Sefid River
Encyclopedia
The Sefīd-Rūd is a river
approximately 670 kilometres (416 mi) long, rising in northwestern Iran
and flowing generally northeast to meet the Caspian Sea
at Rasht
. The river is Iran's second longest river after the Karun
.
Sefid Rud has cut a water gap through the Alborz Mountains, the Manjil
gap, capturing two headwater tributaries and widening the valley between the Talesh Hills
and the main Alborz
range. The gap provides a major route between Tehran
and Gīlān Province
with its Caspian lowlands.
Other names and transcriptions include Sepīd-Rūd, Sefidrud, Sefidrood, Sepidrood, and Sepidrud. Above Manjil
, the river was known as Qizil Uzun, "Long Red River". The river is famous for the quantity of its fish
, especially the Caspian trout, Salmo trutta caspius
In the wide valley before Sepid Rud enters the Caspian a number of transportation and irrigation canals have been cut; the two biggest are the Khomam and the Now. The river was dammed in 1962 by the Shahbanu Farah Dam (later renamed Manjil
Dam) which created a 1.86 cubic kilometre (0.446237731003973 cu mi) reservoir
and allowed the irrigation of an additional 2380 km² (919 sq mi). The reservoir mediates some flooding and significantly increased rice production in the delta. The hydroelectric component of the dam generates 87,000 kilowatts. The completion of the dam had a negative impact on the river's fisheries, through reduced stream flow (due to diversion), increased water temperature, and decreased food availability, especially for sturgeon
but also for the Caspian trout.
period the north side of the Sefid (then Mardus) was occupied by the mountain tribe the Cadusii
.
River
A river is a natural watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, a lake, a sea, or another river. In a few cases, a river simply flows into the ground or dries up completely before reaching another body of water. Small rivers may also be called by several other names, including...
approximately 670 kilometres (416 mi) long, rising in northwestern Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
and flowing generally northeast to meet the Caspian Sea
Caspian Sea
The Caspian Sea is the largest enclosed body of water on Earth by area, variously classed as the world's largest lake or a full-fledged sea. The sea has a surface area of and a volume of...
at Rasht
Rasht
Rasht is a city in and the capital of Gilan Province, Iran. At the 2006 census, its population was 551,161, in 159,983 families.Rasht is the largest city on Iran's Caspian Sea coast. It is a major trade center between Caucasia, Russia and Iran using the port of Bandar-e Anzali...
. The river is Iran's second longest river after the Karun
Karun
The Kārun is Iran's most effluent, and the only navigable, river. It is 450 miles long. It rises in the Zard Kuh mountains of the Bakhtiari district in the Zagros Range, receiving many tributaries, such as the Dez and the Kuhrang, before passing through the capital of the Khuzestan Province of...
.
Sefid Rud has cut a water gap through the Alborz Mountains, the Manjil
Manjil
Manjil is a city in the Central District of Rudbar County, Gilan Province, Iran. At the 2006 census, its population was 16,028, in 4,447 families.-History and Geography:Manjil is located between N36º45´18˝-N36º41´42˝ and E49º23´6˝ and E49º31´ 48˝...
gap, capturing two headwater tributaries and widening the valley between the Talesh Hills
Talysh Mountains
Talysh Mountains is a mountain chain in northwestern Iran, and southeastern Republic of Azerbaijan in the northwest section of the Elburz Mountains, extending southeastward from the Lankaran Lowland in southeast Azerbaijan to the lower part of the Sefid Rud in northwest Iran...
and the main Alborz
Alborz
Alborz , also written as Alburz, Elburz or Elborz, is a mountain range in northern Iran stretching from the borders of Azerbaijan and Armenia in the northwest to the southern end of the Caspian Sea, and ending in the east at the borders of Turkmenistan and Afghanistan...
range. The gap provides a major route between Tehran
Tehran
Tehran , sometimes spelled Teheran, is the capital of Iran and Tehran Province. With an estimated population of 8,429,807; it is also Iran's largest urban area and city, one of the largest cities in Western Asia, and is the world's 19th largest city.In the 20th century, Tehran was subject to...
and Gīlān Province
Gilan Province
Gilan Province is one of the 31 provinces of Iran. It lies along the Caspian Sea, just west of the province of Mazandaran, east of the province of Ardabil, north of the provinces of Zanjan and Qazvin....
with its Caspian lowlands.
Other names and transcriptions include Sepīd-Rūd, Sefidrud, Sefidrood, Sepidrood, and Sepidrud. Above Manjil
Manjil
Manjil is a city in the Central District of Rudbar County, Gilan Province, Iran. At the 2006 census, its population was 16,028, in 4,447 families.-History and Geography:Manjil is located between N36º45´18˝-N36º41´42˝ and E49º23´6˝ and E49º31´ 48˝...
, the river was known as Qizil Uzun, "Long Red River". The river is famous for the quantity of its fish
Fish
Fish are a paraphyletic group of organisms that consist of all gill-bearing aquatic vertebrate animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish, as well as various extinct related groups...
, especially the Caspian trout, Salmo trutta caspius
In the wide valley before Sepid Rud enters the Caspian a number of transportation and irrigation canals have been cut; the two biggest are the Khomam and the Now. The river was dammed in 1962 by the Shahbanu Farah Dam (later renamed Manjil
Manjil
Manjil is a city in the Central District of Rudbar County, Gilan Province, Iran. At the 2006 census, its population was 16,028, in 4,447 families.-History and Geography:Manjil is located between N36º45´18˝-N36º41´42˝ and E49º23´6˝ and E49º31´ 48˝...
Dam) which created a 1.86 cubic kilometre (0.446237731003973 cu mi) reservoir
Reservoir
A reservoir , artificial lake or dam is used to store water.Reservoirs may be created in river valleys by the construction of a dam or may be built by excavation in the ground or by conventional construction techniques such as brickwork or cast concrete.The term reservoir may also be used to...
and allowed the irrigation of an additional 2380 km² (919 sq mi). The reservoir mediates some flooding and significantly increased rice production in the delta. The hydroelectric component of the dam generates 87,000 kilowatts. The completion of the dam had a negative impact on the river's fisheries, through reduced stream flow (due to diversion), increased water temperature, and decreased food availability, especially for sturgeon
Sturgeon
Sturgeon is the common name used for some 26 species of fish in the family Acipenseridae, including the genera Acipenser, Huso, Scaphirhynchus and Pseudoscaphirhynchus. The term includes over 20 species commonly referred to as sturgeon and several closely related species that have distinct common...
but also for the Caspian trout.
History
The river was known in antiquity by the names Mardos and Amardos . In the HellenisticHellenistic civilization
Hellenistic civilization represents the zenith of Greek influence in the ancient world from 323 BCE to about 146 BCE...
period the north side of the Sefid (then Mardus) was occupied by the mountain tribe the Cadusii
Cadusii
The Cadusii were an ancient Iranian people living in north-western Iran.-Geography:The Cadusii lived in a mountainous district of Media Atropatene on the south-west shores of the Caspian Sea, between the parallels of 39° and 37° North latitude, called for its inhabitants Cadusia...
.
External links
- "Sefid Rood Watershed" Economic potentials of Kurdistan Province in the fields of Water, Agriculture and Natural Resources Ministry of Interior, Islamic Republic of Iran