The Tordera (; ) is a
river
A river is a natural stream of fresh water that flows on land or inside Subterranean river, caves towards another body of water at a lower elevation, such as an ocean, lake, or another river. A river may run dry before reaching the end of ...
of
Catalonia
Catalonia is an autonomous community of Spain, designated as a ''nationalities and regions of Spain, nationality'' by its Statute of Autonomy of Catalonia of 2006, Statute of Autonomy. Most of its territory (except the Val d'Aran) is situate ...
(
Spain
Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...
). It flows through the town of
Tordera.
Course
The river is long. Its source is in the
Montseny Massif, and it discharges in the
Mediterranean Sea
The Mediterranean Sea ( ) is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the east by the Levant in West Asia, on the north by Anatolia in West Asia and Southern Eur ...
. The river's average discharge is .
Its main
tributaries
A tributary, or an ''affluent'', is a stream or river that flows into a larger stream ('' main stem'' or ''"parent"''), river, or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean. Tributaries, and the main stem river into which the ...
are the
Riera de Gualba,
Riera de Arbúcies,
Riera de Santa Coloma and the
Riera de Valmanya. The river runs through the
protected area
Protected areas or conservation areas are locations which receive protection because of their recognized natural or cultural values. Protected areas are those areas in which human presence or the exploitation of natural resources (e.g. firewood ...
s of the
Parc Natural del Montseny and the
Parc Natural del Montnegre i el Corredor.
The last stretch of the Tordera is a wide sandy bed subject to seasonal flow. The brackish lagoon in its final delta area is an important area for migratory birds.
[Desembocadura del riu Tordera; Zones humides de Catalunya - Generalitat de Catalunya]
/ref>
History
In the last week of January 1939 the 77th Division of the Spanish Republican Army
The Spanish Republican Army () was the main branch of the Spanish Republican Armed Forces, Armed Forces of the Second Spanish Republic between 1931 and 1939.
It became known as People's Army of the Republic (''Ejército Popular de la República'' ...
, together with the 242nd Mixed Brigade —which had not been ascribed to any division—,[SBHAC - Brigadas Mixtas del Ejército Popular, 242ª Brigada Mixta](_blank)
/ref> tried to establish a planned defensive line
In gridiron football, a lineman is a player who specializes in play at the line of scrimmage. The linemen of the team currently in possession of the ball are the offensive line (OL), while linemen on the opposing team are the defensive line (D ...
along the course of the Tordera River in order to halt the massive rebel offensive. The units took position along the course of the river east of the Montseny Massif on 27 January.[Carlos Engel (1999), ''Historia de las Brigadas Mixtas del Ejército Popular de la República'', p. 227-228]
The effort, however, proved futile and in practice it became impossible for the Republican forces to put up any meaningful resistance, especially since the young, inexperienced and ill-equipped 242rd Mixed Brigade —posted at the lower course of the river— was not prepared for the battle and quickly fell into disarray and was overrun.
In the face of the powerful and steady enemy advance the 77th Division abandoned the defensive line along the Tordera and withdrew to the town of Vic, which it lost on 1 February.
See also
*Montseny brook newt
The Montseny brook newt (; ''Calotriton arnoldi'') is a species of salamander in the family Salamandridae. It is endemic to the Montseny Massif (Catalan Pre-Coastal Range) in northeast Spain. Before it was formally described in 2005, it was mix ...
* List of rivers of Catalonia {{short description, None
The rivers of Catalonia can be classified into four groups according to their source.
*Rivers of the Ebre basin, which can be further divided into:
**the lower basin of the Ebre itself, which corresponds with the ''coma ...
* List of rivers of Spain
This is an incomplete list of rivers that are at least partially in Spain. The rivers flowing into the sea are sorted along the coast. Rivers flowing into other rivers are listed by the rivers they flow into. Rivers in the mainland Iberian Peninsu ...
* Santa Fe Reservoir
The Santa Fe Reservoir () is a reservoir on the Riera de Gualba, a tributary of the Tordera River. It is located within the Fogars de Montclús municipal term, Catalonia, Spain.
The area is a popular destination for excursions and picnics and ...
References
External links
*
Montseny Natural Park
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tordera (River)
Rivers of Spain
Rivers of Catalonia