The Lielupe ( in Latvian literally: ''Large River'', lt, Lielupė, german: Kurländische Aa) is a river in central Latvia. Its length is (the length would reach if the Mēmele River were counted as part of the Lielupe). The surface area of its drainage basin is .Aquastat information for Latvia
/ref> The average fall of the Lielupe is about () and its average flow is , although a maximum of has been reached during floods.

Physical geography

Lielupe river at Jelgava by Igors Jefimovs

The Lielupe begins at the confluence of the Mēmele and Mūsa rivers near

Bauska Bauska () is a town in Bauska Municipality, in the Zemgale region of southern Latvia. Bauska is located from the Latvian capital Riga, 62 km (38.5 mi) from Jelgava and from the Lithuanian border on the busy European route E67. The to ...

. For the upper part of its course, the river flows through a dolomite valley with a few small rapids, until it reaches Mežotne, where it widens and deepens over the flat

Zemgale Semigallia, also spelt Semigalia, ( lv, Zemgale; german: Semgallen; lt, Žiemgala; pl, Semigalia; liv, Zemgāl) is one of the Historical Latvian Lands located in the south of the Daugava river and the north of the Saule region of Samogitia. ...

Plain. For many years the Lielupe would frequently overflow its shallow banks and flood surrounding fields and villages, particularly during the spring thaw. Today many parts of the Lielupe's banks are contained with earthen dikes to prevent disastrous floods. Much of the Lielupe is covered in river grasses. At its lower reaches, the river flows parallel to the coast line of the Gulf of Riga; the city of

Jūrmala Jūrmala (; "seaside") is a state city in Latvia, about west of Riga. Jūrmala is a resort town stretching and sandwiched between the Gulf of Riga and the Lielupe River. It has a stretch of white-sand beach, and a population of 49,325 in 2019 ...

stretches for almost between the river and the sea. Eventually Lielupe flows into the Baltic Sea, while the Buļļupe branch (german: Kurische Aa) flows into the

Daugava River , be, Заходняя Дзвіна (), liv, Vēna, et, Väina, german: Düna , image = Fluss-lv-Düna.png , image_caption = The drainage basin of the Daugava , source1_location = Valdai Hills, Russia , mouth_location = Gulf of Riga, Baltic S ...

. The modern mouth of the river appeared in 1755. Before then the Buļļupe was the Lielupe's main channel. About 50-55% of the water discharge of the river is from melted snow. The Lielupe is navigable for a range of , the longest continuous range among Latvian rivers. Municipalities along the river include

, Mežotne,

Jelgava Jelgava (; german: Mitau, ; see also other names) is a state city in central Latvia about southwest of Riga with 55,972 inhabitants (2019). It is the largest town in the region of Zemgale (Semigalia). Jelgava was the capital of the united Du ...

, Kalnciems,

and Riga. The Lielupe also gives its name to a railway station and a neighbourhood in the city of Jūrmala.

Tributaries

The following rivers are tributaries to the river Lielupe (from source to mouth): *Left: Mūša (Mūsa), Īslīce, Svitene, Sesava, Vircava, Platone, Svēte (Švėtė) *Right: Nemunėlis (Mēmele), Garoze, Iecava

References

External links

Information about Lielupe river basin
{{Authority control Rivers of Latvia Gulf of Riga Geography of Riga Jūrmala