Swalm Brook early in the morning on a cold and foggy day by Nicola Mathu

About "Swalm Brook early in the morning on a cold and foggy day"

by Nicola Mathu

About the artwork

The Zwalm receives water from the municipalities of Vloesberg, Brakel, Zottegem, Horebeke, Oudenaarde and Zwalm. The municipality of Zwalm is named after the Zwalm stream.
The source area of the Zwalm is in Vloesberg; there, the upper reaches of the Zwalm have their own name. The highest point of this source area is 150 m. The Zwalm itself is formed in Brakel from its headwaters: the Dorenbosbeek, the Verrebeek and the Sassegembeek, among others. After Brakel, the Zwalm also calls at the municipalities of Zottegem and Zwalm.
Together with the Ronne and the Hene, the practically unnavigable Zwalm is the main tributary of the middle course of the Scheldt. Its total length from its source is 21.750 km and from its origin in Brakel about 14 km.
There is a gauging station[1] in Nederzwalm. It measures an average flow of 0.80 m³/s. However, the flow of the Zwalm brook can vary strongly and rapidly between 0.60 m³/s and 1 m³/s.
Nederzwalm is located at the confluence of the Zwalm and Boekelbeek, the main tributary of the Zwalm. This tributary stream comes from Zegelsem and also receives water from Horebeke.
The Zwalm flows into the Scheldt at the border between Welden and Nederzwalm.
Its banks in the Zwalm valley and its waterfalls are characteristic. The left bank is gently sloping while the right bank is steep.
Since the realisation of a water treatment programme, which started in 1989, including a water treatment plant at Bruggenhoek in Roborst, the quality of the water has been