Lek (river)

River in Netherlands

Lek

The Lek River near Nieuwegein.

Location of Lek in dark blue.

Location
Country| Netherlands
Region| Utrecht, South Holland
Physical characteristics
Source| Nederrijn
• location| Wijk bij Duurstede, Utrecht
Mouth| Nieuwe Maas

• location

| Kinderdijk, South Holland
Length| 62 km (39 mi)

The Lek (Dutch pronunciation: [lɛk]) is a river in the western Netherlands of some 60 km (37 mi) in length.[1] It is the continuation of the Nederrijn after the Kromme Rijn branches off at the town of Wijk bij Duurstede. The main westbound waterway is hereafter called the Lek River. The Nederrijn is, itself, a distributary branch of the river Rhine.

Portions of the river form the boundary between the provinces of Utrecht and Gelderland, and between Utrecht and South Holland.

In Roman times, the Nederrijn flowed into the Kromme Rijn and these streams were the main outflow of the river Rhine. When the Kromme Rijn began to silt up in the Middle Ages, the Lek became the primary branch. A short distance past Wijk bij Duurstede, the river intersects with the Amsterdam-Rhine Canal, which continues south towards the Waal. A branch of this canal, the Lekkanaal (Lek Canal), is connected to the river in the city of Nieuwegein.

Other major towns on its banks are Culemborg, Vianen, Schoonhoven, Nieuw-Lekkerland, Lekkerkerk, Bergambacht, and Krimpen aan de Lek. The bed of the river lies slightly higher than the surrounding lands and dikes are therefore essential to contain the Lek. At the village of Kinderdijk the Lek meets the Noord River and the combined stream is thereafter known as the Nieuwe Maas as it flows down towards the North Sea.

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Kids.Net.Au - Encyclopedia > Lek River". Archived from the original on 2021-01-27. Retrieved 2024-05-02.

51°53′25″N 4°37′54″E﻿ / ﻿51.89034°N 4.63156°E﻿ / 51.89034; 4.63156

* 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)

*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template