Schwalm (Meuse) 2.31

The Schwalm or Swalm, is a small river in Germany and the Netherlands, tributary to the river Meuse. Its source is near Wegberg, in the district Heinsberg, south-west of Mönchengladbach, in North Rhine-Westphalia . The Schwalm flows through Wegberg and Brüggen before flowing into the Meuse across the border with the Netherlands, in Swalmen. Its total length is 46 km.SourcesThe original source region has since become an area of carr with poor water quality. The water of the Schwalm comes mainly from Rheinbraun's waste water pits. This brown coal open cast mine is required to feed the waste water into the surface water. Otherwise it would fill the mine, which is up to 230 metres deep.This is achieved by means of shafts (Schlitzschächten) through which the water flows back into the groundwater. If it were not for these shafts, the rivers Niers and Schwalm would long since have dried up. This would also destroy the mixed alder and ash wet woodland typical of the region.CourseThe source of the Schwalm is in a wetland area south of the German village of Wegberg-Tüschenbroich at an elevation of about. From there the river flows mainly through the Maas-Schwalm-Nette Nature Park, its riverbed running between the rivers Rur, Nette and Niers.