Limmat

Limmat
The Limmat in Zürich, looking downstream to Rathausbrücke from Quaibrücke at Lake Zurich, Stadthausquai to the left and Limmatquai to right.
Country	Switzerland
Cantons	Zurich, Aargau
Settlements	Zürich (ZH), Schlieren (ZH), Dietikon (ZH), Oetwil a.d.L. (ZH), Wettingen (AG), Baden (AG), Ennetbaden (AG), Nussbaumen (AG), Turgi (AG), Untersiggenthal (AG)
Basin
Main source	Lake Zurich, Zurich 406 m (1,332 ft) 47°22′00″N 8°32′35″E / 47.36677°N 8.54316°E / 47.36677; 8.54316
River mouth	Aare, Gebenstorf 328 m (1,076 ft) 47°30′07″N 8°14′15″E / 47.5019°N 8.2375°E / 47.5019; 8.2375Coordinates: 47°30′07″N 8°14′15″E / 47.5019°N 8.2375°E / 47.5019; 8.2375
Alt. difference	78 m (256 ft)
Progression	Aare–Rhine–North Sea
Basin size	2,416 km2 (933 sq mi) (Lake Zurich and Linth included)
Physical characteristics
Length	36.3 kilometres (22.6 mi), 140 kilometres (87 mi) (Lake Zurich and Linth included)
Discharge	Location: Baden Minimum rate: 69.2 m3/s (2,440 cu ft/s) (MNQ 1951-2013), 24.6 m3/s (870 cu ft/s) (NNQ, 2003) Average rate: 101.0 m3/s (3,570 cu ft/s) (MQ 1951-2013) Maximum rate: 141 m3/s (5,000 cu ft/s) (MHQ 1951-2013), 657 m3/s (23,200 cu ft/s) (HHQ, 1999)
Features
Tributaries	Left: Sihl, Schäflibach, Reppisch, Dorfbach Spreitenbach Right: Länggenbach, Furtbach, Lugibach, Gottesgraben
Waterbodies	Lake Zurich, Stausee Wettingen

The Limmat is a river in Switzerland. The river commences at the outfall of Lake Zurich, in the southern part of the city of Zurich. From Zurich it flows in a northwesterly direction, after 35 km reaching the river Aare. The confluence is located north of the small town of Brugg and shortly after the mouth of the Reuss.

The main towns along the Limmat Valley downstream of Zurich are Dietikon, Wettingen, and Baden. Its main tributaries are the Linth, via Lake Zurich, the Sihl, in Zurich, and the Reppisch, in Dietikon.

The hydronym is first attested in the 8th century, as Lindimacus. It is of Gaulish origin, from *lindo- "lake" and *magos "plain", and was thus presumably in origin the name of the plain formed by the Linth.

Like many Swiss rivers, the Limmat is intensively used for production of hydroelectric power: along its course of 35 km (22 mi), its fall is used by no less than ten hydroelectric power stations. These include:

Historically, the Limmat was an important navigation route. In the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, voyages from Zurich to Koblenz are recorded. In 1447, the Emperor Frederick III granted the privilege of free navigation on the Limmat and on the Rhine to Zurich. Because of the current, navigation was typically downstream only, with the barges being sold on arrival.

Today, the Limmat is navigable for much of its length by small craft only, with many of the hydroelectric power plants incorporating boat lifts. The traditional boat type used on the river is the weidling, a flat-bottomed vessel that is usually 10 metres (33 ft) long.