Laxá í Kjós
Laxá í Kjós (Icelandic pronunciation: [ˈlaksˌauː iː ˈcʰouːs]; Laxá in Kjós) is a river in the Kjósarhreppur municipality of southwestern Iceland. It flows about 20 kilometres (12 mi) from the Stíflisdalsvatn [ˈstiplɪsˌtalsˌvahtn̥], a small lake northwest of the Þingvallavatn, into the Laxárvogur [ˈlaksˌaurˌvɔːɣʏr̥], a cove on the Hvalfjörður fjord.
| Laxá í Kjós | |
|---|---|
Laxá í Kjós near its mouth at the Laxárvogur. | |
Location of the mouth of Laxá í Kjós | |
| Etymology | Icelandic: lax, lit. 'salmon' |
| Location | |
| Country | Iceland |
| Region | Capital Region (Greater Reykjavík) |
| Constituency | Southwest |
| Municipality | Kjósarhreppur (Kjós) |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | Stíflisdalsvatn lake |
| • coordinates | 64°15′04″N 21°20′42″W |
| • elevation | 178 m (584 ft) |
| Mouth | Laxárvogur, Hvalfjörður |
• coordinates | 64°20′32″N 21°36′58″W |
• elevation | 1 metre (3 ft 3 in) |
| Length | 20 km (12 mi) |
| Basin size | 211 km2 (81 sq mi) |
| Basin features | |
| Tributaries | |
| • left | Svínadalsá, Bugða |
It is known for its salmon fishing, particularly where the salmon must traverse up several waterfalls. Brown trout and sea trout are also caught in the river.
The first salmon hatchery in Iceland, established in 1884 by Danish scientist Arthur Feddersen in the village of Reynivellir, was stocked with 31 spawning salmon captured in the Laxá í Kjós and its main tributary, the Bugða [ˈpʏɣða]. Other tributaries include the smaller Svínadalsá [ˈsviːnaˌtalsˌauː], Hálsá [ˈhaulsˌauː], and Þverá [ˈθvɛːrˌauː], all of which flow into the upper section of the river below the Þórufoss.