Heddalsvatnet

Heddalsvatnet (English: Lake Heddal)[1] is a lake in the municipalities Notodden and Sauherad in Vestfold og Telemark, Norway. The main influx comes from the rivers Tinnelva and Heddøla. The lake covers an area of 11.9 km2[2] or 13.2 km2 according to NVE. The catchment basin covers a total area of 5380,5 km2.[3]

Heddalsvatnet
View of the lake towards Notodden
LocationNotodden/Sauherad, Vestfold og Telemark county
Coordinates
Primary inflowsTinnelva, Heddøla
Primary outflowsSaua
Catchment areaSkien watershed
Basin countriesNorway
Max. length16 km (9.9 mi)
Surface area13.20 km2 (5.10 sq mi)
Surface elevation16 m (52 ft)
SettlementsNotodden

The southern part of the lake is called Bråfjorden and is separated from the northern part by Nautsundet strait crossed county road 360 bridge. The railway line to Notodden (the Bratsberg Line) runs along the eastern shore.[2]

The lake is part of the Skien watershed and is connected to the ocean by the Telemark Canal. Heddalsvatnet is only 16 meters above sea level and only two locks at Skien were needed to allow ships to sail on the lake. The canal opened in 1861 and made Notodden into Norway's largest fresh water port. In the late 1800s seafaring vessels were constructed at the shores of Heddalsvatnet.[4]

After the ice age the ocean was about 150 meter higher in this area. The ocean stretched like a fjord passed Heddalsvatnet all the way to Hjartdal. The first humans in central Telemark presumably travelled by boat deep inland along the fjords that are now gone. Post-glacial rebound eventually separated Heddalsvatnet from the ocean and turned it into a freshwater lake.[5] In neolithic times Heddalsvatnet was still a saltwater fjord connected to the ocean, and was separated from the ocean around 1500 BC.[6]

References
  1. Barman, T. G. (1939). Guide to Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Iceland. London: Cook. p. 204.
    - Philpott, Don (1991). The Visitor's Guide to Norway. Ashbourne, UK: Landmark. p. 97.
    - "Campus Notodden". usn.no. University of South-Eastern Norway. Retrieved September 28, 2018.
  2. "Heddalsvatnet". Store norske leksikon (in Norwegian). Oslo: Kunnskapsforlaget. Retrieved 20 August 2011.
  3. https://atlas.nve.no/ NVE Atlas
  4. Dalland, Øystein (1983). Bandak-kanalen. Oslo: Universitetsforlaget. ISBN 8200067238
  5. Telemark. Oslo: Gyldendal. 1975. ISBN 8205068445.
    - Norge sett fra luften. Oslo: Det Beste. 1980. ISBN 8270100935.
  6. Mikkelsen, Egil (1989). Fra jeger til bonde: utviklingen av jordbrukssamfunn i Telemark i steinalder og bronsealder. Oslo: Universitetets oldsaksamling. ISBN 8271810790.
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