Gerdau (river)

Gerdau
The Gerdau near Groß Süstedt
Location	Counties of Celle and Uelzen; Lower Saxony (Germany)
Reference no.	DE: 5942
Basin features
Main source	In the Lüneburg Heath between Faßberg and Eimke ca. 70 m above sea level (NHN) 52°56′31″N 10°14′22″E / 52.9420139°N 10.239306°E / 52.9420139; 10.239306Coordinates: 52°56′31″N 10°14′22″E / 52.9420139°N 10.239306°E / 52.9420139; 10.239306
River mouth	Confluence: Near Veerßen (Uelzen) with the Stederau to become the Ilmenau ca. 35 m above sea level (NHN) 52°56′52″N 10°33′13″E / 52.947639°N 10.5536806°E / 52.947639; 10.5536806
Progression	Ilmenau → Elbe → North Sea
River system	Elbe
Basin size	427.74 km²
Landmarks	Large towns: Uelzen Villages: Faßberg, Eimke, Gerdau
Tributaries	Left: Schwienau (for these and others see below) Right: Häsebach, Hardau (for these and others see below)
Physical characteristics
Length	29.71 km
Hydrologically the main headstream of the Ilmenau

The Gerdau is a 30 km long, left (western) source river for the Ilmenau in the north German state of Lower Saxony.

The river rises in the eastern part of the Lüneburg Heath on the northeastern edge of the Südheide Nature Park. From its source, which is located in the Brambostel Moor Nature Reserve, north of the 94 m high Faßberg, the Gerdau flows by the villages of Eimke and Gerdau towards Uelzen. South of Uelzen it merges with the Stederau to form the Ilmenau.