Blinde Rot

The Blinde Rot, also called the Adelmannsfelden Rot, is a river in the Ellwangen Hills in the north of the German state of Baden-Württemberg, that rises in the municipality Frankenhardt and discharges into the Kocher in the municipality of Abtsgmünd.GeographyThe Blinde Rot rises on the gravel sandstone plateau on the northern foothills of the Ellwangen Hills, flows shortly thereafter through the lake of Fleckenbachsee and then meanders southwards through river meadows, before swinging abruptly west in front of the Hornberg hill, about 2 km before emptying into the Kocher near Schäufele.The whole length of its valley lies on the Middle Keuper rocks. Its neighbouring rivers, which run through valleys roughly parallel to the Blinde Rot to the west as east, the Bühler and the Jagst, both flow in the opposite direction, i.e. to the north.TributariesThe tributaries of the Blinde Rot from source to mouth are:Environment and protected areasThe Blinde Rot initially flows through a very shallow depression, but from about Willa it cut more deeply and nowhere exceeds a maximum width of 150 metres. Mostly enclosed on both sides by wooded slopes, a small-scale, natural river landscape has survived on the valley floor. Pastures and meadows alternate here with woods, including elsewhere rare carrs. The river winds freely through both in natural meanders with steep and gently banks, accompanied by sandbanks, oxbow lakes and pools that are slowly silting up. The upper reaches the valley from the village of Bühlerzell to the hamlet of Grafenhof are designated as a protected landscape. This reserve was formed by a local act issued by the Ostalbkreis district office on 5 May 1994 and covers an area of 358 hectares. Immediately thereafter until the Burghardmühle mill below Adelmannsfelden is the protected landscape known as the "Valley of the Blinde Rot". It covers 84.5 hectares and was established on 20 December 1968.