| Teplá Vltava | |
| Source1 Location: | Kvilda, Bohemian Forest |
| Mouth Location: | Vltava |
| Mouth Coordinates: | 48.8592°N 13.8931°W |
| Subdivision Type1: | Country |
| Subdivision Name1: | Czech Republic |
| Subdivision Type2: | Region |
| Subdivision Name2: | South Bohemian |
| Length Km: | 54.3 |
| Discharge1 Avg: | 5.9m3/s near estuary |
| Basin Size Km2: | 347.6 |
The Teplá Vltava is a river in the Czech Republic, the main source of the Vltava River. It flows through the South Bohemian Region. Until its confluence with the Studená Vltava when it further continues as the Vltava, the Teplá Vltava is 54.3km (33.7miles) long.
The name Vltava is derived from the Proto-Germanic words wilt-ahwa, i.e 'wild water'. The attribute teplá means 'warm', compared to the Studená Vltava, i.e. 'cold Vltava'.[1]
From a water management point of view, the Vltava and Teplá Vltava are one river with single numbering of river kilometres. The Teplá Vltava originates in the territory of Kvilda in the Bohemian Forest at an elevation of, on the slope of the Černá hora Mountain, and flows to the Pěkná exclave of the Nová Pec municipality, where it merges with the Studená Vltava River at an elevation of and continues as Vltava. It is 54.3km (33.7miles) long.[2] Its drainage basin has an area of 347.58km2, of which 26.34km2 is in Germany and 321.24km2 is in the Czech Republic.[2]
The longest tributaries of the Teplá Vltava are:[3]
| Tributary | Length (km) | River km | Side | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Řasnice | 20.9 | 394.3 | right | |
| Volarský potok | 11.1 | 378.9 | left | |
| Vltavský potok | 9.3 | 415.3 | right | |
| Vydří potok | 9.1 | 416.8 | left |
The river flows through the municipal territories of Kvilda, Borová Lada, Horní Vltavice, Lenora, Volary, Stožec and Nová Pec.
There are 102 bodies of water in the basin area, but none of them is significant. The largest of them is the artificial lake Žďárecké jezírko with an area of, supplied by the Častá Brook.[2]
The entire course of the river is located within the Šumava National Park and Šumava Protected Landscape Area. Among the common species of fish in the Teplá Vltava are river trout, European bullhead, burbot and grayling.[4]
The Teplá Vltava is suitable for river tourism, but due to its location in a protected area, paddling is only permitted under certain conditions.[5]