The Oehl is the first tributary of the

Geul The Geul (, ; ; ) is a river in Belgium and in the Netherlands, where it is a right-bank tributary to the river Meuse. Geography The source of the Geul is at about above sea level in northeastern Belgium near the German border, south of th ...

river, starting from its source. It flows within the territory of the Belgian municipality of

Raeren Raeren () is a municipality of the German speaking community of Belgium located in the Walloon province of Liège. It was part of Germany until the First World War, after which it became part of Belgium. It is one of several towns in eastern Bel ...

(part of the

Eynatten Eynatten is a village in the Belgian municipality of Raeren, part of the German-speaking Community of Belgium. Eynatten is on the border to Germany, south from Aachen. Around half of the population are non-Belgians, most of them Germans. Eynatte ...

district). A tributary of the Oehl is the Möschenbergsbach.

The Geul

The Geul river originates from multiple sources located in and near Lichtenbusch, a Belgian town near the Aachener Wald (

Aachen Forest Aachen Forest (, Aachen dialect ''Öcher Bösch'', ) lies about 3.7 km south of the city centre of Aachen and has an area of 2,357 ha. It essentially comprises the forest areas of the former free imperial city of Aachen south and west of the ...

) and close to the German border. After these source branches merge, the Geul briefly flows through a forested area, running parallel to the freeway connecting Liège to Aachen (known as A3 in Belgium and BAB44 in Germany) as it crosses the border at Lichtenbusch. It then meanders through meadows for approximately one kilometer, gradually approaching the freeway. Just before reaching Eynattermühle (at the N68 road), the Geul encounters the Oehl, joining it on its left bank.Meerman 1975, p. 29-31.

The name

The Geul river is known as ''die ''Göhl'''' in German, sometimes spelled ''''die Goehl''''. Interestingly, the name of the first tributary stream closely resembles that of the main stream. This similarity existed in the past as well. Around 1560 the name Gael was used for the Geul, and the side stream was called Nael. (1961) – ''Die Flurnamen des Walhorner Landes.'' Katholische Universität Löwen; cited at Meerman 1975, p. 65.See also the comment by J. Molemans in his review of Meerman's work in: ''Naamkunde.'' 10e jrg. (1978), nr. 1-2, p. 201-202
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available online in dbnl. 20190324Oehl Eynatten 17b

Hydrography

Regarding the Oehl's hydrography, here are some key points: * The Oehl originates at an elevation of 275 meters above sea level (m +

NAP A nap is a short period of sleep, typically taken during daytime hours as an adjunct to the usual nocturnal sleep period. Naps are most often taken as a response to Somnolence, drowsiness during waking hours or as a means to supplement before ...

) * The Oehl joins the Geul River at an elevation of 255 meters above sea level (m + NAP) * The drop in elevation is 20 meters * The Oehl has a length of 1700 meters * Its

gradient In vector calculus, the gradient of a scalar-valued differentiable function f of several variables is the vector field (or vector-valued function) \nabla f whose value at a point p gives the direction and the rate of fastest increase. The g ...

is approximately 11.76Meerman 1975, p. 162/3 In Eynatten, there were two water castles: the Herrenhaus (usually referred to today as Amstenrath Castle) and the

Vlattenhaus The Vlattenhaus is a castle-like building in the town of Eynatten, belonging to the Belgian municipality of Raeren, located on Hauseter Straße, just 200 meters away from Amstenrath Castle. History In the 2nd half of the 14th century, the Vlatt ...

. The former is still in good condition, while the latter has deteriorated into ruins (and has since been modernized). Between these two castles, there's a powerful spring that contributes to the Oehl's consistent flow. Further south, closer to the Geul-

Roer The Roer (, ) or Rur (; ) is a major river that flows through portions of Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands. It is a right (eastern) tributary to the Meuse (). About 90 percent of the river's course is in Germany. It is not to be conf ...

watershed, groundwater emerges on both sides of the road from

Eupen Eupen (, , ; ; ; former ) is the capital of German-speaking Community of Belgium and is a city and municipalities of Belgium, municipality in the Belgium, Belgian Liège Province, province of Liège, from the Germany, German border (Aachen ...

to Eynatten. Depending on precipitation levels, these sources can turn into small streams that supply water to the Oehl for part of the year. The spring in Eynatten, which had an output of about 3 cubic meters per hour around 1975, has satisfied the water needs of the local population for centuries. It featured a pumping system that could be easily activated by anyone needing water. It wasn't until around 1970 that the village was connected to the municipal water supply system. The springwater flows into a pond, which then feeds the Oehl. As it continues, the Oehl receives water from various springs, including one near the Herrenhaus. Just north of the Herrenhaus, the Oehl passes under the N68 road and flows through meadows toward the A3 freeway. About halfway along, another stream joins alongside the Oehl, which is supplied by a strong spring. According to Meerman's research,Meerman 1975, p. 66. this stream actually contributes to the Oehl's flow! A bit downstream, the Möschenbergsbach also merges with it. Eventually, the stream goes under the highway and combines with the Geul. The hydrological conditions in the latter part of the Oehl valley have significantly changed due to the construction of the highway.

Regarding the Möschenbergsbach

* Originates at an elevation of 277 meters above sea level. * Joins the Oehl at an elevation of 257 meters above sea level. * Total drop in elevation: 20 meters. * Length: 1650 meters. * Gradient: 12.12 The Möschenbergbach doesn't have a clearly defined starting point either; it features numerous groundwater discharge points. The stream takes a distinct form southeast of Eynatten and then flows towards the Möschenberg hamlet. To the north of Möschenberg, the creek meanders through marshy meadows, eventually transforming into a marshy area where it merges with the Oehl.

References

{{WikidataCoord Rivers of Belgium Raeren