| Studená Vltava | |
| Name Other: | Kalte Moldau |
| Source1 Location: | Haidmühle, Bavarian Forest |
| Mouth Location: | Vltava |
| Mouth Coordinates: | 48.8592°N 13.8931°W |
| Subdivision Type1: | Countries |
| Subdivision Type2: | Regions/ States |
| Length Km: | 24.7 |
| Discharge1 Avg: | 2.04m3/s near estuary |
| Basin Size Km2: | 121.0 |
The Studená Vltava (de|Kalte Moldau) is a river in the Czech Republic and Germany, the secondary source river of the Vltava River. It flows through Bavaria in Germany and through the South Bohemian Region. It is 24.7km (15.3miles) long.
The name Vltava is derived from the Proto-Germanic words wilt-ahwa, i.e 'wild water'. The attribute studená means 'cold', compared to the Teplá Vltava, i.e. 'warm Vltava'.[1]
The Studená Vltava is formed by the gradual confluence of several creek with their own names, but the main source called Weberaubach is taken as an integral part of the Studená Vltava. The Studená Vltava originates in the territory of Haidmühle in the Bavarian Forest at an elevation of and flows to the Pěkná exclave of the Nová Pec municipality, where it merges with the Teplá Vltava River at an elevation of and continues as Vltava. It is 24.7km (15.3miles) long, of which 7.7km (04.8miles) is in Germany, forms the Czech-German state border and 15km (09miles) is in the Czech Republic. Its drainage basin has an area of 121km2, of which 74.5km2 is in the Czech Republic.
The longest tributaries of the Studená Vltava are:[2]
| Tributary | Length (km) | Side | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Světlá | 10.0 | right | |
| Hučina | 6.5 | right |
The river flows through the municipal territories of Haidmühle in Germany and Stožec and Nová Pec in the Czech Republic.
The Czech part of the river is located within the Šumava National Park. Among the common species of fish in the Studená Vltava are river trout, rainbow trout, grayling, brook trout, European chub, common dace and European bullhead. Several other species are occasionally found, such as northern pike, European eel, zander and European perch.[3]
River-bound birds include common kingfisher, white-throated dipper and grey heron. The river is also home to the protected species of freshwater pearl mussel and brook lamprey.[3]