The Göta is a river that drains Lake Vänern into the Kattegat near the city of Göteborg on the west coast of Sweden. It was formed at the end of the last glaciation as a drainage channel from the Baltic Ice Lake to the Atlantic Ocean and now has the largest catchment area in Scandinavia.
The town of Vänersborg was built on a tributary from Lake Vänern. The total height difference to sea level is 44 metres, of which 32 metres is the historically huge Trollhätte waterfall. Today, these are usually replaced by hydroelectric power stations and locks (Trollhätte Canal). The rest of the river has a calm flow with a level difference of about 12 metres over 80 km. At Kungälv the river divides into two arms. The eastern arm is still called Göra älv and passes through Göteborg before emptying into Älvsborgsfjord in the Kattegat. The other arm is Nordre älv, which flows 12 km further north. The island of Hisingen forms the area between the two rivers.
The river is 93 km long. Together with Klarälven, the total length is 731 km. The catchment area of 50 000 km2 is the largest in Sweden. The average flow of 565 m3/s is also the highest in Sweden, but during the spring tide many rivers in the north are richer.
Before the Treaty of Roskilde in 1658, the Göta was partly a border river between Sweden and Norway, between Västergötland and Bohuslän. Today the river lies entirely in Västra Götaland county.
History
The oldest archaeological finds along the Göta River related to shipping are Äskekärrsskeppen. The first of these was found in 1933 northwest of Alafors in the parish of Starrkärr in the village of Ale and was a cargo ship dating back to the 1830s.
Customs
Prior to the Peace of Roskilde in 1658, shorter and longer stretches of the river formed the national border between Norway and Sweden: the part from Kvillebäcken in Hisingen to south of present-day Surte; the part from Viken north of present-day Bohus to Åkerströmsån southwest of present-day Trollhättan. In Ale Härad there were customs stations at Lödöse in Sankt Peders parish, Hamnen in Skepplanda parish and Viken in Nödinge parish. In Vättle Härad there was one in Lärje in the parish of Angereds.
