Utløpet

Utløpet is a Norwegian term used in geography and hydrology to describe an outlet or mouth through which water exits a body of water, such as a lake, reservoir, or river. It can refer to the natural channel where water flows away from a water body, or to an artificial outflow created for management, drainage, or flood control. The concept is closely related to the terms innløp (inlet) and utløpskanal (outlet channel).

In practice, utløpet describes both natural and engineered features. A river’s utløp is the point where it discharges into another water body, typically the sea or a larger lake. For lakes and reservoirs, the utløp is the controlled outflow that helps regulate water level and flow downstream. Artificial utløp structures may include spillways, sluice gates, pipes, or channels designed to manage discharge, prevent flooding, or maintain ecological conditions downstream.

Etymology and usage: the word comes from ut- meaning out and løp meaning run or flow, reflecting the action of water leaving a system. In Norwegian technical language, utløp is commonly paired with innløp (inlet) to describe the full set of water entry and exit points in a catchment, reservoir, or drainage scheme. The term can also appear in figurative contexts to denote an outlet for energy or emotion, though such usage is less common in formal writing.

See also: innløp, hydrology, estuary, drainage, water management.