Norfbach
| Norfbach | ||
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| Data | ||
| Water code | DE : 27494 | |
| location | North Rhine-Westphalia , Rhein-Kreis Neuss | |
| River system | Rhine | |
| Drain over | Erft → Rhine → North Sea | |
| source | For stommels 51 ° 1 ′ 34 ″ N , 6 ° 46 ′ 39 ″ E |
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| Source height | 47 m above sea level NN | |
| muzzle |
Erft coordinates: 51 ° 10 '26 " N , 6 ° 43' 31" E 51 ° 10 '26 " N , 6 ° 43' 31" E |
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| Mouth height | 35 m above sea level NN | |
| Height difference | 12 m | |
| Bottom slope | 0.6 ‰ | |
| length | 19.9 km | |
| Catchment area | 105.691 km² | |
| Big cities | Neuss | |
The Norfbach (also: Norf) is a tributary of the Erft . The water flows in North Rhine-Westphalia . The name probably comes from "Nor Apa ", which means something like "flowing water over stone", and has developed over time from "Norpe" to "Norf".
River course
The "source" of the Norfbach is located in Anstel near Rommerskirchen at about 80 meters above sea level. There it is artificially fed by the Gillbach near a riding farm , which itself is fed by the cooling water from the Niederaussem power station . Its original source area, the moor areas around the Tannenbusch and the villages of Rosellerheide, Rosellen and Norf were drained due to the lowering of the groundwater level as part of the Rheinbraun open-cast coal mine .
Nowadays the Norfbach flows from its source place Anstel west of the Tannenbusch past the villages Ückerath, Rosellerheide, Rosellen, Allerheiligen and Norf. After crossing the Neuss district Erfttal the Norfbach flows into the Erft, which leads in turn about two kilometers into the Rhine.
Other tributaries of the Norfbach are mainly ditches that divert rainwater from the fields. These so-called rivers usually dry out in summer.
history
The entire plain of the river course is part of the former Rhine bed and therefore a very fertile area. A large area was swampy due to the very high groundwater level and marsh fever was sometimes widespread. There were extremely many small rivulets and streams that gathered from the moor areas that flowed into the Norfbach. The largest of these were probably the Rindergraben and the Schwarzbach. In the course of history, the bog areas were largely drained and the larger streams fortified. Adjacent quarry ponds were also connected to the Norfbach with overflow channels in order to be able to use it as a drain in flood cases.
There was also the name Norfen . This means four northern veins: The first northern arises at Stommeln, the second comes from the Butzheimer Broich, the third northern arises at the Höveler Höfe and the fourth runs along Broich, Gohr and below the fall line of the central terrace.
When the opencast mining began, the groundwater level sank so much that almost all springs dried up and the biodiversity in the areas around the Tannenbusch and the Knechtstedener Busch decreased enormously. Even the Norfbach almost completely dried up and produced a very strong odor nuisance, as in some cases untreated sewage was discharged into it.
Current situation
RWE Power AG (formerly Rheinbraun AG) is currently obliged to artificially introduce a certain amount of water into the Norfbach. The artificial irrigation not only of the Norfbach, but also of other wetlands in the area caused a significant increase in biodiversity in the irrigated areas. In some cases, some irrigation was stopped again due to complaints from residents.
literature
- Gottfried Neuen: Pulheim through the ages; Pulheim 1966