IJssel
The IJssel (Dutch: [ˈɛisəl] ⓘ; Dutch Low Saxon: Iessel(t) [ˈisəl(t)]) is a Dutch distributary of the river Rhine that flows northward and ultimately discharges into the IJsselmeer (before the 1932 completion of the Afsluitdijk known as the Zuiderzee), a North Sea natural harbour. It more immediately flows into the east-south channel around the Flevopolder, Flevoland which is kept at 3 metres below sea level. This body of water is then pumped up into the IJsselmeer.
| IJssel Gelderse IJssel | |
|---|---|
Sunset on the IJssel at Deventer | |
Location of river IJssel in dark blue | |
| Native name | Iessel(t) (Dutch Low Saxon) |
| Location | |
| Country | Netherlands |
| Provinces | Gelderland, Overijssel |
| Districts | Liemers, Veluwe, Achterhoek, Salland |
| Cities | Arnhem (suburbs), Doesburg, Zutphen, Deventer, Zwolle (suburbs), Kampen |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | Nederrijn |
| • location | Westervoort, Gelderland, Netherlands |
| • elevation | 6 metres |
| Mouth | Ketelmeer (arm of below-sea-level channel east of the Flevopolder, Flevoland) |
• location | Kampen, Salland, Overijssel, Netherlands |
• coordinates | 52°34′58″N 5°50′24″E |
• elevation | −3 metres |
| Length | 125 km (78 mi) |
| Discharge | |
| • average | 340 m3/s (12,000 cu ft/s) |
| Basin features | |
| Progression | Rhine, Pannerdens Kanaal, IJssel |
| Tributaries | |
| • right | Oude IJssel, Berkel, Schipbeek |
It is sometimes called the Gelderse IJssel (IPA: [ˌɣɛldərsə ˈʔɛisəl] ⓘ; "Gueldern IJssel") to distinguish it from the Hollandse IJssel. It is in the provinces of Gelderland and Overijssel. The Romans knew the river as Isala. It flows from Westervoort, on the east side of the city of Arnhem.
Similar to the Nederrijn which shares its short inflow, the Pannerdens Kanaal, it is a minor discharge of the Rhine. At the fork where the Kanaal is sourced the Rhine becomes named the Waal. This splitting-off is west of the German border. The Waal in turn interweaves with other rivers and the lower course of the Nederrijn, which altogether is known as the Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta.
The name contains the digraph ij, used throughout modern Dutch orthography, which is why both letters appear capitalized (as in: IJmuiden and IJsselmeer).