Lepenac
Encyclopedia
The Lepenac is a river in southern Kosovo
and northern Macedonia
, a 75 km (47 mi) long left tributary to the Vardar
river.
, Kosovo, at an altitude of 1820 m (5,971 ft). It flows eastward, into the župa
of Sirinić, between the Žar
mountain from the north and alongside the northern slopes of the Šar Mountains from the south. From the Šar Mountains it receives many small tributaries, most notably the Suva reka, as it passes next to the villages of Sevce and Jazhincë, the ski resort of Brezovica
and a small town and regional center of Štrpce
.
The Lepenac continues between the Šar Mountains from the south and Nerodimka mountain
from the north, next to the villages of Biti e Poshtëme, Gotovushë, Brod and Doganaj, where the river makes an elbow turn to the south entering the Kosovo
field.
, at the beginning of the Kačanik gorge
.
The gorge, as the narrowest part of the Lepenac river valley, is located between the Sharr Mountains on the west and Skopska Crna Gora
on the east and connects the Kosovo field and Skopje
depressions. The gorge is 23 km (14 mi) long, carved in the limestone
and slate
terrain. Higher parts of the gorge are actually formed by the ancient outflow of the now extinct lake. The village of Pustenik and small town of Đeneral Janković are located in the gorge. After Đeneral Janković, the Lepenac becomes a border river between Kosovo and Macedonia, before it leaves the gorge after the village of Seçishtë and leaves Kosovo after the course of 60 km (37 mi).
, but has no major settlements on its Macedonian course, before it reaches the northern suburbs of Skopje, Bardovci and Novo Selo, and empties into the Vardar at the Skopje's northern borough of Gjorče Petrov at an altitude of 262 m (860 ft).
drainage basin
, with its own drainage area of 770 km² (297 sq mi) (695 km² (268 sq mi) in Kosovo, 75 km² (29 sq mi) in Macedonia). It is not navigable.
The Kačanik gorge is a route for the both road and railway Kraljevo
-Priština
-Skopje.
The river has a potential for hydroelectrical production, but even though being a part of the former Ibar-Lepenac Hydrosystem project, it is not much used, either for energy production or irrigation.
The Lepenac was a part of the artificial bifurcation
, as the Nerodimka connected both Lepenac and Sitnica
rivers via a canal, thus connecting Aegean and Black Sea
drainage basins, but the canal was covered after the World War II
.
Kosovo
Kosovo is a region in southeastern Europe. Part of the Ottoman Empire for more than five centuries, later the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija within Serbia...
and northern Macedonia
Republic of Macedonia
Macedonia , officially the Republic of Macedonia , is a country located in the central Balkan peninsula in Southeast Europe. It is one of the successor states of the former Yugoslavia, from which it declared independence in 1991...
, a 75 km (47 mi) long left tributary to the Vardar
Vardar
The Vardar or Axios is the longest and major river in the Republic of Macedonia and also a major river of Greece. It is long, and drains an area of around . The maximum depth of river is ....
river.
Sirinić
The Lepenac springs out on the Kodža Balkan mountain, east of the city of PrizrenPrizren
Prizren is a historical city located in southern Kosovo. It is the administrative center of the eponymous municipality and district.The city has a population of around 131,247 , mostly Albanians...
, Kosovo, at an altitude of 1820 m (5,971 ft). It flows eastward, into the župa
Župa
A Župa is a Slavic term, used historically among the Southern and Western branches of the Slavs, originally denoting various territorial and other sub-units, usually a small administrative division, especially a gathering of several villages...
of Sirinić, between the Žar
Zar
- Places :* Zar, Armenia, a town in the Kotayk Province* Zar, Azerbaijan, a village in the Kalbajar Rayon currently controlled by the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic* Žár , a village in the Czech Republic* Żar, Łódź Voivodeship, Poland...
mountain from the north and alongside the northern slopes of the Šar Mountains from the south. From the Šar Mountains it receives many small tributaries, most notably the Suva reka, as it passes next to the villages of Sevce and Jazhincë, the ski resort of Brezovica
Brezovica, Kosovo
Brezovica; or is a village in Štrpce municipality in Kosovo, that is famous for its ski resort.The Brezovica ski resort is a famous tourist attraction in the northwest part of Šar Mountain...
and a small town and regional center of Štrpce
Štrpce
Štrpce is a town and municipality in the District of Uroševac, Kosovo and Metohija.According to the 1991 census, the municipality of Štrpce had a population of around 12,800 people...
.
The Lepenac continues between the Šar Mountains from the south and Nerodimka mountain
Nerodimka Mountain
The Nerodimka is a mountain located in the south of Kosovo. It is named either after the Serbian legend of the woman who can't deliver a baby, . The mountain has two high peaks, Bukova Glava and Kurkulica .-Geography:...
from the north, next to the villages of Biti e Poshtëme, Gotovushë, Brod and Doganaj, where the river makes an elbow turn to the south entering the Kosovo
Kosovo
Kosovo is a region in southeastern Europe. Part of the Ottoman Empire for more than five centuries, later the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija within Serbia...
field.
Veliko Kosovo and Kačanik gorge
For several kilometers the Lepenac flows parallel to the Nerodimka river, flows next to the villages of Kovaçefc and Bob, and receives its major tributary the Nerodimka from the left at the town of KačanikKacanik
Kačanik or Kaçanik is a town and municipality in southern Kosovo, in the Uroševac district. The municipality covers an area of , including the town of Kačanik and 31 villages. It has a population of approximately 33,454...
, at the beginning of the Kačanik gorge
Kacanik Gorge
Kačanik Gorge is a gorge located in southern Kosovo, it stretches between the town of Kačanik, and the Macedonian border. The Lepenac River runs through it. During Ottoman rule, there have been fierce fighting in this gorge, there's even songs about it....
.
The gorge, as the narrowest part of the Lepenac river valley, is located between the Sharr Mountains on the west and Skopska Crna Gora
Skopska Crna Gora
Skopska Crna Gora , formerly called Kara-dagh also called simply Crna Gora, is a mountain range on the border between Kosovo and the Republic of Macedonia, between the cities of Kačanik and Skopje.The Monastery of St...
on the east and connects the Kosovo field and Skopje
Skopje
Skopje is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Macedonia with about a third of the total population. It is the country's political, cultural, economic, and academic centre...
depressions. The gorge is 23 km (14 mi) long, carved in the limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
and slate
Slate
Slate is a fine-grained, foliated, homogeneous metamorphic rock derived from an original shale-type sedimentary rock composed of clay or volcanic ash through low-grade regional metamorphism. The result is a foliated rock in which the foliation may not correspond to the original sedimentary layering...
terrain. Higher parts of the gorge are actually formed by the ancient outflow of the now extinct lake. The village of Pustenik and small town of Đeneral Janković are located in the gorge. After Đeneral Janković, the Lepenac becomes a border river between Kosovo and Macedonia, before it leaves the gorge after the village of Seçishtë and leaves Kosovo after the course of 60 km (37 mi).
Skopje depression
For the remaining 15 km (9 mi), the Lepenac flows through the low Skopje depression, part of the composite valley of the river Vardar. Immediately entering the Greater Skopje area, it receives several small streams from the left, from the Skopska Crna Gora mountain. It passes next to the ruins of the ancient city of ScupiScupi
Scupi is an archaeological site located between Zajčev Rid and the Vardar River, several kilometers from the center of Skopje, in the Republic of Macedonia. A Roman military camp was founded here in the second decade BC on the site of an older Dardanian settlement...
, but has no major settlements on its Macedonian course, before it reaches the northern suburbs of Skopje, Bardovci and Novo Selo, and empties into the Vardar at the Skopje's northern borough of Gjorče Petrov at an altitude of 262 m (860 ft).
Characteristics
The Lepenac belongs to the Aegean SeaAegean Sea
The Aegean Sea[p] is an elongated embayment of the Mediterranean Sea located between the southern Balkan and Anatolian peninsulas, i.e., between the mainlands of Greece and Turkey. In the north, it is connected to the Marmara Sea and Black Sea by the Dardanelles and Bosporus...
drainage basin
Drainage basin
A drainage basin is an extent or an area of land where surface water from rain and melting snow or ice converges to a single point, usually the exit of the basin, where the waters join another waterbody, such as a river, lake, reservoir, estuary, wetland, sea, or ocean...
, with its own drainage area of 770 km² (297 sq mi) (695 km² (268 sq mi) in Kosovo, 75 km² (29 sq mi) in Macedonia). It is not navigable.
The Kačanik gorge is a route for the both road and railway Kraljevo
Kraljevo
Kraljevo is a city and municipality in central Serbia, built beside the river Ibar, 7 km west of its confluence with the Western Morava. It is located in the midst of an upland valley, between the mountains of Kotlenik in the north, and Stolovi in the south.In 2011 the city has population of...
-Priština
Pristina
Pristina, also spelled Prishtina and Priština is the capital and largest city of Kosovo. It is the administrative centre of the homonymous municipality and district....
-Skopje.
The river has a potential for hydroelectrical production, but even though being a part of the former Ibar-Lepenac Hydrosystem project, it is not much used, either for energy production or irrigation.
The Lepenac was a part of the artificial bifurcation
River bifurcation
River bifurcation occurs when a river flowing in a single stream separates into two or more separate streams which continue downstream. Some rivers form complex networks of distributaries, especially in their deltas...
, as the Nerodimka connected both Lepenac and Sitnica
Sitnica
The Sitnica , is a long river in Kosovo. It flows into the Ibar River at Kosovska Mitrovica, and it's the longest river that flows completely within Kosovo's borders.- History :...
rivers via a canal, thus connecting Aegean and Black Sea
Black Sea
The Black Sea is bounded by Europe, Anatolia and the Caucasus and is ultimately connected to the Atlantic Ocean via the Mediterranean and the Aegean seas and various straits. The Bosphorus strait connects it to the Sea of Marmara, and the strait of the Dardanelles connects that sea to the Aegean...
drainage basins, but the canal was covered after the World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.