Lake Zavoj
Encyclopedia
Zavoj Lake is an artificial lake in eastern Serbia
, on the Visočica River. It was created in 1963 after a major landslide which dammed the river and the natural dam was later replaced with a hydroelectric dam
"Zavoj".
region, close to the Serbian-Bulgaria
n border. Lake in the valley of the Visočica River which is both its major tributary
and outflow
, between the mountains of Stara Planina on the north and Vidlič on the south. Lake is located 16 kilometres (10 mi) north of the town of Pirot
, close to the Visočica mouth into the Temštica
river and is not well connected with the rest of Serbia. Settlements in the vicinity of the lake, which is among the least populated in the entire Serbia, include Novi Zavoj
, Velika Lukanja
and Pakleštica
.
Immediately after the dam was finished, Serbian government began a project of conducting waters from Temštica's upper course (Toplodolska reka) into the lake. Project was continued in the early 2000s but the local population in the watershed of Temštica protested claiming that over 80% of the water was already taken out of their river and that further catchment of the water from it woul result in an ecological catastrophe, especially in the canyon of Temštica popularly called "Little Colorado". As a result of this, municipality of Pirot officially opposed the government's decision in 2004 and 2006, but the government insisted on continuing the project. In protest, population of the village of Temska
boycotted the Serbian parliamentary elections in January 2007
.
from Freiburg
. In the Upper Triassic, 230 to 200 million years ago, the area was a shallow, ending part of the large tropical sea, the Tethys Ocean
. The mud and sediments petrified in the form of plates which are rich in remains of mollusk shells (which have been found on the slopes of the Stara Planina at over 1440 metres or 4,724.4 ft), sea worms, snails and other marine animals (sea crocodiles, sharks, giant mollusks) with indications that fossils of the dinosaurs can be found also. In some sections, Triassic sediments are over 7 metres (23 ft) deep.
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
, on the Visočica River. It was created in 1963 after a major landslide which dammed the river and the natural dam was later replaced with a hydroelectric dam
Hydroelectricity
Hydroelectricity is the term referring to electricity generated by hydropower; the production of electrical power through the use of the gravitational force of falling or flowing water. It is the most widely used form of renewable energy...
"Zavoj".
Location
Lake Zavoj is located in eastern Serbia, in the northern part of the VisokVisok
Visok is a region in Serbia and in Bulgaria that lies between the main ranges of the Old Mountain and Vidlic Mountain. In Bulgaria is situated a small part of the eastern area of the region...
region, close to the Serbian-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...
n border. Lake in the valley of the Visočica River which is both its major tributary
Tributary
A tributary or affluent is a stream or river that flows into a main stem river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean...
and outflow
Outflow
Outflow may refer to:*Capital outflow - an economic term describing capital flowing out of a particular economy.*Bipolar outflow in astronomy represents two continuous flows of gas from the poles of a star....
, between the mountains of Stara Planina on the north and Vidlič on the south. Lake is located 16 kilometres (10 mi) north of the town of Pirot
Pirot
Pirot is a town and municipality located in south-eastern Serbia. According to 2011 census, the town has a total population of 38,432, while the population of the municipality is 57,911...
, close to the Visočica mouth into the Temštica
Temštica
The Temštica is a river in Serbia and Bulgaria, a right tributary of the Nišava River. The Temštica itself is not very long, but receives a much longer tributary, the Visočica , flowing from Bulgaria, making the Visočica-Temštica river system 86 km long.- Temštica :The Temštica or the Toplodoska...
river and is not well connected with the rest of Serbia. Settlements in the vicinity of the lake, which is among the least populated in the entire Serbia, include Novi Zavoj
Novi Zavoj
Novi Zavoj is a village in the municipality of Pirot, Serbia. According to the 2002 census, the village has a population of 1458 people....
, Velika Lukanja
Velika Lukanja
Velika Lukanja is a village in the municipality of Pirot, Serbia. According to the 2002 census, the village has a population of 17 people....
and Pakleštica
Pakleštica
Pakleštica is a village in the municipality of Pirot, Serbia. According to the 2002 census, the village has a population of 56 people....
.
History
On February 25, 1963 a huge landslide from the sunny side of the Stara Planina rushed into the valley of the Visočica River and dammed a river creating a natural earth dam which was 500 metres (1,640.4 ft) long and 50 metres (164 ft) high. Reservoir was created behind the dam, flooding the village of Zavoj. This original natural lake was dried, the natural dam was consolidated and the artificial lake was recreated, this time as a reservoir for the hydroelectric power plant "Zavoj". The village of Novi Zavoj was built on the higher ground instead of the flooded old village of Zavoj.Immediately after the dam was finished, Serbian government began a project of conducting waters from Temštica's upper course (Toplodolska reka) into the lake. Project was continued in the early 2000s but the local population in the watershed of Temštica protested claiming that over 80% of the water was already taken out of their river and that further catchment of the water from it woul result in an ecological catastrophe, especially in the canyon of Temštica popularly called "Little Colorado". As a result of this, municipality of Pirot officially opposed the government's decision in 2004 and 2006, but the government insisted on continuing the project. In protest, population of the village of Temska
Temska
Temska is a village in the municipality of Pirot, Serbia. According to the 2002 census, the village has a population of 908 people....
boycotted the Serbian parliamentary elections in January 2007
Serbian parliamentary election, 2007
Parliamentary elections took place in Serbia on 21 January 2007. The first session of the new National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia was held on 14 February 2007....
.
Paleontological site
The site, located at an elevation of 700–750 m (2,296.6–2,460.6 ft), has been discovered in 2004 and the preliminary research began in 2005 with the help of German paleobiologistsPaleobiology
Paleobiology is a growing and comparatively new discipline which combines the methods and findings of the natural science biology with the methods and findings of the earth science paleontology...
from Freiburg
Freiburg
Freiburg im Breisgau is a city in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. In the extreme south-west of the country, it straddles the Dreisam river, at the foot of the Schlossberg. Historically, the city has acted as the hub of the Breisgau region on the western edge of the Black Forest in the Upper Rhine Plain...
. In the Upper Triassic, 230 to 200 million years ago, the area was a shallow, ending part of the large tropical sea, the Tethys Ocean
Tethys Ocean
The Tethys Ocean was an ocean that existed between the continents of Gondwana and Laurasia during the Mesozoic era before the opening of the Indian Ocean.-Modern theory:...
. The mud and sediments petrified in the form of plates which are rich in remains of mollusk shells (which have been found on the slopes of the Stara Planina at over 1440 metres or 4,724.4 ft), sea worms, snails and other marine animals (sea crocodiles, sharks, giant mollusks) with indications that fossils of the dinosaurs can be found also. In some sections, Triassic sediments are over 7 metres (23 ft) deep.