Rodau (Wümme)
| Location | Lower Saxony, Germany |
|---|---|
| Length | 22.9 km |
| Source | in Hiddingen near Visselhövede 53°06′03″N 9°24′19″E / 53.10097°N 9.40525°ECoordinates: 53°06′03″N 9°24′19″E / 53.10097°N 9.40525°E |
| Source height | 60 m |
| Mouth | near Rotenburg into the Wiedau 53°06′26″N 9°23′25″E / 53.107227°N 9.390258°E |
| Mouth height | 19.5 m |
| Descent | 40.5 m |
| Basin | Weser |
| Progression | Wiedau → Wümme → Lesum → Weser → North Sea |
| Catchment | 144.3 km² |
| Discharge | Average mid: 1.4 m³/s |
| Small towns | Rotenburg (Wümme) |
| Villages | Bothel |
The Rodau is a left-hand tributary of the River Wiedau in the north German state of Lower Saxony, that enters the Wiedau shortly before its confluence with the Wümme. The river rises near Hiddingen in the borough of Visselhövede in the district of Rotenburg (Wümme) at the foot of a 50 metre thick ridge of end moraine that falls away to the northwest and dates to the Drenthe stage of the Saale Glaciation. The river then crosses the densely wooded and near-natural Rosebruch in the area of the Samtgemeinde Bothel and discharges into the Wiedau at Rotenburg, before the Wiedau in turn enters the Wümme after only 1.3 kilometres. The Visselbach joins the Rodau near Bothel. This stream rises in Visselhövede in one of the biggest springs in the Lower Saxon Plain and, at its mouth, carries around 25% more water than the Rodau, hence it is actually the main headstream of the Rodau.
Water sport
The Rodau is a popular area with anglers and canoeists.