Karup River (Danish: Karup Å; pronounced [ˈkʰɑːɔp.ɔˀ]) is a river in central Jutland, Denmark. Prior to 1970, it formed the border between the Viborg and Ringkjøbing counties. Karup River is Denmark's sixth largest river. A 500-hectare area along the river, spanning 20 kilometers between Karup and Hagebro, was protected in 1964, and the entire stretch from Karup to Skive, a total of 1,008 hectares (including some tributaries), is now a European Union Special Area of Conservation.[2]
| Karup River Karup Å | |
|---|---|
 Karup River | |
 | |
| Location | |
| Country | Denmark |
| Region | Jutland |
| District | Central Denmark Region |
| Municipality | Ikast-Brande, Herning, Viborg, Holstebro, Skive |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | |
| • location | The confluence of Skygge River and Bording River |
| Mouth | |
• location | Skive Fjord |
• elevation | 0 m (0 ft) |
| Length | 78 km (48 mi)[1] |
| Basin size | 756 km2 (292 sq mi)[1] |
Geography
edit
Karup River begins at Skygge, northwest of Engesvang, at the confluence of two streams: Bording River, which originates in Bording, and Skygge River, which has its source in Bølling Lake.[3]
Further upstream, there are tributaries from Vallerbæk, which comes from Kompedal Plantage, and a couple of kilometers south of Karup, the river receives an eastern tributary from Haller River, which comes from the area around Hauge Sø near Grathe Heath south of Thorning. About 10 kilometers northwest of Karup, there is a tributary from Resen Brook at Resen, which, along with the slightly more northerly tributary Sejbæk, drains the Alheden heath and Kongenshus Mindepark. At Hagebro, there is a left tributary from Haderup River, which comes from the south.[1]
The river continues northward. In Skive Ådal, the river is channeled, and on this stretch, it runs parallel to Koholm River, which drains Flyndersø and Stubbergaard Sø near Hjerl Hede. At Lundbro in the southwestern end of Skive, the two rivers merge and flow into Skive Fjord south of the city's harbor.[1]
History
editPreviously, the northern part of the river (north of Hagebro Kro) was called Skive River, while the southern part was called Karup River.[4] Danish poet Jeppe Aakjær, who grew up near the river, referred to the entire river as Karup River. Aakjær often wrote about the river and its significance for the people and nature of the region, and the poem Karup Aa (Karup River) from the 1901 poetry collection Fri Felt examplifies this.[5][6] The name Karup River is now widely used to refer to the entire river, although some maps still label the last section as Skive River.
The river valley was once an important grazing area for cattle. However, in the 1870s, a vast network of canals was constructed for watering the meadows to improve hay production.[7] Karup River is home to a small population of the Eurasian otter and is also known for its excellent population of sea trout.[8][9][10]
References
edit- ^ a b c d Sørensen, Jann Ribergaard (1 June 2019). "Karup Å – Viborg Kommune | lex.dk". Trap Danmark (in Danish). Archived from the original on 26 January 2021. Retrieved 7 May 2023.
- ^ "Karup Å". Danish Society for Nature Conservation (in Danish). Archived from the original on 6 February 2023. Retrieved 7 May 2023.
- ^ "Kanotur på Karup Å - Alt hvad du bør vide: Komplet guide". Alleud.dk (in Danish). 9 May 2016. Archived from the original on 5 February 2023. Retrieved 7 May 2023.
- ^ Bencke, Karl (6 November 2011). "Skive Å | lex.dk". Den Store Danske (in Danish). Retrieved 7 May 2023.
- ^ "Jeppe Aakjær – Karup Aa". Kalliope (in Danish). Archived from the original on 1 December 2022. Retrieved 7 May 2023.
- ^ Aakjær, Jeppe (1905). Fri Felt: En digtsamling (in Danish). København: Gyldendalske Boghandel. p. 19.
- ^ Stenak, Morten (2004). "Original 1 kortets agroøkologiske logik". Landbohistorisk Tidsskrift (in Danish). 1: 70.
- ^ "Karup Å | Nordfjends". Nordfjends.dk (in Danish). Retrieved 7 May 2023.
- ^ Vendelbo, Pauli (13 December 2016). "Pas på – der kan løbe en odder over vejen!". Skive Folkeblad (in Danish). Archived from the original on 7 May 2023. Retrieved 7 May 2023.
- ^ Christensen, Terkel Broe (16 November 2020). "Karup Å – Havørredfiskeri i giganternes å". Sportsfiskeren (in Danish). Archived from the original on 3 December 2022. Retrieved 7 May 2023.
External links
edit- Karup River Committee (in Danish)
- Angler Association on Karup Å