Leine

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Leine
The Leine in Hanover.
Origin	Thuringia
Mouth	Aller
Basin countries	Germany
Length	271 km
Basin area	6,512 km²

The Leine is a river in Thuringia and Lower Saxony, Germany. It is a left tributary of the Aller river and 271 km in length.

The river's source is located close to the town of Leinefelde in Thuringia. Forty kilometers downriver, the river enters Lower Saxony and runs northwards. Important towns on the course are Göttingen, Alfeld and Gronau, before the river enters Hanover, the largest city on its banks. Some forty kilometers north of Hanover, near Schwarmstedt, the river joins the Aller. Although the river occasionally over-floods its banks, damage is usually nominal. Only in its northern reaches is it navigable, though in the past it served as a transportation artery as far up river as Göttingen. The river is somewhat polluted and not used for drinking water but not so much as to prevent fish from living in it. Some people even go sport fishing along the banks, although yields are normally low.

At at least one point (Göttingen) the river is partially diverted into a canal that runs more or less parallel to the river.