Eleshnica river
Eleshnica is a river located in Western Bulgaria, in Kyustendil Province. It passes through Kyustendil Municipality and Nevestino. It is a right tributary of the river Struma. Eleshnica is long 59 kilometers, which makes her the 66th in length among the rivers in Bulgaria.
Eleshnica | |
---|---|
![]() ![]() | |
Native name | Елешница (Bulgarian) |
Physical characteristics | |
Source | Osogovo, 400 meters SW of Ruen (mountain) |
• location | Osogovo |
• coordinates | 42.1533°N 22.5133°E |
• elevation | 2173 meters |
Mouth | |
• location | Right tributary to Struma → White Sea (Aegean Sea) |
• coordinates | 42.2475°N 22.8892°E |
It serves as a natural drain to the eastern and southern parts of Osogovska planina. It is the 4th largest tributary of Struma among rivers like Strumeshnitsa, Dramatitsa (Greece) and Dragovishtitsa.
Geography
The Eleshnica springs at an altitude of 2173 meters above sea level from Osogovo mountain, 400 meters southwest from peak Ruen (2251 meters), the tallest peak of the mountain.
In its entirety, the river flows in a deep, weakly afforested valley. In its first 17 kilometers of riverbank, it flows parallel to the border with North Macedonia. Thereafter, it takes a turn northeast until Vaksevo village, then it turns north, and after Chetirtsi village takes a sharp turn east, and after 2 kilometers flows into the Struma at 437 meters above sea level. The river often floods during its peak water levels.[1]
The river basin has a total area of 358 km2 which is 2,07% of Struma's basin.[2]
Fish species can be met like Salmo macedonicus, Squalius orpheus, Phoxinus phoxinus, Alburnoides strumicae, Alburnus alburnus, Chondrostoma vardarense, Gobio bulgaricus, Barbus Cyclolepis, Barbatula bureschi, Cobitis strumicae.[3]
Eleshnica river receives the majority of its water due to rain-snow feeding and reaches its maximum during April. The minimum amount of water in the river is reached in August. Eleshnica is the most turbid river in Bulgaria.[4]
Settlements along Eleshnica
Along the flow of the river, there are seven villages.
References
- "И Елешница и Струма излязоха на места от коритата си - Кюстендил". dariknews.bg (in Bulgarian). 4 December 2010. Retrieved 2021-03-30.
- "от Бакьово до Драгоната и обратно над река Елешница | Пейзажна Фотография от Павел Пронин". 2018-06-28. Retrieved 2021-03-30.
- Publication, European Union (2014). Интересните риби в община Кюстендил (In Bulgarian Language). Macedonia: CCI 2014TC16I5CB006. pp. 1–3.
- Michev, Mihaylov, Vaptsarov, N., Ts., I. (1980). Географски речник на България, (In Bulgarian Language). Sofia. pp. 198–199.
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)