Moelva (Agder)

Moelva
View of the river
Location of the river Show map of Agder Moelva (Agder) (Norway) Show map of Norway
Location
Country	Norway
County	Agder
Municipalities	Lillesand, Birkenes
Physical characteristics
Source
• location	Southern hill of Søndagsheia, Tveide
• coordinates	58.2812°N 8.2219°E / 58.2812; 8.2219
• elevation	175 metres (574 ft)
Mouth
• location	Tingsakerfjorden, Lillesand
• coordinates	58.2551°N 8.3883°E / 58.2551; 8.3883
• elevation	0 metres (0 ft)
Length	20.8 km (12.9 mi)
Basin size	3,454 km^2 (1,334 sq mi)
Discharge
• average	1.04 m^3/s (37 cu ft/s)[1]
Basin features
River system	Lillesand-Birkenes

Moelva (old spelling: Maa Elv) is a river in the municipalities of Birkenes and Lillesand in Agder, Norway. It originates from a hill south of Tveide in Birkenes and empties into the Tingsakerfjord, east of the town of Lillesand. Large parts of the disused, former railway Lillesand-Flaksvand Line followed the river bank.

An old stone bridge is still located by Helvetesfossen. It was restored by the Norwegian Public Roads Administration in 1993.^[2]

Hydropower

The hydropower company Lillesand Elektrisitetsverk was started as a private company in 1916. There were dams in all tributaries to Moelva, dam at Helvetesfossen and pipeline down to the power station at Tingsaker, that had a turbine of 150 hp, a generator of 125 kW and an oil transformer of 7 kW. The power plant was sold and closed in 1970.^[3]

Fishing

Moelva is a sea trout leader in the lower part. It is Lillesand municipality that has been responsible for both the preparation and clearing of the riverbed and built a threshold dam in the lower part of the river. The sea trout population has recovered after a decline due to pollution.^[2]

Gallery

The former power plant

• 
  Old equipment from the power plant.
• 
  Preserved cultural monument from the former power plant.
• 
  The power plant in 1917.
• 
  Interior of the power plant in 1917.

References

1. Moelva, Lillesand atlas of the Norwegian Water Resources and Energy Directorate (in Norwegian)
2. Lillesand kommune, Håndbok om kulturløyper, Natur- og kulturhistorie i Lillesands turområder, 1993 (in Norwegian)
3. Lillesands første elektrisitetsverk Lillesand Town- and Maritime Museum (in Norwegian)