Nederrijn

Course of the Nederrijn

Nederrijn ("Lower Rhine" or "Nether Rhine") is the name of the Dutch part of the River Rhine from the confluence at the town of Angeren of the cut-off Rhine bend of Oude Rijn and the Pannerdens Kanaal (which was dug to form the new connection between the Waal and Nederrijn branches). The city of Arnhem lies on the right (north) bank of the river Nederrijn, just past the point where the River IJssel branches off. The Nederrijn flows on to the city of Wijk bij Duurstede, from where it continues as the River Lek. The once-important but now small Kromme Rijn branch (in Roman times part of the Limes Germanicus and border river of the Roman Empire) carries the name "Rhine" towards the city of Utrecht.

In order to regulate the distribution of drainage between the different branches of the Rhine, several dams have been constructed. If the dams are closed, there is little flow in the Lower Rhine and most of the water drained by the IJssel.

File:PannerdensKanaal.png

Edited satellite image of the Rhine-Waal fork showing the beginning of the Nederrijn branch (purple).

Bridges over the Nederrijn are in Arnhem (railway and three road bridges), in Heteren (A50) and Rhenen. Ferries are found near Doorwerth, Wageningen, Opheusden, Elst and Amerongen.

History

File:Arnhem rijn.jpg

The old and the new flow of the Rhine near Arnhem

In 1530, the Rhine near Arnhem was moved, a project that was completed in 1536. The city, which originated along the St. Jansbeek ("St. John's Brook'), could develop better now that it was closer the river, and was also more easily defended against the Spanish threat.

See also

• Niederrhein
• Lower Rhine

Gallery

• 
  Lower Rhine at Arnhem, early morning
• 
  Nederrijn near Renkum
• 
  Plate made by Wenzel Hollar 1607-1677
• 
  Wageningen 1730
• 
  Panorama near Wageningen
• 
  Nederrijn near Wageningen
• 
  Weir near Amerongen
• 
  The last stretch of the Nederrijn, near Wijk bij Duurstede