Trebišnjica River
Encyclopedia
Trebišnjica River is a river in Bosnia and Herzegovina
. It used to be a sinking river, 96,5 km long above the ground. With a total length of 187 km above and under the ground, it was one of the longest sinking rivers in the world.
(limestone
) area, the Trebišnjica actually represents a very complex system of the above and underground streams. It originates in Bosnia and Herzegovina from two streams from the Lebršnik
and Čemerno
mountains:
River shortly re-appears in the Fatničko Polje (Field of Fatnica) under the name of Fatnička reka (River of Fatnica), only to sink again after a short flow above the ground.
, which are joined into one river, the Trebišnjica, the most important river in the eastern Hercegovina. The river flows to the south, through the depression of Miruša. On the southernmost part of the depression, the river is dammed at the Gornje Grnčarevo village and completely flooded upstream by the artificial Lake Bileća. Almost complete western bank of the lake belongs to the Montenegro.
The Trebišnjica turns west between the villages of Donje Grnčarevo and Lastva
into the Trebinjsko polje (Field of Trebinje), being dammed once again at the village of Gorica, with a small reservoir. The river continues to the west following the southern slopes of Bjelašnica mountain, through the town of Trebinje
and villages of Dražin Do, Tvrdoš
, Gornja Kočela and Donja Kočela, and enters the largest karst field in the Balkans
, Popovo Polje (Field of the priest).
In Popovo Polje, the Trebišnjica already used to sink (see Regulation below), right after the Trebinje. In the field, the river turns northwest, next to the villages of Staro Slano, Đedići, Dobromani, Žarkovo, Tilje, Sedlari, Grmljani and Zavala, near the Vjetrenica
cave, the largest in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The river then turns north, makes a big curve between the villages of Dvrsnica, Orašje, Čavaš and Turkovići and in the lower Popovo Polje, near the Croatian border, sinks into the several big sinking holes (most notably, the Doljašnica and Ponikva holes).
The total drainage area of the Trebšnjica covers 4,926 km², out of which 600 km² is shared with the Neretva drainage area (the spring of Čapljina). The drainage area of the central, longest part of the river covers 2,225 km².
.
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...
. It used to be a sinking river, 96,5 km long above the ground. With a total length of 187 km above and under the ground, it was one of the longest sinking rivers in the world.
Upper course
As it flows in the highly karstKARST
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...
(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....
) area, the Trebišnjica actually represents a very complex system of the above and underground streams. It originates in Bosnia and Herzegovina from two streams from the Lebršnik
Lebršnik
Lebršnik is a mountain in the municipality of Gacko, Bosnia and Herzegovina. It has an altitude of ....
and Čemerno
Čemerno
Čemerno is a mountain in western Serbia, near the town of Ivanjica. Its highest peak Smrdljuč has an altitude of 1579 meters above sea level.-External links:*...
mountains:
- one stream, under the name of Mušnica, flows from the eastern to the western border of the Gatačko Polje (Field of Gacko) (from mountain Lebršnik to Bjelašnica, passes through the Klinje lake and next to the settlements of AvtovacAvtovacAvtovac is a village in the municipality of Gacko, Bosnia and Herzegovina....
, GackoGackoGacko is a town and municipality in southeastern Bosnia and Herzegovina in the Republika Srpska entity. It is situated in the Foča Region.-Geography:The town is in a short distance from Montenegro...
, Srđevići, Bašići, Drugovići, Kula and Branilovići, before it sinks into the karst in the Cerničko Polje (Field of Cernica, west of the Baba mountain) at the village of Cernica under the name of Ključka rijeka (River of Ključ), after a near-by village of Ključ.
- another stream, under the name of Gračanica, flows from the Čemerno mountain also into the Gatačko Polje, next to the villages of Bahori and Gračanica, before it meets the Mušnica near Srđevići. Both streams are characterized by very sharp, almost erratic bends and changes of direction.
River shortly re-appears in the Fatničko Polje (Field of Fatnica) under the name of Fatnička reka (River of Fatnica), only to sink again after a short flow above the ground.
Middle course
After the total underground flow of some 30 km, the waters of the sinking Fatnička reka re-appear as a series of very powerful cave springs near the town of BilećaBileca
Bileća is a town and municipality in the southeast of Bosnia and Herzegovina in the entity of Republika Srpska. It is in eastern Herzegovina near the border with Montenegro, north of Trebinje and south of Gacko...
, which are joined into one river, the Trebišnjica, the most important river in the eastern Hercegovina. The river flows to the south, through the depression of Miruša. On the southernmost part of the depression, the river is dammed at the Gornje Grnčarevo village and completely flooded upstream by the artificial Lake Bileća. Almost complete western bank of the lake belongs to the Montenegro.
The Trebišnjica turns west between the villages of Donje Grnčarevo and Lastva
Lastva
Lastva is a village in the municipality of Trebinje, Bosnia and Herzegovina....
into the Trebinjsko polje (Field of Trebinje), being dammed once again at the village of Gorica, with a small reservoir. The river continues to the west following the southern slopes of Bjelašnica mountain, through the town of Trebinje
Trebinje
Trebinje is the southernmost municipality and town in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is administratively part of the Republika Srpska entity and is located in southeastern Herzegovina, some from the Adriatic Sea....
and villages of Dražin Do, Tvrdoš
Tvrdoš
Tvrdoš is a 15th-century Serb Orthodox monastery near the city of Trebinje, Republika Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina. The 4th-century foundations of the first Roman church on the site are still visible today....
, Gornja Kočela and Donja Kočela, and enters the largest karst field in the Balkans
Balkans
The Balkans is a geopolitical and cultural region of southeastern Europe...
, Popovo Polje (Field of the priest).
In Popovo Polje, the Trebišnjica already used to sink (see Regulation below), right after the Trebinje. In the field, the river turns northwest, next to the villages of Staro Slano, Đedići, Dobromani, Žarkovo, Tilje, Sedlari, Grmljani and Zavala, near the Vjetrenica
Vjetrenica
Vjetrenica is the largest and most important cave in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and one of the most interesting caves in the Dinaric Alps mountain range, which is famous worldwide for its karstic and speleological riches. Its entrance it not far from the village of Zavala in southern Herzegovina...
cave, the largest in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The river then turns north, makes a big curve between the villages of Dvrsnica, Orašje, Čavaš and Turkovići and in the lower Popovo Polje, near the Croatian border, sinks into the several big sinking holes (most notably, the Doljašnica and Ponikva holes).
Lower course
The waters of Trebišnjica from the Popovo Polje, re-appear as three separate outflows:- The powerful spring of ČapljinaCapljinaČapljina is a town and municipality of the same name in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is located in the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Čapljina is located on the border with Croatia a mere from the Adriatic Sea....
, in the area of lower 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...
river, Hercegovina.
- Series of underwater springs (called vrulje; boiling water) near the small sea harbor of SlanoSlanoSlano is a village in southern Croatia and a small harbour in the bay of the same name. It is located 27 km northwest of Dubrovnik. Farming, olive-growing, viniculture, fruit-growing, tobacco, herbs , fishing and tourism are the villages chief occupations. Slano lies on the main road...
in Croatia, northwest of the town of DubrovnikDubrovnikDubrovnik is a Croatian city on the Adriatic Sea coast, positioned at the terminal end of the Isthmus of Dubrovnik. It is one of the most prominent tourist destinations on the Adriatic, a seaport and the centre of Dubrovnik-Neretva county. Its total population is 42,641...
.
- After some 20 km of underground flow, the Trebšinjica re-emerges as the powerful spring in the great cave near the GružGružGruž is modern day neighborhood in the greater city of Dubrovnik, Croatia. The main port for Dubrovnik is in Gruž as well as its largest market and the main bus station "Libertas". Around 15,000 people currently live in Gruž...
, western part of the Dubrovnik. The stream is called the Ombla river (Umbla; or Dubrovačka rijeka; River of Dubrovnik). It is only 30 m long but very wide and powerful (average discharge is 24 m³/s; on maps it appears as a small bay of the Adriatic, in which it flows, north of Dubrovnik). The lower part of the river is flooded by the sea , its 30 m deep and navigable for 3.7 km (unlike the upper course of Trebišnjica which is not navigable at all). Several suburbs of Dubrovnik (MokošicaMokošicaMokošica is a district in the city of Dubrovnik in Croatia. The suburb consists of Old and New Mokošica . According to the census of 2001, it has a population of 7528 residents...
, Komolac, Rožat, Prijevor, Lozica) are located alongside the river. Water from the river has been used by the Dubrovnik waterworks since 1437.
The total drainage area of the Trebšnjica covers 4,926 km², out of which 600 km² is shared with the Neretva drainage area (the spring of Čapljina). The drainage area of the central, longest part of the river covers 2,225 km².
Regulation and importance
For a river that flows in geologically unstable terrain (karst) and with such an interrupted flow, the Trebišnjica amounts enormous potential for hydroelectricity production. As a result, regulatory works on the Trebišnjica were arguably the most massive ones in the former YugoslaviaYugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
.
- 1965. The river was dammed at the village of Gorica, creating artificial lake as an auxiliary water basin for the future hydro-electrical power station (HE) Trebinje. The water of the lake is conducted by two parallel, 16 km long, hydro-energetic tunnels into the Croatian village of Plat, on the Adriatic cost, near the CavtatCavtatCavtat ) is a town in the Dubrovnik-Neretva County of Croatia. It is on the Adriatic seacoast 15 km south of Dubrovnik and is the centre of the Konavle municipality.-History:...
, where HE Dubrovnik is constructed.
- 1967. The dam for HE Trebinje (or Grnčarevo) was constructed, creating huge Lake Bileća (or Lake Miruša; area 33 km², altitude 400 m, depth 104 m, volume 1.3 billion m³). The old Arslanagić bridge was deconstructed and moved to Trebinje. Together with HE Dubrovnik, two power stations have a power of 422 MW and capacity for production of 2.19 billion kWh yearly.
- 1979. The HE Čapljina is completed, after 8 km long hydro-energetic tunnel and two reservoirs (with volume of 12.5 million m³) began operating. The power station has a power of 430 MW (two aggregates of 215 MW) and capacity for 619 million kWh yearly.
- 1979. To prevent the sinking of the water through the smaller sinking holes in the Popovo Polje, the river bed has been concreted for a length of 67 km.
See also
- 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...
- TrebinjeTrebinjeTrebinje is the southernmost municipality and town in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is administratively part of the Republika Srpska entity and is located in southeastern Herzegovina, some from the Adriatic Sea....
- 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...
- Buna riverBuna RiverBuna River may refer to:* Buna River in Bosnia and Herzegovina, left tributary of the Neretva* Bojana River in Albania and Montenegro, Buna in Albanian, which flows from Lake Shkodra into the Adriatic....
- 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...
- KrupaKrupaKrupa may refer to:People:* Gene Krupa, a Polish-American drummer* Joanna Krupa, a Polish model and actress* Michael Krupa, a Polish war hero/author* Olek Krupa, a Polish actor* Urszula Krupa, a Polish politicianPlaces:...
- 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...
- DubrovnikDubrovnikDubrovnik is a Croatian city on the Adriatic Sea coast, positioned at the terminal end of the Isthmus of Dubrovnik. It is one of the most prominent tourist destinations on the Adriatic, a seaport and the centre of Dubrovnik-Neretva county. Its total population is 42,641...