• Salmon and sea-trout fishing
• Fishing for trout, brookies and whitefish
• The liming project
• The possible exploitation as a source for hydro-electric power
• The wilderness of Årdalen

There are three maps supporting the information on Tovdalselva:

• The index map (clickable)
• The map with pointers to fishing along the river (clickable)
• The map of the northern part of the watercourse (not clickable)

We like to acknowledge the following persons, organizations and litterature for valuable input to these pages:

• The Organization for the future of Tovdalselva
• The flyfisherman Rune Bergstøl
• Fylkesmannens miljøvernavdeling i Aust-Agder
• The fisherman Jens Hopp
• The fisherman Nils Kvernes, Gauslå
• The flyfisher, photographer and writer Erling Hægeland
• The book "Veiderliv" (ISBN 82-91495-00-9 Friluftsforlaget)
• Konsesjonssøknad Tovdalsvassdraget, Aust-Agder Kraftverk
• Kalkingsplan for Tovdalsvassdraget (NIVA-rapport 0-91032)

Tovdalselva in sixty words.
Tovdalselva is the longest running river in the south of Norway which is still not exploited for the benefit of an increased national export of hydro-electric power. This river was once the number three best catching salmon river in Norway. Today the stock of wild salmon is extinct, due to the acidification that haunts this part of the country. The liming activities that now has started might again make it countable in a few years time.

Though acidification is a problem the river offers some interesting opportunities for the fisherman. The entire river is populated with trout and other coldwater species, and the part from the sea to the waterfall Buefossen is fished for sea-trout, which have survived through the years, and wild salmon failing to find their "home" river.

The upper parts of the river run through the nature reserve "Årdalen". This is one of the most hidden valleys in the area where the call of the wild from time to time materialize by the sight of eagles and predators not often encountered.