Göta älv is a river that drains lake Vänern into Kattegat, and the North Sea, at the city of Gothenburg on the western coast of Sweden. The river is located in Götaland, the river itself being a site of early Geatish settlement. The Bohus Fortress is located by the river at Kungälv.

At Trollhättan there is a dam, canal locks and a hydropower station in the river. The locks make the river navigable and the river is part of a mostly inland waterway all the way to Stockholm.

The power station supplied electric power to the heavy steel industry concentrated around Trollhättan, contributing to its industrial revolution.

In the summer months the spillway of the dam is opened for a few minutes daily and tourists gather to see the water rushing down the river (picture).