Chamb

For the village in Pakistan, see Chumb.

The Chamb (Czech: Kouba) is a river in Germany and the Czech Republic, a right tributary of the Regen River. It flows through Bavaria and Plzeň Region. It is 50.3 km (31.3 mi) long.

Chamb Kouba
The Chamb near Arnschwang
Location
Countries	Germany Czech Republic
State/ Region	Bavaria Plzeň
Physical characteristics
Source
• location	Chodská Lhota, Cham-Furth Depression
• elevation	526 m (1,726 ft)
Mouth
• location	Regen
• coordinates	49°13′17″N 12°41′8″E
• elevation	367 m (1,204 ft)
Length	50.3 km (31.3 mi)
Basin size	418.2 km2 (161.5 sq mi)
Discharge
• average	1.4 m3/s (49 cu ft/s) near estuary
Basin features
Progression	Regen→ Danube→ Black Sea

Etymology

The name is derived from the Celtic word kambos, which translates as 'crooked', 'twisted'.^[1]

Characteristic

Mouth of the Chamb into the Regen close to Cham

The Chamb originates in the territory of Chodská Lhota in the Cham-Furth Depression at an elevation of 526 m (1,726 ft) and flows to Cham, where it merges with the Regen River at an elevation of 367 m (1,204 ft). It is 50.3 km (31.3 mi) long, of which 38.5 km (23.9 mi) is in Germany, 9.0 km (5.6 mi) is in the Czech Republic and 2.8 km (1.7 mi) forms the Czech-German border. Its drainage basin has an area of 418.2 km² (161.5 sq mi), of which 298.0 km² (115.1 sq mi) is in Germany and 120.2 km² (46.4 sq mi) is in the Czech Republic.^[2]

The longest tributaries of the Chamb are:^[2][3]

Tributary	Length (km)	Side
Freybach	17.9	left
Teplá Bystřice / Warme Pastritz	12.9	right
Zelzer Bach	12.0	right
Chladná Bystřice / Kalte Pastritz	10.4	right
Danglesbach / Spálenecký potok	10.2	right

Course

The river flows through the municipal territories of Chodská Lhota, Kdyně (briefly) and Domažlice in the Czech Republic, and through Eschlkam, Furth im Wald, Arnschwang, Weiding and Cham in Germany.

Bodies of water

A significant body of water built on the Chamb is the Drachensee Reservoir, located in the territory of Furth im Wald. It was built in 2009 and has an area of 175 ha (430 acres).^[4] The main purpose of the reservoir is flood protection (river flow regulation). In addition, the western part of the reservoir is used for recreational purposes and the eastern part is a nesting ground for many species of water birds.^[5]

Nature

A population of Eurasian beavers (protected within the Czech Republic) lives in the upper course of the river. They built here beaver dams and water spilled over the banks causes damage to people's homes.^[6]