The Hessel is a 39.3-kilometre-long (24.4 mi), right tributary of the River Ems in the territory of the North Rhine-Westphalian districts of Gütersloh and Warendorf in northwest Germany.

Hessel
Confluence of the Neuer Hessel and the Alter Hessel near the nature reserve of Versmolder Bruch
Location
CountryGermany
StateNorth Rhine-Westphalia
Reference no.DE: 316
Physical characteristics
Source 
 • locationSource: Northwest of Halle (Westf.) in the Teutoburg Forest
 • coordinates52°05′30″N 8°21′02″E / 52.09167°N 8.35056°E / 52.09167; 8.35056
 • elevationca. 170 m above sea level (NN)
Mouth 
 • location
Warendorf-Einen
 • coordinates
51°58′26″N 7°54′59″E / 51.97389°N 7.91639°E / 51.97389; 7.91639
 • elevation
ca. 48 m above sea level (NN)
Length39.337 km [1]
Basin size212.528 km2 [1]
Discharge 
 • locationat Milte
(4,3 km oberhalb der Mündung, Einzugsgebiet: 204,87 km²)
gauge[2]
 • average2.12 m³/s
 • minimumRecord low: 0 L/s (in 2005)
Average low: 304 L/s
 • maximumAverage high: 18.4 m³/s
Record high: 33.6 m³/s (in 1986)
Basin features
ProgressionEmsNorth Sea
Tributaries 
 • leftAlte Hessel, Lüffe Graben,
 • rightCasumer Bach, Bruchbach, Aabach, Poggenfahrtgraben, Sandfortbach, Teichwiese, Wöstenbach, Beckstroth, Arenbecke, Speckengraben

The river rises northwest of Halle (Westf.) on the Große Egge, crosses the Hermannsweg, flows through the villages of Hesseln and Hörste in Halle borough, then through the borough of Versmold through Oesterweg, continuing through the town of Sassenberg and along the southern edge of Milte in the borough of Warendorf, before emptying into the Ems near Warendorf-Einen.

Tributaries include the Casumer Bach, Bruchbach, Aabach, Poggenfahrtgraben, Sandfortbach, Teichwiese, Wöstenbach, Beckstroth, Arenbecke and the Speckengraben.

The Snake's Head Meadows lie along the Hessel near Sassenberg, one of the few areas in Germany in which this strictly protected wildflower occurs.

References

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