Navizence

The water from the Navizence is utilized by multiple hydroelectric plants and can be pumped to the Moiry Dam via a system of galleries.

The Navizence has encountered major floods in 1834 and 2018, resulting in extensive destruction in the Anniviers Valley and Chippis.

Another possibility is that the name derives from the Gaulish "nava," which means "deep valley, ravine" in Latin, with the suffix -ence.

[1] Philologist Paul Aebischer suggests a Gaulish root anavo-,[2] conveying ideas of inspiration and wealth.

[8] The drainage basins of the Rèche surround it to the northwest, the Borgne to the west, the Viège from Zermatt to the south and southeast, the Turtmänna to the east, the Illgraben to the northeast, and the Rhône to the north.

[9] The Navizence originates at 2,100 meters, at the exit of the Zinal Glacier, at the bottom of the western branch of the Anniviers Valley.

[4] About 2 km after Zinal, in Mottec, the watercourse descends sharply into a new stream with a direct and consistent slope.

At an elevation of 1,287 meters above sea level, the river merges with its main tributary, the Gougra, which carries water from the Moiry Glacier and the Zozanne, Lona, and Marais lakes.

It merges with the Moulins stream at Vissoie, which originates from the snowfields of Pointe de Nava, Toûno, and Bella Tola.

At the site known as "des Balmes," the rocky spur of Pontis, located at the base of Illhorn, alters the river course once more, this time flowing northwestward.

The Navizence, reaching an elevation of 535 meters east of Chippis, spans a distance of 23 km before merging with the Rhône.

[22] The first basin is utilized to regulate the flow towards Vissoie during the summer and can also pump water towards the Moiry Dam during off-peak hours.

Phyla involved are Platyhelminthes (Crenobia alpina), Annelida (Lumbricidae and Tubificidae), and arthropods from the orders Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, Coleoptera, Trichoptera, and Diptera.

The first flood occurred in August 1834, caused by the obstruction of the river's flow at the Zinal Glacier by a proglacial lake.

[12] In July 2018, a new overflow occurred due to a violent thunderstorm covering 35 km2 and the melting of large amounts of snow.

[29][30] The sewage treatment plant in Anniviers at Fang suffered significant damage, leading to the direct discharge of wastewater from Zinal and Grimentz into the Navizence.

[41][42][43] Additionally, the downstream part of the watershed intersects the Pfynwald-Illgraben area, which is included in the Federal Inventory of Landscapes and Natural Monuments.

[45] Fishing is prohibited in the section of the Navizence between the mouth of the Pinsec stream and the Vissoie accumulation basin, as it is designated as a reserve.

Navizence route map. [ 7 ]
Navizence flood warning sign.
The "Navizence" power plant in Chippis.
The Niouc suspension bridge.