# Otra > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Otra > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Otra.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Otra > Source revision: 1353232622 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{short description|River in Agder, Norway}} {{For|the Royal Norwegian Navy minesweepers named after the river|HNoMS Otra}} {{Infobox river |name = Otra |name_native = |name_native_lang = |name_other = Torridalselva{{Cite web |title=Informasjon om stadnamn |url=https://stadnamn.kartverket.no/fakta/648125 |access-date=2026-05-08 |website=Norgeskart |publisher=[Kartverket](/source/Norwegian_Mapping_Authority) |language=no}}
Otri |etymology = |image = Otra-Kristiansand.jpg |image_size = |image_caption = View of the river Otra running through the city of [Kristiansand](/source/Kristiansand_(town)), where it is also called [Torridal](/source/Torridal)selva or Torridalselven |mapframe = yes |mapframe-zoom = 6 |mapframe-caption = Interactive map of the river (the gap in the middle is the large lake [Byglandsfjorden](/source/Byglandsfjorden)) |subdivision_type1 = Country |subdivision_name1 = [Norway](/source/Norway) |subdivision_type2 = County |subdivision_name2 = [Agder](/source/Agder) |subdivision_type3 = Municipalities |subdivision_name3 = [Bykle](/source/Bykle_Municipality), [Valle](/source/Valle_Municipality), [Bygland](/source/Bygland_Municipality), [Evje og Hornnes](/source/Evje_og_Hornnes_Municipality), [Iveland](/source/Iveland_Municipality), [Vennesla](/source/Vennesla_Municipality), [Kristiansand](/source/Kristiansand_Municipality) |source1_location = [Setesdalsheiene](/source/Setesdalsheiene), [Bykle Municipality](/source/Bykle_Municipality), [Norway](/source/Norway) |source1_coordinates = {{coord|59.6284|07.4321|region:NO}} |source1_elevation = {{convert|896|m}} |mouth_location = [Skagerrak](/source/Skagerrak), [Kristiansand Municipality](/source/Kristiansand_Municipality), Norway |mouth_coordinates = {{coord|58.1434|08.0134|display=inline,title}} |mouth_elevation = {{convert|0|m}} |river_system = Otra |basin_size = {{convert|3752|km2|sqmi|abbr=on}} |length = {{convert|245|km|mi|abbr=on}} |width_min = |width_avg = |width_max = |depth_min = |depth_avg = |depth_max = |discharge1_location = |discharge1_min = |discharge1_avg = {{convert|150|m3/s|abbr=on}} |discharge1_max = |tributaries_left = |tributaries_right = |waterbodies = |waterfalls = |bridges = |ports = }} The '''Otra'''{{Cite web |title=Informasjon om stadnamn |url=https://stadnamn.kartverket.no/fakta/28 |access-date=2026-05-08 |website=Norgeskart |publisher=[Kartverket](/source/Norwegian_Mapping_Authority) |language=no}} is the largest [river](/source/river) in the [Sørlandet](/source/Southern_Norway) region of [Norway](/source/Norway). It begins in [Setesdalsheiene](/source/Setesdalsheiene) mountains at the lake Breidvatnet in [Bykle Municipality](/source/Bykle_Municipality) in [Agder](/source/Agder) county, just south of the border with [Vinje Municipality](/source/Vinje_Municipality) in [Telemark](/source/Telemark) county. The river then flows south through [Bykle](/source/Bykle_Municipality), [Valle](/source/Valle_Municipality), [Bygland](/source/Bygland_Municipality), [Evje og Hornnes](/source/Evje_og_Hornnes_Municipality), [Iveland](/source/Iveland_Municipality), [Vennesla](/source/Vennesla_Municipality), and [Kristiansand](/source/Kristiansand_Municipality) municipalities. The river empties into the [Skagerrak](/source/Skagerrak) in the center of the city of [Kristiansand](/source/Kristiansand_(town)) on the southern coast of Norway. The Otra is {{convert|245|km}} long, making it [Norway's eighth-longest river](/source/List_of_rivers_of_Norway). There are many large lakes along the river including: [Åraksfjorden](/source/%C3%85raksfjorden), [Byglandsfjorden](/source/Byglandsfjorden), [Hartevatn](/source/Hartevatn), and [Kilefjorden](/source/Kilefjorden). There are 12 [hydroelectric](/source/hydroelectricity) power plants built along the river, which produce much of the electricity for the southern part of Norway.{{Cite SNL|Otra|Otra|2026-05-08|Heggstad|Ragnar|2024-11-26|editor2-first=Geir|editor2-last=Thorsnæs|editor3-first=Jo Halvard|editor3-last=Halleraker}} The [salmon](/source/salmon) do well in the Otra river because the water is not too [acidic](/source/acidic). The [calcareous](/source/calcareous) rocks in the catchment area at the northern end of the [Setesdal](/source/Setesdal) valley give the water a certain buffer capacity against acidification.{{Cite web |title=Mindre forurensning og mer laks i Otra |url=http://www.dirnat.no/content/500034188/Mindre-forurensning-og-mer-laks-i-Otra |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200409175721/http://www.dirnat.no/content/500034188/Mindre-forurensning-og-mer-laks-i-Otra |archive-date=2020-04-09 |access-date=2012-02-10 |publisher=Dirna.no |language=no}} ==References== {{reflist}} ==External links== *{{commons category-inline|Otra}} {{use dmy dates|date=May 2026}} {{authority control}} Category:Rivers of Agder Category:Setesdal Category:Geography of Kristiansand Category:Vennesla Category:Iveland Category:Evje og Hornnes Category:Bygland Category:Valle, Norway Category:Bykle Category:Rivers of Norway --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Otra](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Otra) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Otra?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.