Lule River 2.22

Lule River is a major river in Sweden, rising in northern Sweden and flowing southeast for 460km before reaching the Gulf of Bothnia at Luleå. It is the second longest river by watershed area or length in Norrbotten County, but is the largest by average discharge.It has a watershed of 25,240.5 km² of which 24,545.6 km² is in Sweden and 694.9 km² in Norway.The river is an important source of hydroelectric energy, with major hydroelectric plants at e.g. Porjus and the 977 MW Harsprånget, commissioned in 1952 and expanded in 1983 to become Sweden's largest hydro power station.The river was used extensively for the transportation of timber, with logs floated downstream for processing at Luleå, but this stopped in the early 1980s. Several major rapids exist along the river's length, notably the Stora Falls and those at Porjus and Harsprånget.During the 19th and 20th centuries, the river was designated as a defensive line against a dreaded invasion by Imperial Russia and subsequently the Soviet Union. Extensive fortifications exist along the entire length of the river, culminating in Bodens Fortress in and around the city of Boden. Most of these fortifications and bunkers are no longer in use today.