Umealven

Umeälven 

a river in central Sweden. The Umeälven is about 450 km long and drains an area of 26,700 sq km. It originates in Lake Overuman at an elevation of 520 m. The river crosses the Norrland Plateau in a narrow forested valley, forming rapids and waterfalls and flowing through several lakes, the largest of which is Lake Storuman. The river empties into the Gulf of Bothnia of the Baltic Sea. The Umeälven’s principal left tributary is the Vindelälven, which is 445 km long.

On the Umeälven, high water occurs in spring and summer. The average flow rate near the mouth is 510 cu m per sec. The river is frozen over from November to May. It is used for floating logs. Hydroelectric power plants are located at various waterfalls along the river; the plants include that of Stornorrfors with a capacity of 375 megawatts. The cities of Lycksele and Vännäs are on the Umeälven, and the seaport of Umeå is located near the river’s mouth.