Alf (river)

Alf

Rapids in the Strohn Gorge near Strohn
Location	Rhineland-Palatinate,  Germany
Reference no.	DE: 268
Length	51.879 km [1]
Source	North of Darscheid 50°13′41″N 6°53′08″E / 50.22806°N 6.88556°ECoordinates: 50°13′41″N 6°53′08″E / 50.22806°N 6.88556°E
Source height	549 m above sea level (NHN)
Mouth	Near Alf into the Moselle 50°03′26″N 7°07′43″E / 50.05722°N 7.12861°E
Mouth height	95 m above sea level (NHN)
Descent	454 m
Basin	Rhine
Progression	Moselle → Rhine → North Sea
Catchment	358.146 km² [1]
Right tributaries	Irlenbach, Sammetbach, Demichbach, Elterbach, Hoegbach, Ilbach, Erbach, Scherbach,
Left tributaries	Laubach, Diefenbach, Holzbach, Salzbach, Olkenbach, Ewesbach, Kammerbach, Udelsbach, Saalsbach, Üßbach
Villages	Darscheid, Gillenfeld, Strohn, Bausendorf, Kinderbeuern, Bengel, Alf

The Alf is a small river in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, a left tributary of the Moselle. It rises in the Eifel, near Darscheid, east of Daun. The Alf flows south through Mehren, Gillenfeld and Bausendorf, where it turns east to flow into the Moselle in the village Alf.

Geography

Course

The Alf rises about 1 kilometre northeast of Hörscheid in the Volcanic Eifel. From its source at a height of 549 m above NHN the Alf initially flows in a southerly direction. The first village en route is Darscheid which it passes to the east. The next villages on its course are Gillenfeld and Strohn. In the next section as far as Bausendorf the course of the Alf is very winding. Whereas hitherto it had flowed mainly towards the south, now it turns towards the east and cuts through the south of the forest of Kondelwald passing the villages of Kinderbeuern and Bengel. Around 3.5 kilometres beyond Bengel it changes course abruptly and swings north. A ridge prevents it from flow further east to the River Moselle here just 500 metres away. After breaking through the Moselle Hills the Alf finally empties into the Mosell at Alf (Cochem-Zell) at an height of 95 m above NHN. Along its 53-kilometre course from source to mouth, the Alf descends through 454 metres, giving it an average river bed gradient of 8.6 ‰.

Tributaries

Left tributaries

Right tributaries

Laubach near Gillenfeld at 393 m above NHN Diefenbach near Sprinker Mill at 328 m above NHN Holzbach behind the Oberscheidweiler Mill at 306 m above NHN Salzbach at 223 m above NHN Olkenbach near Olkenbach at 188 m above NHN Ewesbach near Kinderbeuern at 167 m above NHN Kammerbach between Kinderbeuern and Bengel at 149 m above NHN Füllersbach near Bengel at 141 m above NHN Udelsbach near Hammermühle at 130 m above NHN Saalsbach at 121 m above NHN Üßbach near Alf-Fabrik at 107 m above NHN

Irlenbach behind Darscheid at 458 m above NHN Sammetbach behind Niederscheidweiler 222 m above NHN Demichbach at 211 m above NHN Elterbach vor Kraulsmühle at 198 m above NHN Hoegbach near Heinzerather Mühle at 193 m above NHN Ilbach near Bengel at 142 m above NHN Erbach near Bengel at 142 m above NHN Scherbach near Bengel at 135 m above NHN

1. Geoexplorer of the Rhineland-Palatinate Water Authority (Wasserwirtschaftsverwaltung Rheinland-Pfalz) (Checked on 15 November 2010)