Vorma
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Vorma | |
|---|---|
 The Vorma from the Eidsvoll train station looking north | |
 Map of the Vorma River watershed | |
| Location | |
| Country | Norway |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | |
| • location | Mjøsa |
| Mouth | |
• location | Glomma, Årnes |
| Length | 30 km (19 mi) |
| Basin size | 17,000 km2 |
The Vorma is a river in Norway that brings water from lake Mjøsa into the Glomma river. The Vorma is 30 kilometres (19 mi) long and flows through the town of Eidsvoll. The Vorma flows from Lake Mjøsa at the village of Minnesund to join with the Glomma just north of Årnes.
Vorma was so named because it was a "warm" river that never froze over, while both the Glomma and the Gudbrandsdalslågen routinely freeze in the winter. The junction of the Vorma with the Glomma at Årnes and Nes is the site of the Funnefoss on the Glomma, a 10-metre (33 ft) fall.
The junction of the Minnesund and the Vorma, Eidsvoll, served as an ancient 'ting' place - or meeting place for the local council or parliament - for Romerike during the period when travel by boat was much easier than by land. The "Eidsivating" was, according to tradition, founded by Halvdan Svarte, and served as the 'ting' place for all of the Opplands and Viken. Saint Olav also held a ting there and built a church at this site in 1017.
In 1795 a landslide totally blocked the Vorma at Disen for 111 days, completely drying the riverbed. A channel was cut around it to prevent a major overflow, with accompanying downstream damage.
On the Vorma, south of Eidsvoll, lies the Svanfoss where the water level in Lake Mjøsa is regulated. A 6-by-60-metre (20 by 197 ft) lock, which bypassed the Svanfoss, lifting boats 3 metres (10 ft) to allow the bypassing of the fall, opened in 1906.
