Laxá í Kjós
River in Iceland / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Laxá í Kjós (Icelandic pronunciation: [ˈlaksˌauː iː ˈcʰouːs]; Laxá in Kjós) is a river in the Kjósarhreppur municipality of southwestern Iceland. It flows about 20 kilometres (12 mi) from the Stíflisdalsvatn [is] [ˈstiplɪsˌtalsˌvahtn̥], a small lake northwest of the Þingvallavatn, into the Laxárvogur [is] [ˈlaksˌaurˌvɔːɣʏr̥], a cove on the Hvalfjörður fjord.[1]
Laxá í Kjós | |
---|---|
Etymology | Icelandic: lax, lit. 'salmon' |
Location | |
Country | Iceland |
Region | Capital Region (Greater Reykjavík) |
Constituency | Southwest |
Municipality | Kjósarhreppur (Kjós) |
Physical characteristics | |
Source | Stíflisdalsvatn [is] lake |
• coordinates | 64°15′04″N 21°20′42″W |
• elevation | 178 m (584 ft)[1] |
Mouth | Laxárvogur [is], Hvalfjörður |
• coordinates | 64°20′32″N 21°36′58″W |
• elevation | 1 metre (3 ft 3 in) |
Length | 20 km (12 mi) |
Basin size | 211 km2 (81 sq mi)[1] |
Basin features | |
Tributaries | |
• left | Svínadalsá, Bugða |
It is known for its salmon fishing, particularly where the salmon must traverse up several waterfalls. Brown trout and sea trout are also caught in the river.[2]
The first salmon hatchery in Iceland, established in 1884 by Danish scientist Arthur Feddersen [da] in the village of Reynivellir, was stocked with 31 spawning salmon captured in the Laxá í Kjós and its main tributary, the Bugða [ˈpʏɣða].[3] Other tributaries include the smaller Svínadalsá [ˈsviːnaˌtalsˌauː], Hálsá [ˈhaulsˌauː], and Þverá [ˈθvɛːrˌauː], all of which flow into the upper section of the river below the Þórufoss.[1]