Bistricë (river)
Bistricë | |
---|---|
Location | |
Country | Albania |
Physical characteristics | |
Source | |
• location | Syri i Kaltër, Vlorë County, Albania |
Mouth | |
• location | Ionian Sea |
• coordinates | 39°50′38″N 20°1′52″E / 39.84389°N 20.03111°ECoordinates: 39°50′38″N 20°1′52″E / 39.84389°N 20.03111°E |
Length | 25 km (16 mi) |
Discharge | |
• average | 40.4–66.4 m3/s (1,430–2,340 cu ft/s) (August–Winter) |
Bistricë (definite: Bistrica) is a river in southwestern Albania. It ends in the Ionian Sea. Name of the river is of the Slavic origin, meaning "clear (water)".
Geography[]
Bistricë starts from Mali i Gjerë (also known as Sopot) in Finiq municipality directing initially versus south-west. The main source is near Krongj ("The Blue Eye" source), also gathering other sources from the nearby villages of Pecë, Kardhikaq, Velahovë, and other smaller brooks.[1] It passes through Mesopotam and Finiq municipalities, parallel with the Sarandë-Gjirokastër road.
Initially the river ended in Lake Butrint, which connects with the Ionian sea through the . In 1958, it was deviated to channel.
The river is 25 km long.
Economy and tourism[]
The river is not navigable. There is an artificial lake with the same name (Albanian: Liqeni i Bistricës) built on its basin, and three hydro-power stations built in the '60.[2] The river's waters are used to a certain extent as a supply for the nearby fields of Vurg area. All the stations passed through the privatization process from 2010 with plenty of controversies.[3][4]
A well known touristic place is the "Azure Eye", often referred as "Blue Eye" (Albanian: Syri i Kaltër), a spring tributary to Bistrica river near the village named Krongj, with a rich flora and fauna.
See also[]
- List of rivers in Albania
- List of lakes of Albania
- Tourism in Albania
- Hydroelectricity in Albania
Sources[]
- Sjöberg, Örjan. "A Contribution to the Geography of Hydro-Electric Power Generation in Albania", Osterreichische Osthefte [Vienna], 29, No. 1, 1987, 5-27. ISSN 0029-9375
- Mevlan Kabos; Eshref Pumo; Farudin Krutaj. "Gjeografia fizike e Shqipërisë : në dy vëllime", Qendra e Studimeve Gjeografike (Akademia e Shkencave e RPS të Shqipërisë), 1990–1991, 112. OCLC 38055712
References[]
- ^ Vlore County - official page Archived 2013-11-05 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ KESH - History of Energy in Albania (in Albanian) Archived January 12, 2014, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Qeveria i shiti hidrocentralin e Bistricës një mashtruesi, arrestohet nga FBI në Qipro [The government sold the hydropower station to an impostor, arrested by FBI in Cyprus] (in Albanian), AMA News, 2010-08-08, retrieved 11 January 2014
- ^ Privatizimi i HEC-ve Bistrica 1 dhe Bistrica 2, qeveria miraton ofertën e "Kurum" [Bistrica-1 and Bistrica-2 through privatization, the government accepts the offer from Kurum] (in Albanian), 9 January 2013, retrieved 12 January 2014
External links[]
- Rivers of Albania
- Drainage basins of the Ionian Sea
- Geography of Vlorë County