Kaiserbach

The Kaiserbach (also called Sparchenbach) is a river of Tyrol, Austria, in the valley Kaisertal in the Kaiser Mountains in the Tyrolean Unterland. It is a right tributary of the Inn. The Kaiserbach rises at about 1,500 m above sea level (NN) near the Stripsenjoch saddle and empties in Untere Sparchen, a quarter of Kufstein, into the Inn.

Kaiserbach Sparchenbach
The Haupttrift Klause
Location
Country	Austria
State	Tyrol
Physical characteristics
Source
• location	the Stripsenjoch saddle in the Kaiser Mountains
• elevation	ca. 1,500 m above sea level (NN)
Mouth
• location	in Kufstein into the Inn
• coordinates	47°36′00″N 12°10′42″E
• elevation	474 m above sea level (NN)
Length	11.7 km (7.3 mi) [1]
Basin features
Progression	Inn→ Danube→ Black Sea

The Kaiserbach was important for forestry until the beginning of the 20th century. Felled logs were hauled from many wooded mountainsides in the side valleys of the Kaisertal to the river. The Kaiserbach was impounded ast several weirs. On subsequently opening the lock gates a strong current flowed, enabling the assembled logs to be transported in several stages to Kufstein.

The weirs were known as Klausen and the log transportation as Trift. Today all that has survived is the Haupttrift Klause, a restored collection basin on the river bed, and its associated Klaushütte (weir hut) that used to provide worker accommodation.

The Kaiserbach forms most of the municipal boundary between Kufstein and Ebbs.

References

1. TIRIS Geographical information system of Tyrol