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Olef
Olef
	Confluence of the Olef and the Urft in Gemünd
Location
Countries	Germany and Belgium
Reference no.	DE: 28228
Physical characteristics
Source
• location	West of Ramscheid
• coordinates	50°26′28″N 6°22′35″E / 50.44105°N 6.37625°E
• elevation	ca. 639 m above sea level (NHN)
Mouth
• location	In Gemünd into the Urft
• coordinates	50°34′21″N 6°30′01″E / 50.5725°N 6.5003°E
• elevation	ca. 334 m above sea level (NHN)
Length	27.9 km
Basin size	196.073 km2
Basin features
Progression	Urft→ Rur→ Meuse→ North Sea
Waterbodies	Reservoirs: Olef Reservoir
	The Olef, tributary of the Urft

The Olef is a river in Liège, Belgium and North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is 27.9 kilometres (17.3 mi) long and a left-hand tributary of the Urft. It flows through the Eifel Mountains in the western part of the Germany and eastern part of Belgium.

Geography

The Olef rises on the Ramscheider Höhe, near the Zitter Forest, about 2.2 km (1.4 mi) southwest of Hollerath at an elevation of 639 m above sea level (NHN), immediately on the state border. From here it flows initially northwest and through the woods of the Dreiherren Wald. The valley of the Olef forms the state border here which runs along the river. From its confluence with the Wiesbach it enters Germany. It then forms inter alia, the eastern boundary of the safety zones of the Elsenborn Military Training Area. The river course changes direction in a wide arc to head east.

In the next section the Olef flows through the Schleiden Forest (Forst Schleiden) and is impounded to create the Olef Reservoir in front of Hellenthal. In Hellenthal it is joined from the right and southwest by the Platißbach. At the end of the village of Hellenthal, near Kirschseiffen, the river turns north. At the northern edge of Blumenthal it picks up the Reifferscheider Bach from the right. Other villages en route are Oberhausen, Schleiden, Olef, Nierfeld and Gemünd. Here the Olef discharges into the Urft from the left at a height of 334 m above NHN.

Along its 27.9-kilometre-long route the Olef descends through 335 metres, which represent an average riverbed gradient of 12 ‰. It drains an area of 196.073 km² (75.704 sq mi)

Tributary streams

Jansbach – 4.7 km ^[1] long, left-hand tributary at 560 m above NHN ^[2]
Troglichtenbach – 2.9 km ^[1] long, left-hand tributary
Rathssiefen – 1.7 km ^[1] long, right-hand tributary
Merlenbach – 1.4 km ^[1] long, right-hand tributary at 486 m above NHN ^[2]
Wiesbach – 5.8 km ^[1] long, left-hand tributary at 481 m above NHN ^[2]
Reiffelbach – 1.8 km ^[1] long, left-hand tributary at 479 m above NHN ^[2]
Kürteborn – 0.7 km ^[1] long, right-hand tributary discharging into the Olef Reservoir at 465 m above NHN ^[2]
Lehrbach – 1.1 km ^[1] long, right-hand tributary discharging into the Olef Reservoir at 465 m above NHN ^[2]
Birkensiefen – 1.5 km ^[1] long, left-hand tributary
Hesselbach – 1.8 km ^[1] long, left-hand tributary discharging into the Olef Reservoir at 465 m above NHN ^[2]
Hesselbach – 1.2 km ^[1] long, right-hand tributary discharging into the Olef Reservoir at 465 m above NHN ^[2]
Engelmannssiefen – 0.9 km ^[1] long, left-hand tributary
Jüngselbach – 2.5 km ^[1] long, left-hand tributary discharging into the Olef Reservoir at 465 m above NHN ^[2]
Schürenter Siefen – 0.5 km ^[1] long, left-hand tributary
Tössiefen – 0.8 km ^[1] long, right-hand tributary discharging into the Olef Reservoir at 465 m above NHN ^[2]
Gammelsbach – 1.0 km ^[1] long, left-hand tributary
Moderbach – 1.1 km ^[1] long, right-hand tributary discharging into the Olef Reservoir at 465 m above NHN ^[2]
Bernerssiefen – 0.8 km ^[1] long, left-hand tributary
Kohlsiefen – 1.3 km ^[1] long, left-hand tributary
Platißbach – 7.4 km ^[1] long, right-hand tributary in Hellenthal at 403 m above NHN ^[2]
Hintersiefen – 0.9 km ^[1] long, right-hand tributary
Reifferscheider Bach – 13.7 km ^[1] long, right-hand tributary in Blumenthal at 387 m above NHN ^[2]
Mühlenseifen – 1.4 km ^[1] long, right-hand tributary
Rinkenbach – 2.9 km ^[1] long, right-hand tributary in Oberhausen at 379 m above NHN ^[2]
Holzbach – 1.9 km ^[1] long, left-hand tributary
Hellesbach – 2.3 km ^[1] long, left-hand tributary near Oberhausen at 375 m above NHN ^[2]
Scheidebach – 2.2 km ^[1] long, right-hand tributary near Wiesgen at 374 m above NHN ^[2]
Holgenbach – 1.3 km ^[1] long, right-hand tributary
Dieffenbach – 7.3 km ^[1] long, left-hand tributary in Schleiden at 363 m above NHN ^[2]
Höddelbach – 4.3 km ^[1] long, left-hand tributary in Schleiden at 362 m above NHN ^[2]
Rosselbach – 2.1 km ^[1] long, right-hand tributary near Schleiden at 357 m above NHN ^[2]
Selbach – 2.6 km ^[1] long, right-hand tributary near Olef at 351 m above NHN ^[2]
Paffenbach – 1.4 km ^[1] long, left-hand tributary
Frohnbach – 1.1 km ^[1] long, right-hand tributary
Dehlenbach – 2.2 km ^[1] long, right-hand tributary
Tränkelbach – 1.6 km ^[1] long, right-hand tributary