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The Bjoreio river cascades out into the gorge at Voringsfossen, tapping
great volumes of water from the Hardangerjokulen glacier. The Voringsfossen
drains an area of approximately 630 Square kilometres.
The wildlife around Voringsfossen and the tremendous displacement of water
enticed explorers. artists and tourists early in the 19th Century. It was
then a long trip across the plateau or up the Mabodalen valley.
The river became regulated for hydroelectric power in 1980. Before the
commencement of the project, a volume upwards of 150 cubic meters per second
might have been flowing over the cliff at given time. It is still possible
to witness such amounts of water plummeting over the falls during the spring
thaw. A guaranteed minimum of 12 cubic meters of water per second is
presently regulated between the 1st of June and the 15th of September. The Hardangervidda is the largest
mountain plateau in northern Europe and is situated 1000 to 1300 meters
(3281 to 4265 feet) above sea level. The landscape varies between an almost
flat mountain plateau in the north and east to an undulating terrain in the
south and west. During an earlier period the plateau was covered in ice. As
the ice receded, the land rose and the rivers cut deep gorges through the
bedrock. In Eidfjord, the Voringsfossen, Valurfossen and Skykkjedalsfossen
waterfalls are examples of this.
The Bjoreio river cascades out into the gorge at Voringsfossen, tapping
great volumes of water from the Hardangerjokulen glacier. The Voringsfossen
drains an area of approximately 630 Square kilometres.
The wildlife around Voringsfossen and the tremendous displacement of water
enticed explorers. artists and tourists early in the 19th Century. It was
then a long trip across the plateau or up the Mabodalen valley.
The river became regulated for hydroelectric power in 1980. Before the
commencement of the project, a volume upwards of 150 cubic meters per second
might have been flowing over the cliff at given time. It is still possible
to witness such amounts of water plummeting over the falls during the spring
thaw. A guaranteed minimum of 12 cubic meters of water per second is
presently regulated between the 1st of June and the 15th of September. |
