Ribnik (river)

The Ribnik emerges near the small hamlet Solići. The spring group consist of three very strong karstic well-springs from which river-sized flow is immediately formed. Upper group consisting of two springs set the small stream and after about a 500 meters merge with a third and strongest well-spring coming from the right, forming the Ribnik main course.

The sources of the Ribnik River are about 4 km from the village of Ribnik. The Ribnik River is approximately 8 km long and represents one of the shortest and very rich flows by water, not only in the territory of our Republika Srpska but also in Europe. Its journey ends at the village of Velije where it flows into the River Sanaa. The waters of the Ribnik River belong to the waters of class I.[6]

The Ribnik springs out below the mountain Srnetica, 4 km above the central hamlet of Gornji Ribnik settlement group. The spring group consists of three springs, two of which are permanent and strong, and one more occasional spring. They appearing at the contact of the Cretaceous limestone and the Lower Triassic clastites. Depending on the season, spring group yield oscillations significantly, with an average discharge Qmid measured at 15,5 m3/s (Qmin = 1,25 m3/s; and Qmax above 100 m3/s). It is broken type and ascending outflow mechanism.[7]

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  The Ribnik wellspring - one of two in the upper group.
• 
  The Ribnik wellsprings - confluence of first two in the upper group.
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  The Ribnik wellspring - the lower, separate one.

It is a short chalk river, with a course only 5.5 kilometres long. The Ribnik falls into a category of a streams, with a clear and cold waters, however its course has relatively small gradient which contributes to a placid flow with mild rapids. of the Sana tributaries but at the same time among largest by water volume it discharge into Sana. It is a headwaters tributary of the Sana, which it meat at Donji Ribnik, 17 km below Sana own spring, bringing large amounts of waters to young Sana.[6]

Fly fisherman on the Ribnik river

The Ribnik municipality is known for hunting and fishing, and the fly fishing competitions are held on the River seasonally. The Ribnik is famous and popular throughout the world among fly fishing aficionados as Bosnia's and Europe's prime fly fishing destination, with an abundant brown trout stock, and especially for its trophy sized greyling population.[4][8][9]

Hills and mountains in the wider area of the Ribnik are well maintained hunting grounds, with a game feeding grounds. Hunting trails with open and closed type checks, as well as hunting lodges are available. These hunting areas represent a nature reserve used for breeding of wide variety of game, such as bears, wild boars, wolves, foxes, lynx, as well as very rare species of deer and grouse. The Ribnik hunting and game feeding and breeding grounds complex are among best in the Balkans.[6]

Šiški Kamen rock and a cave, in a pristine nature high above the Ribnik.

Šiša is one of the mountains in this region, adorned with a dense coniferous and deciduous forests, as well as numerous glades with lush meadows. Šiški Kamen (also known as Sokolovača) is a tall limestone cliff, located at the very top of this mountain. At the bottom of the cliff is a small cave. It is one of mountain's prime attractions.[6]

The Ledena pećina (transl. Ice Cave) is located near the village of Vučija Poljana (lit.transl. Wolf's Glade), at an altitude of over 1200 m a.s.l., and is surrounded by lush coniferous forests. The cave has not yet been sufficiently explored. Nevertheless, it represents an interesting speleological phenomenon, with the large amounts of precipitation in the area is being collected in the cave and during the winter months turned into huge blocks of ice due to extreme low temperatures. This phenomenon is the reason behind the cave's name. The amounts of ice and snow collected in the interior of the cave is easily maintained during the summer months by cave's low inner temperature and location high altitude.[6]

Ambiental value of a spring areal is important for local tourism too, and have a higher management value than hydromorphological one (although water quality makes it potable). Nearby arranged picnic areas exist with an open access, as well as the proximity to larger settlement Gornji Ribnik, where the newly built accommodation facilities is on offer, along with other natural and cultural values.[4][10] Around the source of the Ribnik, 4.5 km of trails are arranged for walking and outdoor recreation in the length of . The attractive nature and accessible river banks abound in preserved flora and fauna.[6] The close-by springs of the Sana river with three extremely strong individual karstic springs from which full-size river flow is formed, is located in the vicinity to the village of Donji Vrbljani, and complements whole area's ambiental value and touristic potential. The river Sana is also rich in salmonids.[6]