| Große Steinau | |
|---|---|
| Location | Osterode am Harz district in Lower Saxony, Germany |
| Length | 7.5 km |
| Source | Near the Sophienklippe on the Acker |
| Source height | 690 m |
| Mouth | South of Aschenhütte into the Sieber |
| Mouth height | 216 m |
| Descent | 474 m |
| Basin | Weser |
| Progression | Sieber → Oder → Rhume → Leine → Aller → Weser |
The Große Steinau is a 7.5 km long tributary of the Sieber, north of Herzberg am Harz in the district of Osterode am Harz in Lower Saxony. It rises at about 690 metres near the crags of the Sophienklippe on the Acker. It initially flows in a southwesterly direction, but later swings south before discharging into the Sieber near the small settlement of Aschenhütte, not far from the mouth of the Kleine Steinau. In times of drought the water of the Große Steinau seeps completely into the karst ground before its mouth and reappears about 4 days later at the Rhumequelle. An abandoned village, Steynowe, was probably located in the lower valley of the Große Steinau, but its exact location has not been found.