The Ennepe () is a river, and a left

tributary 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 they ...

of the

Volme The Volme () is a river in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, and is a tributary of the river Ruhr. It is long, of which about lie within the city limits of Hagen. Its largest tributary is the Ennepe. The Volme rises at above sea level in the s ...

in Northern

Sauerland The Sauerland () is a rural, hilly area spreading across most of the south-eastern part of the States of Germany, German federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia, in parts heavily forested and, apart from the major valleys, sparsely inhabited. ...

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

. It gave its name to the town

Ennepetal Ennepetal (, ; ) is a town in the district of Ennepe-Ruhr-Kreis, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It was created in 1949 out of the former municipalities Milspe and Voerde. It was named after the river Ennepe, which flows through the municipa ...

, and the district

Ennepe-Ruhr-Kreis The Ennepe-Ruhr-Kreis is a district in the center of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is part of the southern Ruhr urban area and has ca. 324,000 inhabitants (2012). The district's seat (capital city) is Schwelm; the largest of its nine towns ...

Course of River

The Ennepe begins in the

Märkischer Kreis The Märkischer Kreis (, ) is a district ('' Kreis'') in central North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Neighbouring districts are Unna, Soest, Hochsauerland, Olpe, Oberbergischer Kreis, Ennepe-Ruhr, and the city of Hagen. History The district wa ...

southeast of

Halver Halver () is a town in the Märkischer Kreis district, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. History Around 950 the ''Oberhof Halvara'' was first mentioned in the ''Werdener Probsteiregister''. For more than 500 years Halver was the seat of a Leagu ...

, at 422 m above sea level, and continues to the Ennepetalsperre (reservoir, 307 m above sea level). The river flows through

Gevelsberg Gevelsberg (; Westphalian: ''Gievelsbiärg'') is a town in the district of Ennepe-Ruhr-Kreis, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Geography The town lies in the valley of the river Ennepe in the Süder Uplands, which is part of the Rhenish Mas ...

, and the western boroughs of

Hagen Hagen () is a city in the States of Germany, state of North Rhine-Westphalia, in western Germany, on the southeastern edge of the Ruhr area, 15 km south of Dortmund, where the rivers Lenne and Volme meet the Ruhr (river), Ruhr. In 2023, the ...

. It flows into the

, near

Hagen Central Station Hagen Hauptbahnhof is a railway station serving the city of Hagen in western Germany. It is an important rail hub for the southeastern Ruhr area, offering regional and long distance connections. The station was opened in 1848 as part of the Bergi ...

(elevation: 99 m above sea level). Parts of the river are canalized.

Flora and fauna

The Ennepe provides habitat for numerous animal and plant types. Among are fishes, the

grey heron The grey heron (''Ardea cinerea'') is a long-legged wading bird of the heron family, Ardeidae, native throughout temperate Europe and Asia, and also parts of Africa. It is resident in much of its range, but some populations from the more norther ...

neophyte A neophyte is a recent initiate or convert to a subject or belief. Neophyte may also refer to: Science * Neophyte (botany), a plant species recently introduced to an area As a proper noun Arts and entertainment * Neophyte, a character class ...

plants, and

Orange Jewelweed ''Impatiens capensis'', the orange jewelweed, common jewelweed, spotted jewelweed, jewelweed, spotted touch-me-not, or orange balsam, is an annual plant in the family Balsaminaceae that is native to North America. It is common in bottomland so ...

(''Impatiens capensis'', in Hagen).

Industrial use

In the pre-industrial age, several

mills Mills is the plural form of mill, but may also refer to: As a name * Mills (surname), a common family name of English or Gaelic origin * Mills (given name) *Mills, a fictional British secret agent in a trilogy by writer Manning O'Brine Places U ...

were built alongside the river. In the 19th and 20th centuries, several small iron plants were operated there.

References

{{Authority control Rivers of North Rhine-Westphalia Rivers of Germany