Blanda
river in Iceland
The Blanda (Icelandic pronunciation: [ˈplanta] ) is a river in Iceland which flows northwards from the northwest side of the Hofsjökull glacier into Húnaflói bay at Blönduós. The Blanda is one of the longest rivers in the country, with a length of about 125 km, and has a catchment area estimated at 2370 km2. Its source is calculated to lie at a height of 800m. The river is one of the main salmon rivers in Iceland and has often yielded a catch of almost 3000 salmon in one summer. Before the river was dammed in 1990, the salmon spawning grounds reached almost to the foot of the glacier. Blanda hydroelectric power station uses the drop of the river to generate up to 150MW of power.
Begin with the source’s own compact description: “Blanda” is river in Iceland. The dossier treats that line as a proposition to test through Blanda, river and Iceland, not as a finished interpretation.
Why this record matters
The phrase “river in Iceland” supplies a clear boundary for inquiry. It also exposes the unanswered questions: who defined that boundary, when it became stable and which sources sit outside it.
Maps, plans, fabric surveys and administrative records can establish how the site’s name, extent and function changed over time. The source revision retrieved here is dated Aug 2, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q593129. VIAF identifies the subject as 67145424588186830493. Authority coordinates are 65.520, -19.886. 3 of 3 selected statements include explicit references; 1 carry qualifiers and 1 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1990.
Architectural summaries often privilege surviving fabric and can understate demolished phases, contested use or displaced communities. The source lead contains qualifying language; that uncertainty should survive quotation, summary and reuse. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Treat names, boundaries and functions as historically changeable. Maps, plans, inventories and administrative records can clarify what the place meant at different dates.
- Historic place names
- Jurisdictional context
- Routes into maps and plans
Contemporary maps, plans, listed-building records, estate papers and the responsible local or national archive.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Blanda”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Blanda primary sources, Blanda archive and Blanda research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Blanda”?
- Which earlier names or jurisdictions may reveal additional records?
- Which authority defined the place, boundary or structure at the relevant date?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Blanda” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.