bavarian section is also called the Tiroler Ache. The term Achen is not a plural form, but a peculiarity of the Bavarian dialect. The name Kössener Ache is also used.
Pass. A few of its early tributaries are, however, larger and have a greater discharge. The most important is the Trattenbach which starts as a trickle from a high cirque
at about 1900 m above sea level between the mountains of the Zweitausender and the Rossgruberkkogel south of the Kleiner Rettenstein
, and is fed by several other springs before it joins the Jochberger Ache.
The valleys of the Jochberger Ache and Kitzbüheler Ache are surrounded by the Kitzbühel Alps. The peaks at the end of the side valleys have heights of up to 2363 m above sea level (the Geißstein
), around Kitzbühel they are under 2000 m.
The Großache forms the eastern boundary of the Kaisergebirge
.
Shortly after St. Johann, still in the valley of Leukental
, lie the villages of Kirchdorf in Tirol
and Erpfendorf. Between Kössen, which lies in an east-west valley opening onto the Inn trench and also known as Kaiserwinkl, and the Bavarian valley near Schleching
the river pierces the Chiemgau Alps
in a narrow gorge, the Entenloch. Near Grassau the Tiroler Achen reaches the Alpine Foreland.
The Tiroler Achen finally discharges into the lake of Chiemsee and, thence via the river Alz
, belongs to the right-hand river system of the Inn, and the Danube
, whose waters eventually reach the Black Sea. Its main tribuataries, apart from its headstreams, are the Kitzbühler, Fieberbrunner and Reither Ache, shortly before Kössen the Schwarzlofer
from Reit im Winkl
, and in Kössen the Kohlenbach and Weißenbach from the lake of Walchsee
.
The area of the river delta
where it discharges into the Chiemsee is designated as a nature reserve
.
From 1996-2001 the Großache was renaturised in the area of Kirchdorf in Tirol
as part of the Kirchdorf flood protection project. This was achieved by deepening the river bed and widening the banks to produce greater drainage volume. In order to guarantee 100 year flood event safety, the river bed was lowered by 1.8 m over a distance of 6.5 km, and the cross-section widened to an average of 60–100 m. In the flood plain a 20 ha area was set aside for flood retention. In addition to flood protection, this innovative strategy has along brought additional benefits in the shape of nature conservation and human recreation.
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
n state of Tyrol
Tyrol (state)
Tyrol is a state or Bundesland, located in the west of Austria. It comprises the Austrian part of the historical region of Tyrol.The state is split into two parts–called North Tyrol and East Tyrol–by a -wide strip of land where the state of Salzburg borders directly on the Italian province of...
and the Bavaria
Bavaria
Bavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
n region of Chiemgau
Chiemgau
Chiemgau is the common name of a geographic area in Upper Bavaria. It refers to the foothills of the Alps between the rivers Inn and Traun, with lake Chiemsee at its center. The political districts that contain the Chiemgau are Rosenheim and Traunstein...
.
Names
The river is known by four different names, each applying to a different section of its course: above Kitzbühel it is the Jochberger Ache, from Kitzbühel to St. Johann in Tyrol it is known as the Kitzbüheler Ache, in its middle reaches as the Großache, a name also used for the entire Austrian section, and in its lower reaches in Germany as the Tiroler Achen. It rises on the Thurn Pass on the territory of Salzburg province, reaches the Tyrolean border after just 400 metres and the German border after 55 kilometres (34.2 mi), discharging 24 kilometres (14.9 mi) later near Grabenstätt
Grabenstätt
Grabenstätt is a municipality in the district of Traunstein in Bavaria, Germany, famous for its friendly locals....
into the Chiemsee
Chiemsee
Chiemsee is a freshwater lake in Bavaria, Germany, between Rosenheim, Germany, and Salzburg, Austria. It is often called the Bavarian Sea. The rivers Tiroler Achen and Prien flow into the lake; the river Alz, out of it...
lake.
The Großache is not the only river whose name changes at the border of 2 countries that share the same language. A variation of its Austrian name is the Große Ache; the Bavarian section is also called the Tiroler Ache. The term Achen is not a plural form, but a peculiarity of the Bavarian dialect. The name Kössener Ache is also used.
Source
In many publications, even the more serious ones, the length of the Austrian section of the river is often erroneously given as 48 km and on many maps the start of the river in Salzburg provinces is left out. On the official Austrian 1:200,000 scale map the highest part of the river is shown as the Trattenbach, which is longer and also delivers greater quantities of water than the nominal headstream of the river.Course
The nominal source of the Jochberger Ache lies at 1270 m above sea level on the ThurnThurn
Thurn is a municipality in the district of Lienz in Tyrol in Austria....
Pass. A few of its early tributaries are, however, larger and have a greater discharge. The most important is the Trattenbach which starts as a trickle from a high cirque
Cirque
Cirque may refer to:* Cirque, a geological formation* Makhtesh, an erosional landform found in the Negev desert of Israel and Sinai of Egypt*Cirque , an album by Biosphere* Cirque Corporation, a company that makes touchpads...
at about 1900 m above sea level between the mountains of the Zweitausender and the Rossgruberkkogel south of the Kleiner Rettenstein
Kleiner Rettenstein
The Kleiner Rettenstein is a 2,216 metre high mountain in the Austrian state of Tyrol. It lies in the Kitzbühel Alps, roughly east of its larger brother, the Großer Rettenstein....
, and is fed by several other springs before it joins the Jochberger Ache.
The valleys of the Jochberger Ache and Kitzbüheler Ache are surrounded by the Kitzbühel Alps. The peaks at the end of the side valleys have heights of up to 2363 m above sea level (the Geißstein
Geißstein
The Geißstein, sometimes also called the Gaisstein, is a mountain in the Kitzbühel Alps with a height of that straddles the border between the federal Austrian states of Tyrol and Salzburg...
), around Kitzbühel they are under 2000 m.
The Großache forms the eastern boundary of the Kaisergebirge
Kaisergebirge
The Kaisergebirge is a mountain range in the Northern Limestone Alps and Eastern Alps. It consists of two main mountain ridges – the Zahmer Kaiser to the north and the Wilder Kaiser to the south. The entire range is situated in the Austrian state of Tyrol between the town of Kufstein and the...
.
Shortly after St. Johann, still in the valley of Leukental
Leukental
The Leukental is a valley in North Tyrol in the district of Kitzbühel in Austria. The Leukental runs north to south from the Thurn Pass to the Bavarian border, but is not just defined as the main valley but includes several smaller side valleys...
, lie the villages of Kirchdorf in Tirol
Kirchdorf in Tirol
Kirchdorf in Tirol is a municipality in the Kitzbühel district and is located 12.20 km north of Kitzbühel as well as 3 km north of Sankt Johann in Tirol at the Kitzbühler Ache. The area is the 2nd largest one in size in the district. The village has got its name from an old church which was...
and Erpfendorf. Between Kössen, which lies in an east-west valley opening onto the Inn trench and also known as Kaiserwinkl, and the Bavarian valley near Schleching
Schleching
Schleching is a municipality in the district of Traunstein in Bavaria, Germany....
the river pierces the Chiemgau Alps
Chiemgau Alps
The Chiemgau Alps are a mountain range in the Northern Limestone Alps and therefore belong to the Eastern Alps. Their major part is situated in Bavaria, Germany and only a small section crosses the Austrian border into the states of Salzburg and Tirol...
in a narrow gorge, the Entenloch. Near Grassau the Tiroler Achen reaches the Alpine Foreland.
The Tiroler Achen finally discharges into the lake of Chiemsee and, thence via the river Alz
Alz
The Alz is a river in Bavaria, southern Germany, the only discharge of the Chiemsee. Its origin is on the northern shore near Seebruck. It is a right tributary of the Inn, into which it flows in Marktl...
, belongs to the right-hand river system of the Inn, and the Danube
Danube
The Danube is a river in the Central Europe and the Europe's second longest river after the Volga. It is classified as an international waterway....
, whose waters eventually reach the Black Sea. Its main tribuataries, apart from its headstreams, are the Kitzbühler, Fieberbrunner and Reither Ache, shortly before Kössen the Schwarzlofer
Schwarzlofer
Schwarzlofer is a river of Bavaria, Germany.-See also:*List of rivers of Bavaria...
from Reit im Winkl
Reit im Winkl
Reit im Winkl is a small village in the southeastern part of Bavaria, Germany, in the Traunstein district. It is situated southwest of Ruhpolding in the Alps. The village area has borders with two states of Austria, Tyrol and Salzburg. The small village of Kössen in Tyrol is the next village...
, and in Kössen the Kohlenbach and Weißenbach from the lake of Walchsee
Walchsee
Walchsee is a municipality in Tyrol, Austria, in the Kufstein district. It is located in the lower Inn valley and belongs to the "Kaiserwinkl" and the "Untere Schranne".-Geography:...
.
Water works and conservation
Increasing settlement in the Leuken and Achen valleys, the lower valleys of the Ache, since the 1960s led to heavy pollution of the Tiroler Achen, and hence the Chiemsee, with sewage. In the 1970s its water quality was assessed as ‚critical’. Only by providing the settlements along the river with proper sewage systems and building modern sewage farms, e.g. in Kössen and Grassau (Achen Valley Sewage Works), could pollution of the river be significantly reduced.The area of the river delta
River delta
A delta is a landform that is formed at the mouth of a river where that river flows into an ocean, sea, estuary, lake, reservoir, flat arid area, or another river. Deltas are formed from the deposition of the sediment carried by the river as the flow leaves the mouth of the river...
where it discharges into the Chiemsee is designated as a nature reserve
Nature reserve
A nature reserve is a protected area of importance for wildlife, flora, fauna or features of geological or other special interest, which is reserved and managed for conservation and to provide special opportunities for study or research...
.
From 1996-2001 the Großache was renaturised in the area of Kirchdorf in Tirol
Kirchdorf in Tirol
Kirchdorf in Tirol is a municipality in the Kitzbühel district and is located 12.20 km north of Kitzbühel as well as 3 km north of Sankt Johann in Tirol at the Kitzbühler Ache. The area is the 2nd largest one in size in the district. The village has got its name from an old church which was...
as part of the Kirchdorf flood protection project. This was achieved by deepening the river bed and widening the banks to produce greater drainage volume. In order to guarantee 100 year flood event safety, the river bed was lowered by 1.8 m over a distance of 6.5 km, and the cross-section widened to an average of 60–100 m. In the flood plain a 20 ha area was set aside for flood retention. In addition to flood protection, this innovative strategy has along brought additional benefits in the shape of nature conservation and human recreation.