Editing Linth

{{Short description|River in Switzerland}}
{{about|the river|the ship on Lake Zurich|Linth (ship, 1952)}}
{{Infobox river
| name              = Linth
| image             = Linth Reichenburg.jpg
| image_caption     = The lower reaches of the Linth near [[Reichenburg]]
| source1_location  = [[Canton of Glarus]], [[Switzerland]]
| mouth_location    = [[Lake Zurich]] (''[[Obersee (Lake Zurich)|Obersee]]'')
| mouth_coordinates = {{coord|47.2183|8.9407|type:river|display=it}}
| subdivision_type1 = Country
| subdivision_name1 = Switzerland
| map               =
| map_caption       = 
| length_km = 50
| source1_elevation = 
| discharge1_avg    = 
| basin_size        =
| progression       = [[Lake Zurich]]→ {{RLimmat}}
}}

The '''Linth''' (pronounced {{IPA|de|ˈlɪnt|}} "lint") is a [[Switzerland|Swiss]] [[river]] that rises near the [[Linthal, Glarus|village of Linthal]] in the mountains of the [[cantons of Switzerland|canton]] of [[canton of Glarus|Glarus]], and eventually flows into the [[Obersee (Zürichsee)|Obersee]] section of [[Lake Zurich]]. It is about {{convert|50|km}} in length.<ref name=swtopo>{{cite map | publisher = Swiss Confederation | title = map.geo.admin.ch | url = http://map.geo.admin.ch/?zoom=4&X=211114.56&Y=719648.15&lang=en&topic=ech&bgLayer=ch.swisstopo.pixelkarte-farbe&catalogNodes=457,510&layers=ch.swisstopo.swissboundaries3d-gemeinde-flaeche.fill | access-date = 2015-04-27}}</ref>

The water power of the Linth was a main factor in the creation of the textile industry of the canton Glarus, and is today used to drive the [[Linth–Limmern Power Stations|Linth–Limmern power stations]] in its upper reaches.

The river and its upper valley forms the boundary between the mountain ranges of the [[Glarus Alps]], to its east and south, and the [[Schwyzer Alps]], to its west. In its lower part, in the Linth plain ({{lang|de|Linthebene}}), the Linth Canal forms the boundary between the cantons of Glarus and [[canton of St. Gallen|St. Gallen]] and part of the boundary between the cantons of St. Gallen and [[canton of Schwyz|Schwyz]].

The river lends its name to the former [[canton of Linth]] (1798–1803).

==Course of the river==
[[File:Linthal.jpg|thumb|left|The upper part of the Linth valley, with the river just visible to the bottom, the village of Linthal above, and the Biferten glacier at the top centre]]
The river rises to the south-west of the [[Linthal, Glarus|village of Linthal]], at the foot the [[Tödi|Tödi mountain]] (elevation {{convert|3614|m|disp=or}}). It collects the water from several glaciers, including the [[Clariden Glacier]] and the [[Biferten Glacier]], as well as various tributary streams, including the ''Oberstafelbach'', the ''Bifertenbach'', the ''Sandbach'', the ''Walenbach'' and the ''Limmerenbach''. The last of these is dammed to create the [[Limmerensee]], a part of the [[Linth–Limmern Power Stations|Linth–Limmern hydro-electric scheme]].<ref name=swtopo/>

The river then flows north to the village of Linthal, the highest significant settlement on the river, and onwards through the [[canton of Glarus]] villages of [[Rüti, Glarus|Rüti]], [[Betschwanden]], [[Diesbach, Glarus|Diesbach]], [[Hätzingen]], [[Luchsingen]], [[Leuggelbach]], [[Haslen, Glarus|Haslen]], [[Nidfurn]] and [[Schwanden, Glarus|Schwanden]]. In Schwanden, the Linth is joined by one of its principal tributaries, the [[Sernf]], which drains the south-eastern part of the canton of Glarus.<ref name=swtopo/>

From Schwanden, the river continues to flow north through the villages of [[Mitlödi]] and [[Ennenda]] and the [[Glarus|town of Glarus]] before reaching the village of [[Netstal]]. In Netstal, the Linth is joined by the [[Löntsch]], which drains the [[Klöntalersee]]. The Linth then flows between the villages [[Näfels]] and [[Mollis]], from where it formerly flowed in a northerly direction to a confluence with its tributary outfall from  [[Lake Walen]] (Walensee) on the Linth Plain, and then across that plain in a westerly direction to its mouth at the head of the [[Obersee (Zürichsee)|Obersee]] section of [[Lake Zurich]].<ref name=swtopo/><ref name=speich>{{cite web | url = https://www.researchgate.net/publication/233490501 | title = Draining the Marshlands, Disciplining the Masses: The Linth Valley Hydro Engineering Scheme (1807–1823) and the Genesis of Swiss National Unity | first = Daniel | last = Speich | publisher = The White Horse Press | year = 2002 | access-date = 2015-04-27}}</ref>

As a result of the river regulation works (see below), the river is today diverted down an artificial channel in an easterly direction into Lake Walen. Another artificial channel (the Linth Channel) then takes the outfall of Lake Walen at [[Weesen, Switzerland|Weesen]] and flows west through the Linth Plain and  into the Obersee.<ref name=swtopo/> 
{{clear left}}

== River regulation of the Linth ==
[[Image:korrektion.jpg|thumb|Conrad Escher's plan of the correction]]
[[Image:Stich Linthebene 1811.jpg|thumb|The plain of the Linth between [[Weesen, Switzerland|Weesen]] and [[Schmerikon]] before and after the correction of the Linth, 1811]]
The taming of the Linth ({{langx|de|Linthkorrektur}}) from 1807 to 1823 was one of the great engineering feats of the early 19th century, the earliest project of such a size undertaken by the new Swiss state, and a great example of solidarity in early Switzerland.<ref name=speich/>

In the second half of the 18th century, the situation of the population in the lower Glarus valley, the Linth Plain and around Lake Walen, was pretty disastrous: cutting down the woods of the Glarus valley during early industrialization led to more and more gravel coming down with the yearly spring high water which was deposited at the joining of Linth and Maag, the outflow of the Lake Walen, in the plain between Lake Walen and Lake Zurich. This caused frequent floodings and backing up of water which made the level of Lake Walen rise several meters and turned the whole countryside into swamps. Agriculture became more and more difficult, the poverty increased, and diseases like [[tuberculosis]] and [[malaria]] were rampant.<ref name=speich/>

The [[wikt:statesman|statesman]], [[scientist]], [[Painting|painter]] and [[Management|manager]] [[Hans Conrad Escher von der Linth|Conrad Escher]] (later named "von der Linth") from Zurich developed and executed the plan of channeling the Linth into Lake Walen, where the gravel could be deposited without damage. A second channel, the Linth Channel, connected the lakes of Walen and Zurich, replacing the former Maag.<ref name=speich/>

The river regulation put an end to the floodings, lowered the level of Lake Walen by some 5.4 meters which greatly improved living conditions for the population, and dried up the swamps, resulting in 20 km<sup>2</sup> [[arable land]] in the Linth plain.<ref name="linth.net-Linthwerk">{{cite web |title=Das Linthwerk |url=http://www.linth.ch/regional/geschichte/linth.htm |website=linth.net |access-date=14 December 2021 |language=de |quote={{lang|de|Die Arbeiten werden 1822 vorläufig abgeschlossen und der Pegel des Walensees kann um 5,4m abgesenkt werden. [...] Dafür werden 2000 Hektaren Land urbar gemacht}}}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[List of rivers of Switzerland]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{commons category}}
*{{Cite EB1911|wstitle= Linth | volume= 16 |last= Coolidge |first= William Augustus Brevoort |author-link= W. A. B. Coolidge| page = 735  |short= 1}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20030126051040/http://www.tg.ethz.ch/forschung/projektbeschreib/speich/Linthwerk.htm Doctoral Thesis of Daniel Speich, ETH Zurich (German)]
* [http://www.erica.demon.co.uk/EH/EH816.html Daniel Speich: The Linth Valley Hydro Engineering Scheme (1807-1823) and the Genesis of Swiss National Unity, Environment and History 8(2002) 429-447]
* [https://maps.google.com/maps?ll=46.983032,9.009476&spn=0.312458,0.481407&t=k&hl=en the Linth valley on Google Maps]

{{Lake Zurich navbox}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Rivers of Switzerland]]
[[Category:Rivers of the canton of Glarus]]
[[Category:Rivers of the canton of St. Gallen]]
[[Category:Rivers of the canton of Schwyz]]
[[Category:Tributaries of Lake Zurich]]
[[Category:Glarus–St. Gallen border]]
[[Category:Schwyz–St. Gallen border]]