Drammenselva

The Drammenselva (English: Drammen River) is a river in the county of Buskerud in southeastern Norway.

Drammenselva is one of Norway's largest rivers, with a drainage basin of approximately 17,000 square kilometers (6,600 square miles) and a discharge of 300 cubic metres per second (11,000 cu ft/s) per second. The Drammen River is the fifth longest river in Norway, with a total length of 308 kilometers (191 miles).

Its 48-kilometer course runs from Tyrifjorden in the north to Drammensfjord in the south, where it cuts through the city center. The Drammen River receives inflow from a number of streams and rivers. The Simoa River is one of the largest. The entire drainage system, including the Drammenselva, is known as Drammensvassdraget and is located in the provinces of Oppland and Buskerud.

For centuries, the river was used for log driving, transporting timber from Eiker's forests to the many paper mills and other industries that dotted the river's banks. Many steam-powered sawmills and planing mills were established along the lower section of the river beginning in the 1850s, and products became exports passing through the Port of Drammen. This activity polluted the river heavily during the twentieth century. However, the majority of Drammen's paper and pulp mills closed in the 1960s and 1970s, and the river is now clean and safe.

Length: 308 km (191 mi)