Laxá í Kjós explained

Laxá í Kjós
Name Etymology:is|lax|lit=salmon
Pushpin Map:Iceland
Pushpin Map Caption:Location of the mouth of Laxá í Kjós
Subdivision Type1:Country
Subdivision Name1:Iceland
Subdivision Type2:Region
Subdivision Name2:Capital Region (Greater Reykjavík)
Subdivision Type3:Constituency
Subdivision Name3:Southwest
Subdivision Type4:Municipality
Subdivision Name4:Kjósarhreppur (Kjós)
Length:20km (10miles)
Source1: lake
Source1 Coordinates:64.251°N -21.3449°W
Source1 Elevation:178m (584feet)
Mouth:, Hvalfjörður
Mouth Coordinates:64.3423°N -21.6162°W
Basin Size:211sqkm
Tributaries Left:Svínadalsá, Bugða

Laxá í Kjós (pronounced as /is/; Laxá in Kjós) is a river in the Kjósarhreppur municipality of southwestern Iceland. It flows about from the pronounced as /is/, a small lake northwest of the Þingvallavatn, into the pronounced as /is/, a cove on the Hvalfjörður fjord.[1]

It is known for its salmon fishing, particularly where the salmon must traverse up several waterfalls. Brown trout and sea trout are also caught in the river.[2]

The first salmon hatchery in Iceland, established in 1884 by Danish scientist in the village of Reynivellir, was stocked with 31 spawning salmon captured in the Laxá í Kjós and its main tributary, the Bugða pronounced as /is/.[3] Other tributaries include the smaller Svínadalsá pronounced as /is/, Hálsá pronounced as /is/, and Þverá pronounced as /is/, all of which flow into the upper section of the river below the Þórufoss.

Waterfalls

The Þórufoss pronounced as /is/ is an high waterfall, located about downstream from where Laxá í Kjós flows out of the Stíflisdalsvatn. A further downstream from the Þórufoss is the Pokafoss pronounced as /is/ a rapids-like small waterfall with a cascade. Both falls are accessible from the (Highway 48). Near where the river enters the Laxárvogur is another small waterfall, the Kvíslafoss pronounced as /is/.
The Þórufoss was the filming location for a scene in Game of Thrones ("The Laws of Gods and Men:" Season 4, Episode 6) where a dragon attacks a herd of Meereen goats.[4]

Notes and References

  1. Áhrif affalsvatns frá fyrirhugaðri hitaveitu, Kjósaveitu, á vatnalíf á vatnasviði Laxár í Kjós. is. Impact of wastewater from the proposed Kjósaveita district heating system on aquatic life in the Laxá í Kjós catchment area. April 2016. Eydís Salome Eiríksdóttir. Jón S. Ólafsson. Magnús Jóhannsson. Veiðimálastofnun. 3 March 2021.
  2. Web site: Laxa in Kjos, Iceland. February 21, 2021. Where Wise Men Fish.
  3. Book: Bened. S. Thorarinsson. https://books.google.com/books?id=EW8EAQAAIAAJ&pg=PA120. Bulletin of the United States Fish Commission. U.S. Government Printing Office. 1889. Washington, D.C.. 120–123. Notes on the Hatcheries and Fresh Water Fisheries of Iceland. 21 February 2021.
  4. Web site: The Ultimate Guide to Game of Thrones in Iceland in the Time of COVID-19. Björk. Katrín. Guide to Iceland. February 22, 2021.