Editing Franconia (section)

=== Rivers and lakes ===
[[File:Aerial image of Großer Brombachsee (view from the southeast).jpg|thumb|Aerial view of [[Großer Brombachsee]] from the dam towards the west]]
The two most important rivers of the region are the [[Main (river)|Main]] and its primary tributary, the [[Regnitz]]. The tributaries of these two rivers in Franconia are the [[Tauber]], [[Pegnitz (river)|Pegnitz]], [[Rednitz]] and [[Franconian Saale]]. Other major rivers in the region are the [[Jagst]] and [[Kocher (river)|Kocher]] in Hohenlohe-Franconia, which empty into the [[Neckar]] north of Heilbronn in Baden-Württemberg, the [[Altmühl]] and the [[Wörnitz]] in Middle Franconia, both tributaries of the [[Danube]], and the upper and middle reaches of the [[Werra]], the right-hand headstream of the [[Weser]]. In the northeast of Upper Franconia rise two left-hand tributaries of the [[Elbe]]: the [[Saxon Saale]] and the [[Eger (Elbe)|Eger]].

The [[Main-Danube Canal]] connects the Main and Danube across Franconia, running from Bamberg via Nuremberg to [[Kelheim]]. It thus complements the Rhine, Main and Danube, helping to ensure a continuous navigable waterway between the [[North Sea]] and the [[Black Sea]]. In Franconia, there are only a few, often very small, natural [[lake]]s. This is due to fact that most natural lakes in Germany are [[glacial lake|glacial]] or [[volcanism|volcanic]] in origin, and Franconia escaped both influences in recent earth history. Among the largest waterbodies are [[reservoir]]s, which are mostly used as water reserves for the relatively dry landscapes of Franconia. These include the waters of the [[Franconian Lake District]], which was established in the 1970s and is also a tourist attraction. The heart of these lakes is the [[Großer Brombachsee]], which has an area of 8.7&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup> and is thus the largest waterbody in Franconia by surface area.