Isar

The Isar ˈiːzaʁ is a river in Austria, and Bavaria. Its source is in the Karwendel mountain range of the Alps. The Isar river enters Germany near Mittenwald and flows through Bad Tölz, Munich, and Landshut before reaching the Danube near Deggendorf. With 295 km length, it is among the longest rivers in Bavaria. It is Germany's second most important tributary of the Danube. One theory is that the name Isar stems from *es or *is in the Indo-European languages, meaning "flowing water" and later turned into a word with a meaning narrowed to frozen water (hence English ice, Eis) in Proto-Germanic. The name itself is mentioned for the first time in 763 as Isura. Eisack / Isarco (Italy) Ésera (Spain) Isar (Spanish town, in the province of Burgos) Isauro / Foglia (Italy) Isère (France) Isel (Austria) IJssel (Netherlands; known to Romans as Isala) IJzer/Yser (Belgium) Isonzo (Italy) Jizera (Czech Republic) The Isar river drains a substantial part of the Bavarian Alps and parts of the Karwendel mountains. Apart from the larger tributaries Amper and Loisach many smaller rivers flow into the Isar. The drainage basin contains some 9,000 square kilometers (roughly 3,500 square miles). During the winter most of the precipitation in the Alps turns into snow. The snowmelt can result in an increased water flow down the Isar rivers during the spring meltdown. It has an average discharge at the mouth of 174 m3/s. The official source of the Isar is located in the Hinterau valley east of the village Scharnitz in the Karwendel mountains at a height above sea level of 1160m. The Lavatschbach is the Isar’s longest headstream. A further source for the young Isar is the Birkkarbach, which has its sources in the Birkkarspitze mountain. The Isar enters Upper Bavaria after ca. 22 km just north of Scharnitz, the Isar is dammed for the first time between Mittenwald and Krün. Some of the Isar waters are channeled via the Rißbach into the Walchensee, the Rißbach flow direction having been reversed. The Isar water flows into the giant downpipes of the Walchensee Hydroelectric Power Station.