IJssel

IJssel Gelderse IJssel
Sunset on the IJssel at Deventer
Location of river IJssel in dark blue
Native name	Iessel(t) (Dutch Low Saxon)
Location
Country	Netherlands
Provinces	Gelderland, Overijssel
Districts	Liemers, Veluwe, Achterhoek, Salland
Cities	Arnhem (suburbs), Doesburg, Zutphen, Deventer, Zwolle (suburbs), Kampen
Physical characteristics
Source	Nederrijn
• location	Westervoort, Gelderland, Netherlands
• elevation	6 metres
Mouth	Ketelmeer (arm of below-sea-level channel east of the Flevopolder, Flevoland)
• location	Kampen, Salland, Overijssel, Netherlands
• coordinates	52°34′58″N 5°50′24″E / 52.58278°N 5.84000°E / 52.58278; 5.84000
• elevation	−3 metres
Length	125 km (78 mi)
Discharge
• average	340 m3/s (12,000 cu ft/s)
Basin features
Progression	Rhine, Pannerdens Kanaal, IJssel
Tributaries
• right	Oude IJssel, Berkel, Schipbeek

The IJssel (Dutch: [ˈɛisəl] ^ⓘ; Dutch Low Saxon: Iessel(t) [ˈisəl(t)]) is a Dutch distributary of the river Rhine that flows northward and ultimately discharges into the IJsselmeer (before the 1932 completion of the Afsluitdijk known as the Zuiderzee), a North Sea natural harbour. It more immediately flows into the east-south channel around the Flevopolder, Flevoland which is kept at 3 metres below sea level. This body of water is then pumped up into the IJsselmeer.

It is sometimes called the Gelderse IJssel (IPA: [ˌɣɛldərsə ˈʔɛisəl] ^ⓘ; "Gueldern IJssel") to distinguish it from the Hollandse IJssel. It is in the provinces of Gelderland and Overijssel, the latter of which was named after this river. The Romans knew the river as Isala. It flows from Westervoort, on the east side of the city of Arnhem.

Similar to the Nederrijn which shares its short inflow, the Pannerdens Kanaal, it is a minor discharge of the Rhine. At the fork where the Kanaal is sourced the Rhine becomes named the Waal. This splitting-off is west of the German border. The Waal in turn interweaves with other rivers and the lower course of the Nederrijn, which altogether is known as the Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta.

The name contains the digraph ij, used throughout modern Dutch orthography, which is why both letters appear capitalized (as in: IJmuiden and IJsselmeer).