The Tichá Orlice () is a river in the Czech Republic, the secondary source river of the Orlice River. It flows through the Hradec Králové and Pardubice regions. It is long, making it the 21st longest river in the Czech Republic.
Etymology The name Orlice is derived from the Slavic word orel, i.e. 'eagle' (literally "female eagle"). The river probably got its name from the abundance of eagles, but it could also have just been the accidental catch of an eagle. The attribute tichá means 'silent' and refers to its character (compared to Divoká Orlice, i.e. "wild Orlice").
Characteristic
The Tichá Orlice originates in the territory of Červená Voda in the Hanušovice Highlands at an elevation of and flows to Žďár nad Orlicí, where it merges with the Divoká Orlice at an elevation of and together they form the Orlice. It is long, making it the 21st longest river in the Czech Republic. Its drainage basin has an area of .
The longest tributaries of the Tichá Orlice are: Tributary Length (km) River km Side Třebovka 41.2 48.2 left Čermná 13.7 71.3 left Lipkovský potok 13.3 93.6 right Husí krk 12.7 44.7 left Libchavský potok 10.8 51.3 right Bystřec 10.7 76.1 left Lukavický potok 10.0 65.2 right
Course The largest town on the river is Ústí nad Orlicí. The river flows through the municipal territories of Červená Voda, Králíky, Lichkov, Mladkov, Těchonín, Sobkovice, Jamné nad Orlicí, Jablonné nad Orlicí, Mistrovice, Verměřovice, Letohrad, Dolní Dobrouč, Ústí nad Orlicí, Hrádek, Orlické Podhůří, Sudislav nad Orlicí, Brandýs nad Orlicí, Zářecká Lhota, Choceň, Újezd u Chocně, Čermná nad Orlicí, Borohrádek and Žďár nad Orlicí.
Bodies of water There are 557 bodies of water in the basin area. The largest of them is the Hvězda fishpond with an area of , built on the Třebovka.
Fauna The entire course of the river is protected as a Special Area of Conservation for the abundant occurrence of the European river lamprey.
Tourism The Tichá Orlice is suitable for river tourism, but the upper course is suitable only for experienced paddlers. The lower course is popular because of its year-round navigability.
References
External links
River flow at Čermná nad Orlicí station – Flood Warning and Forecasting Service of the Czech Hydrometeorological Institute