Pliva River
Encyclopedia
Pliva is relatively small river in central parts of Bosnia and Herzegovina
, however one of the most significant in terms of natural, cultural and historical heritage and value as a natural rarity. For hundreds of years this region was the ultimate stronghold of the Bosnian Kingdom, with town of Jajce
as permanent seat of the last kings of Bosnian Kingdom.
The entire region of Jajce
is rich in natural heritage that cannot be viewed in isolation from the built heritage. In Jajce
, these two components are closely intermingled.
and known for its tranquil mountains rich in forests and abundance of nature, wildlife and especially bodies of water. The valley is dominated by two unique rivers, the Pliva and the Janj and two natural lakes on the Pliva river.
at the waterfall
site. Total watershed area of the Pliva is 768 km².
Its source
is some 8 kilometers upstream of town of Šipovo
near Pljeva at the foot of the mountain of Smiljevac
-Jastrebnjak, where the Pliva spring out from two very strong karstic springwells at 483 meters a.s.l.
The main tributary of the Pliva is the Janj, that flows into the Pliva from the right, in the center of town of Šipovo
. At the confluence both rivers, the Janj and the Pliva are approximately the same size, and both have the same amount of water.
Some 12 kilometers downstream, at the village of Jezero
, the Pliva flows into the larger of three lakes Veliko Plivsko Lake
, then into two smaller Malo Plivsko Lake
and Okruglo Lake.
After the Pliva river pass through the towns of Šipovo
and Jezero
, through both Plivska lakes, it reaches the town of Jajce
where it meets with the Vrbas river.
The Pliva river is a left tributary of the Vrbas that, on its way north, flows into the Sava river, therefore the Pliva belong to the Sava river basin.
and distinctive morphological
and hydrological features, very similar as nearby Una River. The river bed of the Pliva, from the village of Jezero
to its confluence with the Vrbas, consists of tufa
also known as travertine
which forms travertine barriers
. In this area the Pliva river has created three natural lakes, Veliko Plivsko Lake
, Malo Plivsko Lake
and Okruglo Lake lakes with countless low cascades and travertine barriers
(tufa
barriers), which causing these lakes to form, slowing the river and deepening it.
the Pliva flows into the larger of two lakes, Veliko Plivsko Lake
(Serbian
:Велико/Veliko = Large), then into two smaller Malo Plivsko Lake
(Serbian
:Мало/Malo = Small) and Okruglo Lake (Serbian
:Округло/Okruglo = Round). Both of the Pliva lakes lie in a basin of karst
ic rock, mainly dolomite
and limestone
, which has given rise to their most distinctive feature, same as nearby Una River in Bosnia and Herzegovina
and Plitvice Lakes
in Croatia
. The lakes are separated by natural dams of travertine
, which is deposited by the action of moss, algae and bacteria. The encrusted plants and bacteria accumulate on top of each other, forming travertine barriers
which grow at the rate of about 1 cm per year.
At the confluence with Vrbas, Pliva forms a magnificent 22 meters high Pliva Waterfall
for which the town of Jajce
is famous and along with numerous historic, cultural, architectural and natural monuments represent towns robust and valuable heretige and main attraction.
but also in the region. A part of the 16th FIPS-Mouche European Fly Fishing Championship was held on the lake. The fishing societies Zlatovčica from Jajce
and Jezero
are managing the fishing
from the lake to the confluence to Vrbas
.
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...
, however one of the most significant in terms of natural, cultural and historical heritage and value as a natural rarity. For hundreds of years this region was the ultimate stronghold of the Bosnian Kingdom, with town of Jajce
Jajce
Jajce is a city and municipality located in the central part of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is part of the Central Bosnia Canton of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina entity...
as permanent seat of the last kings of Bosnian Kingdom.
The entire region of Jajce
Jajce
Jajce is a city and municipality located in the central part of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is part of the Central Bosnia Canton of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina entity...
is rich in natural heritage that cannot be viewed in isolation from the built heritage. In Jajce
Jajce
Jajce is a city and municipality located in the central part of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is part of the Central Bosnia Canton of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina entity...
, these two components are closely intermingled.
Geography and hydrography
The Pliva valley is located in the northern part of central Bosnia and HerzegovinaBosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...
and known for its tranquil mountains rich in forests and abundance of nature, wildlife and especially bodies of water. The valley is dominated by two unique rivers, the Pliva and the Janj and two natural lakes on the Pliva river.
Hydrography and sectioning
The Pliva river flowing in the West-East direction, it is 33 kilometers long and with average discharge artificially set for biological minimum of 3.0 m³ near town of JajceJajce
Jajce is a city and municipality located in the central part of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is part of the Central Bosnia Canton of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina entity...
at the waterfall
Waterfall
A waterfall is a place where flowing water rapidly drops in elevation as it flows over a steep region or a cliff.-Formation:Waterfalls are commonly formed when a river is young. At these times the channel is often narrow and deep. When the river courses over resistant bedrock, erosion happens...
site. Total watershed area of the Pliva is 768 km².
Its source
Source (river or stream)
The source or headwaters of a river or stream is the place from which the water in the river or stream originates.-Definition:There is no universally agreed upon definition for determining a stream's source...
is some 8 kilometers upstream of town of Šipovo
Šipovo
Šipovo is a town and municipality in central Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is situated in the western part of the Republika Srpska entity and the southern part of the Bosanska Krajina region. The municipality covers an area of , much of which is forested. The Glogovac monastery of the Serb Orthodox...
near Pljeva at the foot of the mountain of Smiljevac
Smiljevac
Smiljevac is a village in the municipality of Ivanjica, Serbia. According to the 2002 census, the village has a population of 165 people.-References:...
-Jastrebnjak, where the Pliva spring out from two very strong karstic springwells at 483 meters a.s.l.
The main tributary of the Pliva is the Janj, that flows into the Pliva from the right, in the center of town of Šipovo
Šipovo
Šipovo is a town and municipality in central Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is situated in the western part of the Republika Srpska entity and the southern part of the Bosanska Krajina region. The municipality covers an area of , much of which is forested. The Glogovac monastery of the Serb Orthodox...
. At the confluence both rivers, the Janj and the Pliva are approximately the same size, and both have the same amount of water.
Some 12 kilometers downstream, at the village of Jezero
Jezero
Jajce or Jezero is a village and a municipality in western Republika Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is situated in the western part of the Republika Srpska entity. The Government of Bosnia and Herzegovina uses both Jajce and Jezero as the official names of the municipality...
, the Pliva flows into the larger of three lakes Veliko Plivsko Lake
Veliko Plivsko Lake
Veliko Plivsko Lake is a part artificial, part natural lake of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is located in the municipality of Jajce....
, then into two smaller Malo Plivsko Lake
Malo Plivsko Lake
Malo Plivsko Lake is a lake of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is located in the municipality of Jajce....
and Okruglo Lake.
After the Pliva river pass through the towns of Šipovo
Šipovo
Šipovo is a town and municipality in central Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is situated in the western part of the Republika Srpska entity and the southern part of the Bosanska Krajina region. The municipality covers an area of , much of which is forested. The Glogovac monastery of the Serb Orthodox...
and Jezero
Jezero
Jajce or Jezero is a village and a municipality in western Republika Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is situated in the western part of the Republika Srpska entity. The Government of Bosnia and Herzegovina uses both Jajce and Jezero as the official names of the municipality...
, through both Plivska lakes, it reaches the town of Jajce
Jajce
Jajce is a city and municipality located in the central part of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is part of the Central Bosnia Canton of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina entity...
where it meets with the Vrbas river.
The Pliva river is a left tributary of the Vrbas that, on its way north, flows into the Sava river, therefore the Pliva belong to the Sava river basin.
Geo-hydrology
The river Pliva is characterized by the specific geological nature of the terrainTerrain
Terrain, or land relief, is the vertical and horizontal dimension of land surface. When relief is described underwater, the term bathymetry is used...
and distinctive morphological
Geomorphology
Geomorphology is the scientific study of landforms and the processes that shape them...
and hydrological features, very similar as nearby Una River. The river bed of the Pliva, from the village of Jezero
Jezero
Jajce or Jezero is a village and a municipality in western Republika Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is situated in the western part of the Republika Srpska entity. The Government of Bosnia and Herzegovina uses both Jajce and Jezero as the official names of the municipality...
to its confluence with the Vrbas, consists of tufa
Tufa
Tufa is a variety of limestone, formed by the precipitation of carbonate minerals from ambient temperature water bodies. Geothermally heated hot-springs sometimes produce similar carbonate deposits known as travertine...
also known as travertine
Travertine
Travertine is a form of limestone deposited by mineral springs, especially hot springs. Travertine often has a fibrous or concentric appearance and exists in white, tan, and cream-colored varieties. It is formed by a process of rapid precipitation of calcium carbonate, often at the mouth of a hot...
which forms travertine barriers
Travertine
Travertine is a form of limestone deposited by mineral springs, especially hot springs. Travertine often has a fibrous or concentric appearance and exists in white, tan, and cream-colored varieties. It is formed by a process of rapid precipitation of calcium carbonate, often at the mouth of a hot...
. In this area the Pliva river has created three natural lakes, Veliko Plivsko Lake
Veliko Plivsko Lake
Veliko Plivsko Lake is a part artificial, part natural lake of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is located in the municipality of Jajce....
, Malo Plivsko Lake
Malo Plivsko Lake
Malo Plivsko Lake is a lake of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is located in the municipality of Jajce....
and Okruglo Lake lakes with countless low cascades and travertine barriers
Travertine
Travertine is a form of limestone deposited by mineral springs, especially hot springs. Travertine often has a fibrous or concentric appearance and exists in white, tan, and cream-colored varieties. It is formed by a process of rapid precipitation of calcium carbonate, often at the mouth of a hot...
(tufa
Tufa
Tufa is a variety of limestone, formed by the precipitation of carbonate minerals from ambient temperature water bodies. Geothermally heated hot-springs sometimes produce similar carbonate deposits known as travertine...
barriers), which causing these lakes to form, slowing the river and deepening it.
Plivska lakes
At the village of JezeroJezero
Jajce or Jezero is a village and a municipality in western Republika Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is situated in the western part of the Republika Srpska entity. The Government of Bosnia and Herzegovina uses both Jajce and Jezero as the official names of the municipality...
the Pliva flows into the larger of two lakes, Veliko Plivsko Lake
Veliko Plivsko Lake
Veliko Plivsko Lake is a part artificial, part natural lake of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is located in the municipality of Jajce....
(Serbian
Serbian language
Serbian is a form of Serbo-Croatian, a South Slavic language, spoken by Serbs in Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Croatia and neighbouring countries....
:Велико/Veliko = Large), then into two smaller Malo Plivsko Lake
Malo Plivsko Lake
Malo Plivsko Lake is a lake of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is located in the municipality of Jajce....
(Serbian
Serbian language
Serbian is a form of Serbo-Croatian, a South Slavic language, spoken by Serbs in Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Croatia and neighbouring countries....
:Мало/Malo = Small) and Okruglo Lake (Serbian
Serbian language
Serbian is a form of Serbo-Croatian, a South Slavic language, spoken by Serbs in Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Croatia and neighbouring countries....
:Округло/Okruglo = Round). Both of the Pliva lakes lie in a basin of karst
KARST
Kilometer-square Area Radio Synthesis Telescope is a Chinese telescope project to which FAST is a forerunner. KARST is a set of large spherical reflectors on karst landforms, which are bowlshaped limestone sinkholes named after the Kras region in Slovenia and Northern Italy. It will consist of...
ic rock, mainly dolomite
Dolomite
Dolomite is a carbonate mineral composed of calcium magnesium carbonate CaMg2. The term is also used to describe the sedimentary carbonate rock dolostone....
and 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....
, which has given rise to their most distinctive feature, same as nearby Una River in Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...
and Plitvice Lakes
Plitvice Lakes
Plitvice Lakes National Park is the oldest national park in Southeast Europe and the largest national park in Croatia. The national park was founded in 1949 and is situated in the mountainous karst area of central Croatia, at the border to Bosnia and Herzegovina...
in Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
. The lakes are separated by natural dams of travertine
Travertine
Travertine is a form of limestone deposited by mineral springs, especially hot springs. Travertine often has a fibrous or concentric appearance and exists in white, tan, and cream-colored varieties. It is formed by a process of rapid precipitation of calcium carbonate, often at the mouth of a hot...
, which is deposited by the action of moss, algae and bacteria. The encrusted plants and bacteria accumulate on top of each other, forming travertine barriers
Travertine
Travertine is a form of limestone deposited by mineral springs, especially hot springs. Travertine often has a fibrous or concentric appearance and exists in white, tan, and cream-colored varieties. It is formed by a process of rapid precipitation of calcium carbonate, often at the mouth of a hot...
which grow at the rate of about 1 cm per year.
Plivski Waterfalls
Pliva Waterfall
The Pliva Waterfall is located by the town of Jajce, in central Bosnia and Herzegovina, where the river Pliva meets the river Vrbas. It was 30 meters high, but after an earthquake during the Bosnian war and attacks on the power plant further up the river, the area was flooded and now the waterfall...
for which the town of Jajce
Jajce
Jajce is a city and municipality located in the central part of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is part of the Central Bosnia Canton of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina entity...
is famous and along with numerous historic, cultural, architectural and natural monuments represent towns robust and valuable heretige and main attraction.
Flyfishing and watersports
The Pliva river is famous for its clean water, particularly near the source in the mountains and its rich in fishes which makes the river so attractive for flyfishing, not just in Bosnia and HerzegovinaBosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...
but also in the region. A part of the 16th FIPS-Mouche European Fly Fishing Championship was held on the lake. The fishing societies Zlatovčica from Jajce
Jajce
Jajce is a city and municipality located in the central part of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is part of the Central Bosnia Canton of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina entity...
and Jezero
Jezero
Jajce or Jezero is a village and a municipality in western Republika Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is situated in the western part of the Republika Srpska entity. The Government of Bosnia and Herzegovina uses both Jajce and Jezero as the official names of the municipality...
are managing the fishing
Fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
from the lake to the confluence to Vrbas
Vrbas
Vrbas may refer to:* Vrbas , river in Bosnia and Herzegovina* Vrbas , town and municipality in Vojvodina, Serbia* Vrbas , village in Bosnia and Herzegovina...
.
See also
- Pliva WaterfallPliva WaterfallThe Pliva Waterfall is located by the town of Jajce, in central Bosnia and Herzegovina, where the river Pliva meets the river Vrbas. It was 30 meters high, but after an earthquake during the Bosnian war and attacks on the power plant further up the river, the area was flooded and now the waterfall...
- NeretvaNeretvaNeretva is the largest river of the eastern part of the Adriatic basin. It has been harnessed and controlled to a large extent by four HE power-plants with large dams and their storage lakes, but it is still recognized for its natural beauty, diversity of its landscape and visual...
- Una
- Vrelo BuneVrelo BuneVrelo Bune is the natural and architectural ensemble at the Buna river spring near Blagaj kasaba and a part of the wider "Townscape ensemble of the town of Blagaj - Historical and Natural Heritage of Bosnia and Herzegovina", southeast of Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina.It is impossible to separate...
- Vrelo BuniceVrelo BuniceThe Bunica river is a short river in Bosnia and Herzegovina and a left bank tributary of the Buna. Its source Vrelo Bunice, located in place called Parila under sharp cliffs between two villages Hodbina and Malo Polje, 14 km south from Mostar...
- TrebižatTrebižatTrebižat is a village in Herzegovina, in Čapljina municipality, Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bosnia and Herzegovina.-Ethnic composition, 1991 census:total: 1,399* Croats - 1,371 * "Yugoslavs" - 11 * Bosniaks - 9...
- BregavaBregavaThe Bregava is a river in Bosnia and Herzegovina that passes through the town of Stolac. It is a left tributary of the Neretva river.- See also :* Neretva* Stolac* Buna* Trebižat* Krupa* Hutovo Blato* Daorson* List of Illyrian cities...
- Trebišnjica
- Hutovo BlatoHutovo BlatoHutovo Blato is a nature reserve and bird reserve located in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is primarily composed of marshlands that were created by the underground aquifer system of the Krupa River. It is fed from the limestone massif of Ostrvo that divides the Deransko lake and Svitavsko lake.The...
- List of World Heritage Sites in Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Plitvice LakesPlitvice LakesPlitvice Lakes National Park is the oldest national park in Southeast Europe and the largest national park in Croatia. The national park was founded in 1949 and is situated in the mountainous karst area of central Croatia, at the border to Bosnia and Herzegovina...