The Krassach is a left tributary of the

Weismain Weismain is a town in the district of Lichtenfels, in northern Bavaria, Germany. It is situated 15 km west of Kulmbach Kulmbach () is the capital of the district of Kulmbach in Bavaria in Germany. The town, once a stronghold of the Princi ...

about 7 kilometers long, which flows into the

Main Main may refer to: Geography *Main River (disambiguation), multiple rivers with the same name *Ma'in, an ancient kingdom in modern-day Yemen * Main, Iran, a village in Fars Province *Spanish Main, the Caribbean coasts of mainland Spanish territ ...

near

Altenkunstadt Altenkunstadt is a municipality in the district of Lichtenfels in Bavaria, Germany. It lies on the left or south bank of the river Main across the valley from Burgkunstadt Burgkunstadt () is a town in the district of Lichtenfels, in northern Bav ...

Upper Franconia Upper Franconia (, ) is a (administrative 'Regierungs''region 'bezirk'' of the state of Bavaria, southern Germany. It forms part of the historically significant region of Franconia, the others being Middle Franconia and Lower Franconia, wh ...

Geography

Source

The Krassach spring lies in the middle of the Bärental, about 300 meters south of the Herbstmühle. It emerges as a stratified spring, formed by several small springs merging directly at the foot of the eastern slope of the Bärental. Among its sources, the spring is fed by a small underground stream that initially vanishes as a stream bend in the rear section of the Bärental. Just after the spring, a small

weir A weir or low-head dam is a barrier across the width of a river that alters the flow characteristics of water and usually results in a change in the height of the water level. Weirs are also used to control the flow of water for outlets of l ...

splits the stream into its natural course and the Mühlbach (mill stream) leading to the Herbstmühle (Herbst mill). According to ancient tales, the spring used to surface further upstream from its present location.

History and description

From its source,Böhm (2000), pp. 11 the Krassach

meanders A meander is one of a series of regular sinuous curves in the channel of a river or other watercourse. It is produced as a watercourse erodes the sediments of an outer, concave bank ( cut bank or river cliff) and deposits sediments on an inn ...

through the Bärental, maintaining its natural flow, although some straightened sections exist. The Mühlbach (mill stream) of the Herbstmühle (Herbst mill) is relatively short, about 370 meters, and rejoins the brook immediately after passing the mill. Around 500 meters further, another Mühlbach branches off, belonging to the Krassacher Mühle (Krassach mill). This stream, about 600 meters in length, runs mostly parallel to the Krassach, about 50 meters apart, and reunites with the brook at the end of the Bärental.Ramming (1994), pp. 44–45 As the Krassach continues, human interventions have straightened their course, particularly in the Krassach district of

. It flows past several fish ponds used for

trout Trout (: trout) is a generic common name for numerous species of carnivorous freshwater ray-finned fishes belonging to the genera '' Oncorhynchus'', ''Salmo'' and ''Salvelinus'', all of which are members of the subfamily Salmoninae in the ...

breeding and is joined by its only significant tributary, the Niestener Mühlbach, on the left side near Niesten. About 300 meters downstream is the Rumpelwehr, a natural waterfall falling down over two sintered and moss-covered steps. Following this waterfall, a third Mühlbach splits off from the Krassach. It starts as a free-flowing stream and is later channeled through the town area of Weismain, eventually emptying into the Weismain River near the Püls brewery. The Weismain Mühlbach was historically used to power the Kastenmühle (box mill), among other purposes. For approximately 250 meters along the Niestener Straße, the Krassach is canalized. Continuing eastward, it flows between fields towards Altenkunstadt along the St2191 road. Just before reaching its mouth, it passes by the joint sewage treatment plant of Altenkunstadt and Weismain and is used as a freshwater supply. The Krassach finally merges with the Weismain River south of Woffendorf.

Biology

Flora

The entire length of the Krassach River is flanked mainly by alder and willow trees. The upper reaches have increasingly narrow stream-ash forests, especially near the calcareous spring. During spring, dense stands of the counter-leaved

spleenwort ''Asplenium'' is a genus of about 700 species of ferns, often treated as the only genus in the family Aspleniaceae, though other authors consider '' Hymenasplenium'' separate, based on molecular phylogenetic analysis of DNA sequences, a different ...

also flourish in these areas. The narrow groves of alder, ash, and willow along the riverbanks are remnants of former floodplain forests, which were mostly cleared through human land use during the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire and ...

, leaving only small remnants behind. However, these remaining groves play a crucial role in protecting the stream. They act as buffer strips between the river and adjacent agriculture, offering shade that helps keep the Krassach from warming. The stream bed and the riparian areas are richly structured, except for the straightened sections in Krassach and Weismain, and shallower areas alternate with deeper ones. Also, in its upper reaches, the Krassach has a lively alternation of feeder-rich, faster-flowing and shallower, slower-flowing sections of water.

Fauna

The Krassach River is a habitat for various species, including bullheads, brook lampreys, and

brown trout The brown trout (''Salmo trutta'') is a species of salmonid ray-finned fish and the most widely distributed species of the genus ''Salmo'', endemic to most of Europe, West Asia and parts of North Africa, and has been widely introduced globally ...

. Additionally,

stoneflies Plecoptera is an order of insects commonly known as stoneflies. Some 3,500 species are described worldwide, with new species still being discovered. Stoneflies are found worldwide, except Antarctica. Stoneflies are believed to be one of the most ...

small Small means of insignificant size Size in general is the Magnitude (mathematics), magnitude or dimensions of a thing. More specifically, ''geometrical size'' (or ''spatial size'') can refer to three geometrical measures: length, area, or ...

and large dragonfly larvae, mayfly larvae, caddisfly larvae,

gammarus fossarum ''Gammarus fossarum'' is a species complex of freshwater amphipod crustacean native to Europe. They are abundant members of the macroinvertebrate community, and also used as model organisms for ecotoxicology. Description ''Gammarus fossarum'' ...

, and

flatworms Platyhelminthes (from the Greek πλατύ, ''platy'', meaning "flat" and ἕλμινς (root: ἑλμινθ-), ''helminth-'', meaning "worm") is a phylum of relatively simple bilaterian, unsegmented, soft-bodied invertebrates commonly called ...

thrive in its waters.Böhm (2000), pp. 12 There have been occasional sightings of fire salamanders and

damselflies Damselflies are flying insects of the suborder Zygoptera in the order Odonata. They are similar to dragonflies (which constitute the other odonatan suborder, Epiprocta) but are usually smaller and have slimmer bodies. Most species fold the win ...

as well.