Hessel

For other uses, see Hessel (disambiguation).

Hessel
Confluence of the Neuer Hessel and the Alter Hessel near the nature reserve of Versmolder Bruch
Location
Country	Germany
State	North Rhine-Westphalia
Reference no.	DE: 316
Physical characteristics
Source
• location	Source: Northwest of Halle (Westf.) in the Teutoburg Forest
• coordinates	52°05′30″N 8°21′02″E
• elevation	ca. 170 m above sea level (NN)
Mouth
• location	Warendorf-Einen
• coordinates	51°58′26″N 7°54′59″E
• elevation	ca. 48 m above sea level (NN)
Length	39.337 km
Basin size	212.528 km2
Discharge
• location	at Milte (4,3 km oberhalb der Mündung, Einzugsgebiet: 204,87 km²) gauge
• average	2.12 m³/s
• minimum	Record low: 0 L/s (in 2005) Average low: 304 L/s
• maximum	Average high: 18.4 m³/s Record high: 33.6 m³/s (in 1986)
Basin features
Progression	Ems→ North Sea
Tributaries
• left	Alte Hessel, Lüffe Graben,
• right	Casumer Bach, Bruchbach, Aabach, Poggenfahrtgraben, Sandfortbach, Teichwiese, Wöstenbach, Beckstroth, Arenbecke, Speckengraben

The Hessel is a 39.3-kilometre-long (24.4 mi), right tributary of the River Ems in the territory of the North Rhine-Westphalian districts of Gütersloh and Warendorf in northwest Germany.

The river rises northwest of Halle (Westf.) on the Große Egge, crosses the Hermannsweg, flows through the villages of Hesseln and Hörste in Halle borough, then through the borough of Versmold through Oesterweg, continuing through the town of Sassenberg and along the southern edge of Milte in the borough of Warendorf, before emptying into the Ems near Warendorf-Einen.

Tributaries include the Casumer Bach, Bruchbach, Aabach, Poggenfahrtgraben, Sandfortbach, Teichwiese, Wöstenbach, Beckstroth, Arenbecke and the Speckengraben.

The Snake's Head Meadows lie along the Hessel near Sassenberg, one of the few areas in Germany in which this strictly protected wildflower occurs.