Grone (river)
Grone is a small river in the city of Göttingen, Lower Saxony, Germany. It is a left tributary of the Leine and flows entirely within the urban area of Göttingen, joining the Leine north of the Hagenberg and east of the Holtenser Berg. The stream gives its name to the Göttingen district of Grone.
Course
The Grone rises at the Gronespring, beneath the Göttingen district of Hetjershausen. From its source, it flows through the district of Grone, traverses an industrial area, and passes through Levinscher Park, where it feeds the park’s ponds, before entering the Leine on the city’s western side.
Tributaries
Several small streams in western Göttingen drain to the Grone. The most notable are:Elliehäuser Bach – flows roughly 2.6 km from Elliehausen along Holtenser Landstraße and enters the Grone near the Königsallee–Hagenweg roundabout.Rehbach – meets the Grone in the Grone district.
Ecology and restoration
In 2009, the City of Göttingen implemented habitat-enhancement measures on the lower Grone in partnership with local conservation groups. Among other structures, triangular groynes were installed to initiate gentle meandering and improve in-stream habitat in what had been a straightened, structure-poor channel.
Etymology
Local press and historical notes connect the hydronym Grone to older forms such as Gronaha, interpreted as “green watercourse”. The river’s name was transferred to the former village and present-day city district of Grone.