Donge (river)

River in North Brabant, Netherlands

Donge river and its upper course Leij

The Donge is a small river in the Dutch province of North Brabant. It rises from springs east of Baarle-Nassau as a stream called Leij. Near Tilburg the name changes to Donge. It passes the village of Dongen and flows north to the town of Geertruidenberg where it is continued by the Amer together with the Bergse Maas.

The Donge has a length of 35 km.[1]

## Use of the river

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Because the Donge gets wider around the city of Geertruidenberg, it was mainly used for industrial purposes in that area. Until 1952 the powerplant Dongecentrale, which provided all of North Brabant with electricity was located at the river. When it was discontinued, the Amercentrale (located at the river Amer) took over its tasks, some of the ships with coals still use the Donge. Until 2005, 4 ship manufacturers were also located at the river.

The only big industry left at the banks of the river are in the north-east side, around Geertruidenberg.

In previous centuries, more upstream, the Donge was heavily used in the leather industry. Because of its relatively fast current, it was used to clean animal hides, and rinse chemicals from the processed product. Therefore, during the 20th century the Donge was one of the most polluted rivers in the Netherlands.

## Miscellanea

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* Two sub-dialects of the Brabantian dialect arose due to the existence of the river. Because the people on either side of the river didn't have much contact in earlier days, West-Brabantian is mainly spoken on the west side of the river, as East-Brabantian is spoken, naturally, on the east side of the river.

## External links

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* Video of Omroep Brabant on the Donge (in Dutch)

## References

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1. ^ Rijkswaterstaat (national Dutch authority on waterways and dikes) on river Donge (in Dutch)

51°40′39″N 4°54′35″E﻿ / ﻿51.67750°N 4.90972°E﻿ / 51.67750; 4.90972

* v
* t
* e

Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta

Rhine
Rijn
Rhin

Current distributaries

Waal
Nederrijn
IJssel
Lek
Merwede
Boven Merwede
Nieuwe Merwede
Beneden Merwede
Oude Maas
Dordtsche Kil
Noord
Nieuwe Maas
Scheur
Nieuwe Waterweg

Former distributaries

Kromme Rijn
Leidse Rijn
Oude Rijn
Hollandse IJssel
Vecht
Waaltje
Brielse Maas
Spui

Current estuaries

Nieuwe Waterweg
IJsselmeer

Former estuaries

Hollands Diep
Haringvliet
Volkerak
Krammer
Grevelingen
Keeten-Mastgat
Oosterschelde

Associated canals

Bijlands Kanaal
Pannerdens Kanaal
Amsterdam–Rhine Canal
Vaartse Rijn
Nieuwe Merwede
Nieuwe Waterweg
Scheldt–Rhine Canal
Maas–Waal Canal

Meuse
Maas|

Current distributaries
Bergse Maas
Amer

Former distributaries
Oude Maasje
Afgedamde Maas
Merwede
Boven Merwede
Beneden Merwede
Oude Maas
Dordtsche Kil
Noord
Nieuwe Maas
Scheur
Nieuwe Waterweg

Current estuaries

Former estuaries

Hollands Diep
Haringvliet
Volkerak
Krammer
Grevelingen
Keeten-Mastgat
Oosterschelde

Associated canals

Heusden Canal
Bergse Maas
Maas–Waal Canal

Scheldt
Schelde
Escaut|

Current distributaries

Western Scheldt

Former distributaries

Oosterschelde
Eendracht

Current estuaries

Western Scheldt

Former estuaries

Oosterschelde
Krammer
Grevelingen

Associated canals

Scheldt–Rhine Canal
Canal through Zuid-Beveland
Canal through Walcheren

Other rivers
(directly draining
into the delta)|

* Linge
* Mark
* Donge
* Rotte
* Oude IJssel

Islands and
Peninsulas|

* Rozenburg
* IJsselmonde
* Het Eiland van Dordt
* Voorne and Putten
* Hoeksche Waard
* Tiengemeten
* Goeree-Overflakkee
* Schouwen-Duiveland
* Tholen
* Sint Philipsland
* Walcheren
* Noord-Beveland
* Zuid-Beveland

Towns|

* Rotterdam
* Antwerp
* Dordrecht
* Bergen-op-Zoom
* Schiedam
* Vlissingen
* Vlaardingen
* Middelburg
* Spijkenisse

Other topics|

* Delta Works
* Verdronken Land van Reimerswaal
* Verdronken Land van Saeftinghe
* St. Elizabeth's flood (1421)
* St. Felix's Flood
* All Saints' Flood (1570)

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