Varbitsa
Encyclopedia
Varbitsa is a river in the Eastern Rhodope mountains
in Bulgaria
.
The Varbitsa river, a tributary to the Arda, the main river of the Rhodope Mountains, runs through 8 municipalities, 6 of them within the region of Kardjali and 2 in the region of Smolyan
. It is the lifeline of the area, with industrial, drinking and irrigation water coming out, and refuse, raw sewage and industrial waste going in. That the Varbitsa starts below an officially “safe” tailings reservoir above the town of Zlatograd
has been of concern, as has the fact that Zlatograd’s rubbish dump is next to the river, and begins to enter into its waters as it expands. The Varbitsa is Bulgaria’s most temperamental river, with up to 5,000 times difference in water volume between spring highs and autumn lows, with frequent massive flooding and erosion as a result. Flooding and erosion are also stimulated by forestry and gravel industries, many of them unlicensed corrupt adding to the difficulty of control.
Rhodope Mountains
The Rhodopes are a mountain range in Southeastern Europe, with over 83% of its area in southern Bulgaria and the remainder in Greece. Its highest peak, Golyam Perelik , is the seventh highest Bulgarian mountain...
in Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
.
The Varbitsa river, a tributary to the Arda, the main river of the Rhodope Mountains, runs through 8 municipalities, 6 of them within the region of Kardjali and 2 in the region of Smolyan
Smolyan
Smolyan is a town and ski resort in the very south of Bulgaria not far from the border with Greece. It is the administrative and industrial centre of the homonymous Smolyan Province...
. It is the lifeline of the area, with industrial, drinking and irrigation water coming out, and refuse, raw sewage and industrial waste going in. That the Varbitsa starts below an officially “safe” tailings reservoir above the town of Zlatograd
Zlatograd
Zlatograd is a town in Smolyan Province, Southern-central Bulgaria. It is the administrative centre of the homonymous Zlatograd Municipality. As of December 2009, the town has a population of 7,110 inhabitants....
has been of concern, as has the fact that Zlatograd’s rubbish dump is next to the river, and begins to enter into its waters as it expands. The Varbitsa is Bulgaria’s most temperamental river, with up to 5,000 times difference in water volume between spring highs and autumn lows, with frequent massive flooding and erosion as a result. Flooding and erosion are also stimulated by forestry and gravel industries, many of them unlicensed corrupt adding to the difficulty of control.