Editing Lake Zurich (section)

== Geography ==
Lake Zurich is a [[glacial lake]] that was formed by the {{ill|Rhine-Linth glacier|de|Rheingletscher}}. Its main [[tributary]] is the River [[Linth]], which rises in the [[glacier]]s of the [[Glarus Alps]].  The Linth originally flew directly into Lake Zurich, but was later diverted by the [[Hans Conrad Escher von der Linth|Escher]] canal (completed in 1811) into [[Lake Walen]] ({{lang|de|Walensee}}) from where its waters are now carried to the east end of Lake Zurich (near [[Schmerikon]]) by means of the straightened Linth [[canal]] (completed in 1816). Until the early 16th century, there was another lake upstream of ''Obersee'', [[Tuggenersee|Lake Tuggen]] ({{lang|de|Tuggenersee}}) near [[Tuggen]]. The waters of Lake Zurich flow out of the lake at its north-west end (at the level of the [[Quaibrücke, Zurich|Quaibrücke]]), passing through the city of Zurich; however, the outflow is then called the [[Limmat]]. The Limmat is a tributary of the [[Aare]], which itself is a tributary of the [[High Rhine]].<ref name=EB1911>{{EB1911|wstitle=Zürich, Lake of |last= Coolidge |first= William Augustus Brevoort |author-link= W. A. B. Coolidge|volume=28 |inline=1}}</ref> The culminating point of the lake's drainage basin is the [[Tödi]] at 3,614 metres above sea level.<ref>{{cite map |publisher=Swiss Federal Office of Topography, swisstopo |title=Tödi, Lake Zurich's culmination point |map=National Map 1:25 000 |map-url=http://www.toposhop.admin.ch/en/shop/products/maps/national/n25 |date=16 January 2014  |edition=2009 |url=http://s.geo.admin.ch/9324aa0f5 |scale=1:25 000 |series="National Map 1:25'000, 247 sheets and 17 composites" |section="1193 Tödi" |location=Bern, Switzerland |isbn=978-3-302-05011-9 |access-date=2014-12-01}}</ref>

Besides the River Linth, other tributaries are the [[Jona (river)|Jona]], [[Schmerikoner Aa]], [[Steinenbach]] and [[Wägitalersee|Wägitaler Aa]], which all flow out into ''Obersee'', along with several creeks.<ref name=EB1911/> The [[Seedamm]], an artificial causeway and bridge, crosses the narrowest point of the lake at the level of the [[Hurden Peninsula]], carrying a [[Rapperswil–Pfäffikon railway|railway line]] and road from [[Rapperswil]] to [[Pfäffikon, Schwyz|Pfäffikon]]. The waterway is also crossed by the ''[[Holzbrücke Rapperswil-Hurden]]'', a wooden pedestrian bridge. The eastern section of the lake is known as the ''[[Obersee (Lake Zurich)|Obersee]]'' ({{lit|Upper Lake}}). West of the Seedamm lie the small islands of [[Lützelau]] and [[Ufenau]], where in 1523 [[Ulrich von Hutten]] took refuge and died. Other islands include [[Grosser Hafner]], [[Saffa-Insel|Saffa Island]] and Schönenwerd (near [[Richterswil]]). A popular tourist destination is the [[Au peninsula]] at the village of [[Au, Zurich|Au]] between [[Wädenswil]] and [[Horgen]]. The lake shores are well cultivated and fertile.<ref name=EB1911/> They include [[nature reserve]]s, such as [[Frauenwinkel]] or [[Bätzimatt]]. The bay of Rapperswil and [[reed bed|reed]] in [[Nuolen]] are wintering areas for birds and popular sites for [[bird watching]].

To the east, separated by [[Zürichberg]]-[[Adlisberg]], [[Forch]], and [[Pfannenstiel (Zurich)|Pfannenstiel]], are two smaller lakes, [[Greifensee (lake)|Greifensee]] ({{lit|Lake Greifen}}) and [[Pfäffikersee]] ({{lit|Lake Pfäffikon}}). There are several minor lakes and [[pond]]s in the vicinity, such as [[Egelsee (Bubikon)|Egelsee]], [[Lützelsee]] or [[Türlersee]]. [[Zimmerberg]], [[Etzel (mountain)|Etzel]] and [[Buechberg]] mountains lie to the west and south of the lake, respectively. Further to the east, the [[Speer (mountain)|Speer]], [[Chüemettler]] and [[Federispitz]] can be seen from the southern part of the lake.

Administratively, Lake Zurich is split between the cantons of [[Canton of Zurich|Zurich]] ([[Horgen District]]), [[Canton of St. Gallen|St. Gallen]] ([[See-Gaster]]) and [[Canton of Schwyz|Schwyz]] ([[Höfe District|Höfe]] and [[March District|March]] districts). The lower lake, to the west of the Seedamm, is largely in the canton of Zurich, while the upper lake is shared between the cantons of St. Gallen and Schwyz.

===Tributaries of lower lake===
{{main|Category:Tributaries of Lake Zurich}}

The following rivers or streams flow into lower part of Lake Zurich.<ref>''Bradshaw's pedestrian route-book for Switzerland, Chamouni, and the Italian lakes'', George Bradshaw (1868)</ref> From the Limmat clockwise, they are:
{{Stack|
[[File:Küsnachter Dorfbach.jpg|thumb|Küsnachter Dorfbach and Küsnacht's Reformed Church]]
}}
*Hornbach (at [[Zürichhorn]])
*Düggelbach (at [[Zollikon]])
*Kusenbach (at [[Küsnacht]])
*[[Küsnachter Tobel|Küsnachter Dorfbach]] (at Hornelanpark, Küsnacht)
*Heslibach (at [[Erlenbach, Switzerland|Erlenbach]])
*Dorfbach Erlenbach (at Erlenbach)
*Tobelbächli (at Erlenbach)
*Schipfbach (at Erlenbach)
*Rossbach (at [[Herrliberg]])
*Meilener Dorfbach (at [[Meilen]])
*Beugenbach (at Meilen)
*Aebletenbach (at Ländeli, Meilen)
*Uetiker Mulibach (at Meilen)
*Feldbach (at [[Feldbach, Switzerland|Horn]])
*Sarenbach (at [[Freienbach]])
*Krebsbach (at Bäch, Freienbach)
*Mülibach (at [[Richterswil]])
*Zürichsee (at [[Wädenswil]])
*Meilibach (at Wädenswil)
*Schanzengraben (Zurich)