Sprotte

Sprotte

The Old Bridge over the Sprotte in Schmölln
Location	Thuringia,  Germany
Reference no.	DE: 56664
Length	30 km [1]
Source	In four headstreams west of Crimmitschau, e.g. near Gera (parish in Leumnitz) as the Großensteiner Sprotte 50°52′55″N 12°08′44″E / 50.882078°N 12.145583°E / 50.882078; 12.145583Coordinates: 50°52′55″N 12°08′44″E / 50.882078°N 12.145583°E / 50.882078; 12.145583
Source height	about 309 m (Großensteiner Sprotte)
Mouth	Near Saara into the Pleiße 50°56′17″N 12°25′15″E / 50.938162°N 12.420880°E / 50.938162; 12.420880
Mouth height	about 187 m
Descent	ca. 122 m
Basin	Elbe
Progression	Pleiße → White Elster → Saale → Elbe → North Sea
Catchment	165.7 km² [2]
Discharge at Großstöbnitz gauge[3]	Record low:     68 l/s (in 1991) Average low:    233 l/s Average mid:   620 l/s Average high: 7.43 m³/s Record high:   16.6 m³/s (in 30.11.2002)
Large towns	Schmölln

The Sprotte is a left tributary of the Pleiße in East Thuringia. The headwaters of the river come from three source streams, which begin west of Crimmitschau and are as follows:

• The Western Sprotte, whose source is near Rückersdorf
• The Middle Heukewalder Sprotte, which begins near Nischwitz
• The Eastern Mannichswalder Sprotte

The western branch flows northwest and meets with the Heukewalder Sprotte near Vollmershain. Between Posterstein and Nöbdenitz these flow into the Eastern Sprotte. Then the Sprotte flows northeast through the municipality of Nöbdenitz, then further through the city of Schmölln to Saara, where it meets the Pleiße.

The river is 25 km long (Mannichswalder Sprotte). The Sprotte river valley partly follows the rail line from Gera to Altenburg as well as the Bundesstraße 7.

From its source to its mouth, the Sprotte travels 120 meters downhill (from 315 to 195 m above sea level).

Notes

• The information in this article is based on and/or translated from its German equivalent.

References