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List of old waterbodies of the Rhine

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This list of old waterbodies of the Rhine contains a selection of ox-bow lakes and meanders of the River Rhine which go under various names that mean Old Rhine or Old Arm [of the Rhine]: Alter Rhein, Altrhein, Altrheinarm, Altrheinzug, Altarm, Rheinaltarm or Restrhein. Artificially created waterbodies, such as quarry ponds; e. g. the Altrheinsee, which may be confused with old branches of the Rhine are mentioned in the section Waterbodies linked to the Rhine.

Rhine with old waterbodies between Germersheim and Speyer (looking downstream); both in Rhineland-Palatinate (left) with Baden-Württemberg (right)

As a result of natural translocation, the ox-bows and meanders of the Rhine riverbed remain as side arms of the New Rhine (Neurhein); others were cut off as a result of artificial river canalisation, such as in the wake of the canalisation of the Rhine (Rheinbegradigung) from 1817 under the direction of Johann Gottfried Tulla. These old waters, together with the New Rhine, circumscribe islands or peninsulas. The old river courses have mostly lost their water-bearing link to the New Rhine. Many lie within nature reserves, offer breeding sites for water birds or act as washlands during flooding. Sometimes they are used by canoeists or anglers.

Old Rhine waterbodies

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Locating old Rhine waterbodies in the list: Some names of old Rhine waterbodies include the name of a nearby town or village; others do not. In order to make it easy to find in every case, the nearby settlement is usually written in alphabetical order and italics before each waterbody name as a means of locating it. Next, the coordinates of the waterbody and its position on the Rhine (l/r =  left/right) follow, then comes either the waterbody name itself in normal lettering, as well as other names of the waterbody in italics. Or there may just be a reference to the name of another place name behind the town name, under which the river is listed in italics.

Altarm

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see also (below) → Rheinaltarm

Alter Rhein

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in the canton of St. Gallen (Switzerland) and in the state of Vorarlberg (Austria) – old arms of the Alpine Rhine:

in Germany:

Altrhein

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numerous old Rhine waterbodies:

Altrheinarm

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Altrhein or Restrhein

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Branch-off point of the Grand Canal d'Alsace from the South Baden Old Rhine at Stauwehr Märkt (from north). Front right: southern end of the Île du Rhin,
rear: Basel (Switzerland)

Section of the River Rhine called the Altrhein or Restrhein parallel to the 52.7-kilometre-long Grand Canal d'Alsace (Rheinseitenkanal), between the Stauwehr Märkt (47°37′2″N 7°34′24″E / 47.61722°N 7.57333°E / 47.61722; 7.57333 (Altrhein or Restrhein: starts roughly above Stauwehr Märkt); Weil am Rhein; Lörrach, Baden-Württemberg; Germany) and Village-Neuf (department of Haut-Rhin; France) and the Kulturwehr Breisach (48°1′57″N 7°34′12″E / 48.03250°N 7.57000°E / 48.03250; 7.57000 (Altrhein or Restrhein: Ends roughly below the Kulturwehr Breisach); Breisgau-Hochschwarzwald, Baden-Württemberg; Germany) and Volgelsheim (department of Haut-Rhin; France) running as a border river;
see also (above) → near Märkt

Altrheinschlinge

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Altrheinzug

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  • Altrheinzug (Grauelsbaum);
    see above → near Grauelsbaum
  • Altrheinzug (Hügelsheim);
    see above → near Hügelsheim
  • Durchgehender Altrheinzug (r), east along the Rhine, Baden-Württemberg

Restrhein

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see above → Altrhein or Restrhein

Rheinaltarm

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see also (above) → Altarm

Special old Rhine waterbodies

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Waterbodies that are not called e.g. Alter Rhein or Altrhein, but are nevertheless old arms of the Rhine are:

Waterbodies linked to the Rhine

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These are artificially created waterbodies alongside the Rhine (such as quarry ponds), which are neither old arms nor tributaries of the Rhine, but which could be confused with such and are directly or indirectly linked to the Rhine. (sorted alphabetically by name):

See also

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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Old Rhine.
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