Lule River

Lule River (Lule Sami: Julevädno, Swedish: Lule älv, Luleälven) is a major river in Sweden, rising in northern Sweden and flowing southeast for 460 km (290 mi) before reaching the Gulf of Bothnia at Luleå. It is the second largest river by watershed area and length in Norrbotten County (after the Torne River and very slightly ahead of the Kalix River, which is 460.65 km long), 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 Porjus and the 977 MW Harsprånget, commissioned in 1952 and expanded in 1983 to become Sweden's largest hydro power station. The waterfall Harsprånget previously found at the location (former name: Njommelsaska) was the largest waterfall on the Swedish Lule River. 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.