Erft

River in Germany

50°29′14″N 6°35′14″E / 50.48722°N 6.58722°E / 50.48722; 6.58722 • elevation527 m above sea level (NHN) Mouth

• location

Rhine near Neuss-Grimlinghausen

• coordinates

51°11′04″N 6°43′54″E / 51.18444°N 6.73167°E / 51.18444; 6.73167

• elevation

31 m above sea level (NHN)Length106.6 km (66.2 mi) (incl. Kuhbach)^[1]Basin size1,837.915 km² (709.623 sq mi) ^[1]Discharge • locationat Neubrück gauge^[2] • average16.4 m³/s (580 cu ft/s) • minimumRecord low: 5.15 m³/s (182 cu ft/s) (in 16.07.2007)
Average low: 10.4 m³/s (370 cu ft/s) • maximumAverage high: 31.3 m³/s (1,110 cu ft/s)
Record high: 46.6 m³/s (1,650 cu ft/s) (in 04.06.1984) Basin featuresProgressionRhine→ North SeaLandmarks

Cities: Neuss
Large towns: Euskirchen, Erftstadt, Bedburg, Bergheim, Grevenbroich, Kerpen
Small towns: Bad Münstereifel

Tributaries • leftVeybach, Rotbach, Neffelbach • rightSwist, Gillbach, Norfbach

The Erft (pronounced [ʔɛɐ̯ft]) is a river in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It flows through the foothills of the Eifel, and joins the Lower Rhine (left tributary). Its origin is near Nettersheim, and its mouth in Neuss-Grimlinghausen south of the Josef Cardinal Frings Bridge. The river is 106.6 kilometres (66.2 mi) long, which is significantly shorter than it was originally. Due to the open-pit mining of lignite in the Hambacher Loch, the flow of the river had to be changed.

The Erft gave its name to the town of Erftstadt, through which it flows, as well as to the Rhein-Erft district. It also flows through the towns of Bad Münstereifel, Euskirchen, Bergheim, Bedburg and Grevenbroich.