{{More citations needed|date=March 2024}} {{Infobox river | name = Sitter | subdivision_name1 = Switzerland | subdivision_type1 = Country | length_km = 48.91 | source1 = Confluence of ''Wissbach'', ''Schwendibach'' and ''Brühlbach'' in Weissbad | source1_elevation = {{cvt|810|m|ft}} | source1_coordinates = {{Coord|47|18|44|N|9|26|03|E}} | mouth = Thur | mouth_location = Bischofszell | mouth_elevation = {{cvt|460|m|ft}} | mouth_coordinates = {{Coord|47|29|52|N|9|13|55|W}} | image = Sitter Ramschwag.jpg | image_size = 320px | image_caption = The Sitter near the Ramschwag Ruins (visible in the background) | basin_size_km2 = 340 | discharge1_avg = {{cvt|11.89|m3/s|cuft/s|abbr=on}} | progression = Thur→ {{RRhine}} }} The '''Sitter''' is the largest tributary of the Thur river, and flows through the Swiss cantons of Appenzell Innerrhoden, Appenzell Ausserrhoden, St. Gallen and Thurgau. It starts on the north side of Alpstein massif in Appenzell Innerrhoden, and joins River Thur near the town of Bischofszell in Thurgau.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://geography-landscapes.all-about-switzerland.info/rivers-rhine-thur-sitter-toss-glatt-birs.html |title= Rivers Rhine, Thur, Sitter, Glatt, Birs |work=All About Switzerland}}</ref>
== Name == The name ''Sitter'' comes from ''Sidrona'', and likely goes back to illyrian influences in the early settlement of the Appenzell area.
== Geography ==
=== Source Streams === The Sitter begins in the canton of Appenzell Innerrhoden, in Weissbad at a height of {{convert|810|m|ft}} above sea level, at the confluence of Weissbach and Schwendibach.
==== Schwendibach ==== The Schwendibach is the {{convert|6.1|km|mi}} long, southern and right tributary of the Sitter.
It has a catchment area of {{convert|34.94|km2|mi2}} and an average discharge of {{convert|1.79|m3/s|cuft/s|abbr=on}}. Although it is shorter than the Weissbach, it has a larger catchment basin and a stronger average discharge (MQ), making it the hydrological main branch of the Sitter river system. It originates in the eastern part of the Alpstein mountain range.
==== Weissbach ==== The Weissbach, also known as ''Wissbach'', is the 9.8 km long, southwest and left tributary of the Sitter.
It has a catchment area of {{convert|26.52|km2|mi2}}, an average discharge of {{convert|1.35|m3/s|cuft/s|abbr=on}} and begins north of the ''Böhlhütte'' at a height of {{convert|1004.7|m|ft}} above sea level, at the convergence of the ''Seckbach'' and ''Fallbach''.
=== Subsequent Course === The Sitter has a length of {{convert|49|km|mi}} from its origin at the confluence of its tributaries to its confluence with the Thur in Bischofszell. Over its course, the Sitter changes from a small mountain stream to a river with an average flow rate of almost {{convert|12|m3/s|cuft/s|abbr=on}}.<ref name=bafu/>
=== Catchment Area === The {{convert|339.94|km2|mi2}} large catchment area of the sitter stretches from the Appenzell Alps to the Swiss Plateau und is drained through it via the Thur and the Rhine to the North Sea.
The catchment area is made up of 29,7 % forested area, 55,8 % agricultural land, 9,3 % settled area, and 5,2 % unproductive land.
'''<u>Catchment Area Distribution</u>'''<timeline> ImageSize = width:500 height:110 PlotArea = width:90% height:66% bottom:20% left:5% DateFormat = x.y Period = from:0 till:100 Legend = columns:2 columnwidth:205 left:30 top:95% TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal ScaleMajor = unit:year increment:10 start:0 ScaleMinor = unit:year increment:5 start:0
# The formatting blanks in the Colors-section are in fact figure spaces (U+2007) Colors = id:Wald value:teal legend:29,7_%_Bestockte_Fläche id:Acker value:yelloworange legend:55,8_%_Landwirtschaftsflächen id:Orte value:red legend: 9,3_%_Siedlungsfläche id:Unproduktiv value:tan2 legend: 5,2_%_Unproduktive_Flächen
PlotData = from:00.0 till:29.7 color:Wald from:29.7 till:85.5 color:Acker from:85.5 till:94.8 color:Orte from:94.8 till:100 color:Unproduktiv </timeline>The mean altitude of the catchment area is 941.7m above sea level, with a minimum altitude of 441m above sea level and a maximum altitude of 2,427m above sea level.
=== Tributaries === The main tributaries of the Sitter are the Rotbach and the Urnäsch.
'''Source streams and tributaries of the Sitter above {{convert|5|km|mi}} in length'''<timeline> TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal format:xxxx ImageSize = width:600 height:auto barincrement:25 PlotArea = left:10 right:10 top:10 bottom:80 AlignBars = justify Colors = id:canvas value:rgb(0.97,0.97,0.97) id:lightgrey value:gray(0.8) BackgroundColors = canvas:canvas Period = from:0 till:20 ScaleMajor = gridcolor:lightgrey increment:4 start:0 ScaleMinor = gridcolor:lightgrey increment:2 start:0 BarData= barset:Flusslänge Define $left = textcolor:white color:oceanblue Define $right = textcolor:black color:skyblue PlotData= width:18 fontsize:M textcolor:black color:skyblue shift:(5,-6) anchor:from barset:Flusslänge from:start till: 6.1 $right text:Schwendibach (6,1 km) from:start till: 9.8 $left text:Weissbach (9,8 km) from:start till: 5.9 $left text:Kaubach (5,9 km) from:start till:15.5 $right text:Rotbach (15,5 km) from:start till: 5.3 $right text:Wattbach (5,3 km) from:start till:18.5 $left text:Urnäsch (18,5 km) from:start till: 5.4 $left text:Lauftenbach (5,4 km) from:start till: 6.0 $right text:Rötelbach (6,0 km)
TextData= fontsize:M pos:(10,490) text: "Die Zuflüsse sind talwärts aufgeführt:" pos:(10,50) text:km pos:(10,30) text:"Rechte Nebenflüsse: Hellblau" pos:(10,10) text:"Linke Nebenflüsse: Dunkelblau" </timeline>
== Hydrology == The mouth of the Sitter in the Thur has a modeled mean discharge rate of (MQ) {{convert|11.89|m3/s|cuft/s|abbr=on}}. Its flow regime type is ''nivo-pluvial préalpin'' and its flow variability is 20.{{Center|<u>'''Modeled average monthly discharge (MQ) of the Sitter in m³/s'''</u><ref name=bafu>[https://api3.geo.admin.ch/rest/services/ech/MapServer/ch.bafu.mittlere-abfluesse/48065/extendedHtmlPopup?lang=de Mittlere Abflüsse und Abflussregimetyp für das Gewässernetz der Schweiz: Sitter], Bundesamt für Umwelt (BAFU)</ref>
<timeline> Colors= id:lightgrey value:gray(0.8) id:darkgrey value:gray(0.3) id:sfondo value:rgb(1,1,1)
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TextData = pos:(30,220) textcolor:black fontsize:S text: 11,89 pos:(20,16) textcolor:blue fontsize:35 text: ─ pos:(73,24) textcolor:black fontsize:S text: Mittlerer Jahresabfluss pos:(200,0) textcolor:skyblue fontsize:35 text: ▬ pos:(242,24) textcolor:black fontsize:S text: Mittlerer monatlicher Abfluss
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PlotData= color:skyblue width:35 align:left bar:Jan from:0 till: 8.47 bar:Feb from:0 till:10.37 bar:Mar from:0 till:12.76 bar:Abr from:0 till:16.87 bar:Mai from:0 till:17.39 bar:Jun from:0 till:16.19 bar:Jul from:0 till:13.04 bar:Agu from:0 till:10.91 bar:Sep from:0 till: 9.65 bar:Okt from:0 till: 8.24 bar:Nov from:0 till: 9.53 bar:Dez from:0 till: 9.74
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== Economy and Transport == [[File:Sittertal.JPG|thumb|The Sitter in St. Gallen with Kraftwerk Kubel und the Südostbahn Viaduct]]
=== Use === Both the main river and its tributaries are used for a variety of purposes in certain parts, while other sections are almost untouched by humans.
The Sitter and its valley are used
* as an important local recreation area * for hydropower * for fishing * for the extraction of drinking and utility water * as effluent for wastewater treatment * for gravel extraction * as a natural habitat for many plants and animals
=== Hydropower === Energy was originally produced at 11 hydroelectric plants along the sitter. Only 7 remain in use to this day. The largest share of electricity production (87%) goes to the Kubelkraftwerk of St. Gallisch-Appenzellischen Kraftwerke AG (SAK). The Gübsensee on the outskirts of St. Gallen serves as a water reservoir in this setup.
=== Shipping and Ferries === Since 1975, the annual Mammoth Raft Race (usually on Mother's Day) has been held on a course on the Sitter and Thur rivers, featuring homemade rafts in front of thousands of spectators. Alongside speed, the originality of the rafts is also a key factor.
Die Gertau–Degenau Ferry, which crosses the Sitter, connects the municipalities of Hauptwil-Gottshaus and Zihlschlacht-Sitterdorf.
=== Bridges === [[File:Mettlenbrücke_Appenzell_P1030724.jpg|thumb|The Mettlenbrücke from 1751, a covered bridge over the Sitter.]] {{Main|List of bridges over the Sitter}} Along its course, the Sitter is crossed by 50 bridges. Most bridges of the St. Gallen bridge path cross the Sitter.
In 1949, Swiss Post issued a five-cent postal stamp depicting the Sitter bridges near St. Gallen.<ref>{{cite web |access-date=2024-02-19 |title=Schweizer Briefmarken - Sitterbrücken bei St. Gallen |url=https://www.ok24.ch/htm/det.php?id=3588 |website=ok24.ch}}<!-- auto-translated from German by Module:CS1 translator --></ref>
== See also == * List of rivers of Switzerland
== External links ==
* {{HDS|8777|Sitter}} * [http://www.flossrennen.ch Homepage des Mammut Flossrennen Sitter-Thur] * [http://www.waterweb.de/w/index.php?title=Sitter Flussbeschreibung für Wasserfahrten]
== References == <references />
Category:Rivers of the canton of St. Gallen Category:Thur (Rhine) basin