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29-728: Ruinaulta is a canyon created by the Anterior Rhine by Ilanz/Glion and Reichenau in the debris of the Flims Rockslide just upstream of its confluence with the Posterior Rhine at Reichenau in the Grisons , eastern Switzerland . It is sometimes known as the Rhine Gorge , or sometimes rather ironically called the Swiss Grand Canyon . Protected by cliffs several hundred metres high,

58-606: A larger discharge than the High Rhine ( Hochrhein ) at their confluence near Koblenz, Aargau (557 m /s (19,700 cu ft/s) vs. 439 m /s (15,500 cu ft/s)); the Aare is, however, slightly shorter than the Rhine upstream of their confluence. For the following considerations, the Aare will be ignored. The source of the main flow path can be obtained by following the river upstream and determining at each junction which of

87-514: Is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Anterior Rhine The Vorderrhein and nearly all of its tributaries are located in the Swiss canton of Grisons ( Graubünden ), with the largest communities along the river being Disentis and Ilanz . One of its upper tributaries, the Rein da Medel , rises in the canton of Ticino . Vorderrhein was also the name of a judicial district that

116-470: Is a well-known sign with the erroneous information, "1320 km to the mouth"; it is only about 1,230 km (760 mi). The number of 1,320 km (820 mi) is widespread. It is unclear whether it refers to the river length as measured from Lake Toma. It may be the result of transposing digits. The flow path from the source in Lake Toma through Rein da Tuma measures about 71 km (44 mi) to

145-452: Is difficult, because in the river system of the Anterior and Posterior Rhine, there are many headwaters of similar size. Apart from the common criterion of the (apparent or real) larger discharge, ongoing cartographic research allows us to determine the headwater with the greatest length, the largest catchment area or (occasionally) the highest source. The direction of flow may be crucial to

174-496: Is located predominantly in the canton of Grisons ( Graubünden ), Switzerland . The Vorderrhein is about 76 kilometres (47 mi) long, thus more than 5% longer than the Hinterrhein (each measured to the farthest source). The Vorderrhein , however, has an average water flow of 53.8 m /s (1,900 cu ft/s), which is less than the flow of the Hinterrhein (59.6 m /s (2,100 cu ft/s)). According to

203-402: Is slightly larger at 1,693 km (654 sq mi). The percentage of precipitation flowing down the river is fairly similar in the valleys of the headwaters of the Rhine, so the size of the catchment area tends to be proportional to the average discharge, and therefore this criterion does not need to be considered separately. No clear hierarchy can be established among the headwaters of

232-621: The Hinterrhein , or taken from the Hinterrhein and released into the Albula, or taken from the Landwasser and Albula and released into the lower Hinterrhein (e.g. Albula-Landwasser Hydropower ). In the upper Landwasser Valley, water is retrieved from the Flüelabach and Davosersee and released in a neighbouring valley near Aeua in the Klosters area. Near the "source of the Rhine" at Lake Toma , there

261-616: The Oberalp Pass to Andermatt ( canton of Uri ) and onwards to Brig (canton of Valais ). In the Ruinaulta area, the main road runs to the north of the river, and at its highest point, at Flims , it is about 480 metres (1,575 ft) above the Rhine. The Senda Sursilvana, a hiking trail, leads from the Oberalp Pass along the Vorderrhein in the direction of Chur . Sources of

290-502: The Rhine further downstream at the confluence of the Vorderrhein and Hinterrhein near Reichenau and Tamins . In the area of the headwaters of the Rhine, the term Rhine is used as part of the name of many rivers, in many different spellings, such as Rhine , Rein , Rain , Ragn , Ren , Reno and Rin . Almost all headwaters of the Rhine are located in Switzerland. Only one of

319-599: The Vorderrhein is a popular river for paddling and rafting , especially the section between Ilanz and Versam . Along entire length of the Vorderrhein there are two narrow-gauge railway lines. The Reichenau-Tamins–Disentis/Mustér railway is served by the Rhätische Bahn between Chur and Disentis/Mustér . From Disentis , the Furka-Oberalp line , served by the Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn , runs over

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348-629: The Vorderrhein' s drainage basin is the Piz Russein of the Tödi massif of the Glarus Alps at 3,613 metres (11,854 ft) above sea level. It starts with the creek Aua da Russein ( lit.   ' Waters of the Russein ' ). Witenwasserenstock mountain is the triple divide of the drainage basins between the rivers Rhine, Rhône and Po . Thanks to its attractive scenery and some interesting passages,

377-632: The Albula compared with 27.3 m /s (960 cu ft/s) for the Hinterrhein ). At the mouth of the Landwasser , the latter is significantly larger (9.45 m /s (334 cu ft/s) compared to 5.57 m /s (197 cu ft/s)). Among the headwaters of the Landwasser in the Davos area, the Dischmabach is slightly larger than the Flüelabach, even if considering the former small tributary flowing out of Lake Davos ( Davosersee ). This implies that

406-650: The Atlas of Switzerland of the Swiss Federal Office of Topography , the source of the Vorderrhein—and thus of the Rhine—is located north of the Rein da Tuma and Lake Toma . Some of the tributaries of the Vorderrhein are almost as long as the main branch. In downstream order, they are (measuring their length from their respective sources to the confluence with the Hinterrhein at Reichenau, near Bonaduz ): Thus,

435-720: The Rein da Sumvitg, the Glenner and the Rabiusa , all come from the south, or right side of the Vorderrhein . In its lower course, the Vorderrhein flows through the Flims Rockslide , giving rise to the canyon country of the Ruinaulta . Near Reichenau , it joins the Hinterrhein to form the Alpine Rhine, which continues to Lake Constance ( Bodensee ). The catchment area of the Vorderrhein , measuring 1,512 square kilometres (584 square miles),

464-644: The Rhine Lake Toma in the Swiss canton of Grisons ( Graubünden ) is generally regarded as the Source of the River Rhine . The lake's outflow, the Rein da Tuma , subsequently becomes the Anterior Rhine ( Sursilvan : Rein Anteriur ; German : Vorderrhein ), which later confluences with the Posterior Rhine ( Sutsilvan : Ragn Posteriur ; German : Hinterrhein ) to form the Rhine ( Alpine Rhine ). Because

493-507: The Rhine as a whole, therefore, is the Reno di Medel , rising about 7.5 km (4.7 mi) south of Lake Toma. Its spring and upper reaches are located west of the Lukmanier Pass in the municipality of Quinto in the canton of Ticino. The catchment area of the Vorderrhein covers about 1,512 km (584 sq mi); the basin of the Hinterrhein (including the Albula and Landwasser),

522-556: The Rhine. The two main systems, the Vorderrhein (Anterior Rhine) in the west and the Hinterrhein (Posterior Rhine) in the south and east, differ only slightly in length, discharge and size of their catchment areas. The longest paths begin in the upper Surselva (valley of the Rein Anteriur ) and the upper Landwasser Valley, respectively the most western and the most eastern parts of

551-753: The Vorderrhein), and as the source of the Hinterrhein a point in the upper valley of the Rheinwald , east of the Rheinwaldhorn . The course of the Rein da Tuma , after leaving Lake Toma, is not particularly representative: after about 2 km (1.2 mi), its water is diverted into Curnera reservoir . The water is released at the Tavanase plant and flows into the Vorderrhein at Ilanz . The river begins to be called

580-634: The area is forested and a haven for wildlife. It is a popular location for rafting . The gorge is largely inaccessible by road, but is traversed by the Disentis to Chur line of the Rhaetian Railway . It is accessible from the Valendas-Sagogn , Versam-Safien and Trin stations that lie within the gorge. 46°48′29″N 9°18′54″E  /  46.808138°N 9.314947°E  / 46.808138; 9.314947 This Graubünden location article

609-451: The confluence of the Vorderrhein and Hinterrhein. From there it is more about 1,160 km (720 mi) downriver to the North Sea . There are, however, some longer flow paths in the Vorderrhein area. Measuring the longest path from the source to the confluence at Reichenau: The flow paths in the Hinterrhein tend to be slightly shorter: The longest headwater of both the Vorderrhein and

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638-717: The headwaters area. The longest headwater of the Vorderrhein (and therefore the Rhine) is the Reno di Medel , which rises in Ticino. The source of the hydrological main path would be found in the east, in the Dischma valley of the Dischmabach, although in terms of discharge only, the Aare (Aar) would be the main river upstream of its confluence with the Rhine, and its source, the Aare Glaciers , would be

667-426: The hydrological main branch starts at the top of the Dischma, far away from greater rivers bearing the name "Rhine". The current values of the average discharge are rather different from the natural values, because many hydropower plants draw water from outside their natural catchment and this water bypasses some gauging stations. Water is retrieved from southern parts of the Vorderrhein watershed and released into

696-582: The longer arms are not the source at Oberalppass, but further southeast. The longest headwater of the Vorderrhein (and thus the Rhine as a whole; see sources of the Rhine ), is the Reno di Medel, which rises on the border of the municipality Quinto in Ticino. In the uppermost part of its course, it runs in the Val Cadlimo, south of the geomorphological main Alpine ridge, west of the Lukmanier Pass . The high point of

725-501: The nomenclature as may be the significance of the valleys as room for housing and transport. Both criteria are more appropriate to the Vorderrhein , since the Hinterrhein valley was hardly populated before the influx of the Walser people . The Swiss Federal Office of Topography and ETH Zürich indicate a point north of Lake Toma and the Rein da Tuma as the source of the Rhine (and also of

754-559: The shorter tributaries of the Hinterrhein , the Avers Rhine , has itself a tributary, the Reno di Lei , which is the outflow of Lago di Lei reservoir located in the Sondrio Province of Lombardy , Italy. If one were to use largest discharge as one's criterion for deciding which flow should be called the Rhine , one need not look at eastern Switzerland at all, since the Aare (Aar) has

783-406: The tributary systems of the Rhine differ only slightly in length, discharge and the size of their drainage areas , it is difficult to pinpoint a single source of this major European river. There are different criteria for the definition of tributaries , and by some definitions, irrespective of the official name, one strand or another may be called the source. Determining the source of the Rhine

812-502: The two respective rivers the larger is. At the confluence of the Vorderrhein and Hinterrhein (forming the Rhine) at Reichenau, the average of the Vorderrhein is 53.8 m /s (1,900 cu ft/s) and the discharge of the Hinterrhein is somewhat larger at 59.6 m /s (2,100 cu ft/s). At the mouth of the Albula , in the natural state, the latter is larger than the Hinterrhein (29.1 m /s (1,030 cu ft/s) for

841-566: Was created in 1851 with the reorganization of the judiciary of Graubünden. In 2001, it was annexed by the District Surselva . The Vorderrhein flows mostly in an east-northeast direction, through the Surselva , a large longitudinal valley . Its north side is steep, with short valleys; the southern side, however, is divided by some long valleys (similarly to the situation in the canton of Valais further west). Consequently, its main tributaries,

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