Kalix River

The Kalix River (in Kalix dialect: kölisälva, Swedish: proper Kalix älv or in everyday language Kalixälven, Northern Sami: Gáláseatnu, In Meänkieli the lower part of the river is called Kaihnuunväylä, while the upper part is called Kaalasväylä) is one of the four major rivers of Norrland, northern Sweden, that are untouched by water power constructions. It is 461 kilometres long, flowing up to the Kebnekaise mountain range in Kiruna Municipality. In the southeast it flows through Lappland; and to the south through Norrbotten County, discharging in the Gulf of Bothnia south-east of Kalix.

Frozen Kalix river at Kalixforsbron, March 2008
Kalix River
Native name
Location
CountrySweden
CountyNorrbotten
Physical characteristics
MouthGulf of Bothnia
 • location
Kalix
 • coordinates
65°50′N 23°11′E
 • elevation
0 m (0 ft)
Length450 km (280 mi)[1]
Basin size18,130.1 km2 (7,000.1 sq mi)[2]
Discharge 
 • average290 m3/s (10,000 cu ft/s)[1]

The Kalix River is the third river by length in Norrbotten, with the Torne River being 522 km and the Lule River being only slightly longer at 460.81 km

Major contributaries are Tvärån, Ängesån and Tärendö River, which is a bifurcation river taking water from Torne River.

Its largest waterfall is Jokkfall, in Överkalix Municipality.

References
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Kalix River.
  1. "Kalixälven". Nationalencyklopedin (in Swedish). Retrieved 14 July 2010. (subscription required)
  2. "Län och huvudavrinningsområden i Sverige" (PDF) (in Swedish). Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute. Retrieved 14 July 2010.
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