The Sauðá river is a

spring creek A spring creek is a type of free flowing river whose name derives from its origin: an underground Spring (hydrology), spring or set of springs which produces sufficient water to consistently feed a unique river. The water flowing in a spring cree ...

on the western side of

Skagafjörður Skagafjörður () is a deep fjord and its valley in northern Iceland. Location Skagafjörður, the fjord, is about 40 km long and 15 km wide, situated between Tröllaskagi to the east and the Skagi, Skagi Peninsula to the west. Ther ...

Iceland Iceland is a Nordic countries, Nordic island country between the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic and Arctic Oceans, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge between North America and Europe. It is culturally and politically linked with Europe and is the regi ...

, and

Sauðárkrókur Sauðárkrókur () is a Localities of Iceland, town on the Skagafjörður in northern Iceland. It is the seat of both the Skagafjörður (municipality), Sveitarfélagið Skagafjörður ('Municipality of Skagafjörður') and the Northwestern Re ...

takes its name from the river.

Background

Sauðá originates from

Molduxi Molduxi is a mountain overlooking Sauðárkrókur and Borgarsveit in Skagafjörður, Iceland Iceland is a Nordic countries, Nordic island country between the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic and Arctic Oceans, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge betwee ...

mountain, south of Sauðárkrókur, and runs through the town in Sauðárgil ravine. The Sauðá used to run to the north when it reached level ground, but now the town's sports field and swimming pool are there. From there, it flows to the sea along several old towns. The river has flooded often, which caused damage, and in 1950, the river was redirected to the east toward Borgarmýri and Tjarnartjörn. In the Sauðárgil ravine, there is a forested area called Litliskógur. There were lots of small swimming pools built there in 1912, where water was pumped into lakes and that were used for swimming lessons for a long time. Some ways up there is a dam in the river that was built in 1930 when the river began to be used for

hydropower Hydropower (from Ancient Greek -, "water"), also known as water power or water energy, is the use of falling or fast-running water to Electricity generation, produce electricity or to power machines. This is achieved by energy transformation, ...

. The water is now pumped to an industrial establishment in Sauðárkrókur. South of the Sauðá river, there used to be a town of the same name that served as the seat of the local government, then called

Sauðárhreppur Sauðárhreppur was a hreppur, an old Icelandic municipality, in the west of Skagafjörður County, Iceland. It is named after the town of Sauðá. The hreppur was divided in two in 1907, becoming Sauðárkrókshreppur and Skarðshreppur Sk ...

, but in 1907, it was divided into Sauðárhreppur and

Skarðshreppur Skarðshreppur was a hreppur, an old Icelandic municipality, in the west of Skagafjörður (municipality), Skagafjörður county, Iceland, named for the farm in Gönguskörð, located at the base of Tindastóll Mountain. Skarðshreppur and Sauð� ...

References

{{Authority control Skagafjörður Rivers of Iceland