Laxá í Kjós (Icelandic pronunciation: [ˈlaksˌauː iː ˈcʰouːs]; Laxá in Kjós) is a river in the Kjósarhreppur municipality of southwestern Iceland. It flows about 20 kilometres (12 mi) from the Stíflisdalsvatn [ˈstiplɪsˌtalsˌvahtn̥], a small lake northwest of the Þingvallavatn, into the Laxárvogur [ˈlaksˌaurˌvɔːɣʏr̥], a cove on the Hvalfjörður fjord.[1]
| Laxá í Kjós | |
|---|---|
,_mouth_of_Lax%C3%A1_%C3%AD_Kj%C3%B3s_river.jpg) Laxá í Kjós near its mouth at the Laxárvogur. | |
  Location of the mouth of Laxá í Kjós | |
| Etymology | Icelandic: lax, lit. 'salmon' |
| Location | |
| Country | Iceland |
| Region | Capital Region (Greater Reykjavík) |
| Constituency | Southwest |
| Municipality | Kjósarhreppur (Kjós) |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | Stíflisdalsvatn lake |
| • coordinates | 64°15′04″N 21°20′42″W / 64.2510°N 21.3449°W |
| • elevation | 178 m (584 ft)[1] |
| Mouth | Laxárvogur, Hvalfjörður |
• coordinates | 64°20′32″N 21°36′58″W / 64.3423°N 21.6162°W |
• elevation | 1 metre (3 ft 3 in) |
| Length | 20 km (12 mi) |
| Basin size | 211 km2 (81 sq mi)[1] |
| Basin features | |
| Tributaries | |
| • left | Svínadalsá, Bugða |
It is known for its salmon fishing, particularly where the salmon must traverse up several waterfalls. Brown trout and sea trout are also caught in the river.[2]
The first salmon hatchery in Iceland, established in 1884 by Danish scientist Arthur Feddersen in the village of Reynivellir, was stocked with 31 spawning salmon captured in the Laxá í Kjós and its main tributary, the Bugða [ˈpʏɣða].[3] Other tributaries include the smaller Svínadalsá [ˈsviːnaˌtalsˌauː], Hálsá [ˈhaulsˌauː], and Þverá [ˈθvɛːrˌauː], all of which flow into the upper section of the river below the Þórufoss.[1]
Waterfalls
editThe Þórufoss [ˈθouːrʏˌfɔsː] is an 18 metres (59 ft) high waterfall, located about 1.5 kilometres (0.93 mi) downstream from where Laxá í Kjós flows out of the Stíflisdalsvatn. A further 6.5 kilometres (4.0 mi) downstream from the Þórufoss is the Pokafoss [ˈpʰɔːkaˌfɔsː] a rapids-like small waterfall with a 2 metres (6 ft 7 in) cascade. Both falls are accessible from the Kjósarskarðsvegur (Highway 48). Near where the river enters the Laxárvogur is another small waterfall, the Kvíslafoss [ˈkʰvistlaˌfɔsː].
The Þórufoss was the filming location for a scene in Game of Thrones ("The Laws of Gods and Men:" Season 4, Episode 6) where a dragon attacks a herd of Meereen goats.[4]
Gallery: Waterfalls (foss) of Laxá í Kjós
edit-
The Þórufoss in Summer -
The Þórufoss in Winter -
Kvíslafoss in October -
The Pokafoss in June
References
edit- ^ a b c d Eydís Salome Eiríksdóttir; Jón S. Ólafsson; Magnús Jóhannsson (April 2016). Áhrif affalsvatns frá fyrirhugaðri hitaveitu, Kjósaveitu, á vatnalíf á vatnasviði Laxár í Kjós [Impact of wastewater from the proposed Kjósaveita district heating system on aquatic life in the Laxá í Kjós catchment area] (PDF) (Report) (in Icelandic). Veiðimálastofnun. Retrieved 3 March 2021.
- ^ "Laxa in Kjos, Iceland". Where Wise Men Fish. Retrieved February 21, 2021.
- ^ Bened. S. Thorarinsson (1889). "Notes on the Hatcheries and Fresh Water Fisheries of Iceland". Bulletin of the United States Fish Commission. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office. pp. 120–123. Retrieved 21 February 2021.
- ^ Björk, Katrín. "The Ultimate Guide to Game of Thrones in Iceland in the Time of COVID-19". Guide to Iceland. Retrieved February 22, 2021.