Steinlach

The Steinlach has its source east of Mössinger District Talheim and west of Ruchberges at about 710 meters above sea Level in a northeastern side valley of the Eckenbachgraben, a gorge between five and ten meters deep below the Traufkante of the Swabian Alb. The source outlet of the somewhat longer left upper reaches from the Eckenbachgraben shifts with the karst water level of the Swabian Alb. The sources of both branches are just still located in the municipal area of Sonnenbühl.

The Steinlach enters the Steinlachtal near Talheim in the Alb foothills and is then strengthened by the Weiherbach, which is longer at its mouth and has a much larger catchment area. It now flows approximately northwest, takes the Öschenbach from the right one kilometer before Mössingen and then crosses Mössingen on its western course. After the Tannbach in Ofterdingen, which is also a considerable stream, flows from the south-southwest, it first follows its flow direction. But already from the isolated mill in Nehren it flows constantly northwards until the mouth. After the next village Dußlingen, its largest tributary, the Wiesaz, flows from the right, close to its powder mill. In the following short valley section forest heights move close to the river for the first time since Talheim, on the left and on the right side. From the right side the Ehrenbach coming from direction Ohmenhausen flows into the river at Bläsibad. On now straightened run through the Tübinger district Derendingen and finally through the southern part of the city centre of Tübingen, it reaches the Neckar, to which it flows from the right at about 317.5 meters above Sea Level, less than half a kilometre below the Neckarinsel.

The Steinlach flows into the river Steinlach after its almost 26 ‰ km long path with an average river bed gradient of 15 ‰ about 393 meters below its source.

The Steinlach drains almost 142 km² at the Albtrauf around Mössingen and Gomaringen and in the Albvorland north to the Neckar. Its catchment area borders on its northeastern side already a little upstream of its mouth on the catchment area of the Echaz, the next large right tributary of the Neckar. On the southeast side, the European Watershed runs along the Albtrauf along the Albtrauf from the Rhine on this side to the Danube on the other side, direct competitor to the Danube is the Lauchert with its tributaries and its partly long underground karst tributaries. Behind the short southwestern watershed the Starzel now runs again to the Neckar above the Steinlach. The following neighbouring rivers behind, of which only the Katzenbach and possibly also the Bühlertalbach have some importance, drain the forest area of the Rammert, which extends adjacent to this side to the estuary of Tübingen.

The highest altitudes are all on the Albtrauf at the southeastern watershed, where the terrain rarely falls below 800 meters above Sea Level. The Monkberg south of Talheim above the headwaters of the Wangenbach reaches 884.4 m above Sea Level, the second highest Bolberg left above the valley slope of the upper Öschenbach 8808 meters above Sea Level.

Direct tributaries from the source to the estuary.

• Eckenbachgraben (longer right and eastern spring branch)
• (stream from the Tierental), from the left and southeast at the forest border before Talheim, 0,7 km
• Kirchbach, from right and east-northeast in Talheim, 1,1 km
• Weiherbach, from left and southwest at the western border of Talheim, 3,3 km and 9,3 km²
• Gässlesgraben, from left and west-southwest after the Steinlachmühle, 0,9 km
• Seebach, from right and east on ^{[clarification needed]} just after the previous one, 4,1 km and 3,5 km²
• (stream from the Buchenstelle), from left and southwest near the brick hut of Mössingen, 1,4 km
• Öschenbach, from the right and east, 8,4 km and 12,3 km²
• Linsenbach, from left and southwest shortly before Mössingen, 1,3 km
• Bachsatzgraben, from right and east-northeast after the lower mill of Mössingen, 1,6 km
• Tannbach, from left and southwest at the southern edge of Ofterdingen, 8,7 km and 20,7 km²
• (stream of the Banweg), from the left and west southwest in southern Ofterdingen, 1,0 km
• Ehrenbach (!), from the right and southeast at the northeast edge of Ofterdingen, 0,9 km
• (stream from the Bienwund), from left and southwest opposite the Nehrener Mühle, 2,2 km
• Wiesbach or Oberwiesbach (!), from the right and southeast at the sports fields at the southern edge of Dußlingen, 4,7 km and 5,8 km²
• Laughter, from left and southwest in Dußlingen, 2,0 km
• Oberwiesbach (!), from the right and south-southeast in Dußlingen, 2,1 km; originates near the course of the previous Wiesbach
• Wertgraben, from left and west-southwest in Dußlingen almost still opposite the previous one, 2,1 km
• Weilersbach, from the left and west in Dußlingen, 2,4 km
• Rahnsbach, from left and southwest between the last commercial buildings in Dußlingen, 2,6 km
• Wiesaz, from the right and southeast near the powder mill of Dußlingen, 17,5 km and 38,7 km
• Ehrenbach (!), from the right and east-southeast after the sewage treatment plant of Dußlingen, 7.0 km (with left upper course Kalter Brunnen) and 9.6 km²
• → (exit of the Mühlbach), to the left in the industrial area on the southern edge of Derendingen, 4.0 km; flows into the flood ditch next to the Neckar opposite the Neckar island in Tübingen
• (inflow from Bläsiberg), from the right and east a few meters after the previous one, 0.6 km
• Bläsibach, from the right and east, 1,4 km
• (Waldbach from the Hohen Lehen), from right and northeast in the Derendinger Gartenstadt, 1,2 km
• Kaisersbrücklesgraben, from right and east-northeast at the river bridge of the Waldhörnlestraße, 0,8 km