Temštica
Encyclopedia
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 (Cyrillic: Височица), flowing from Bulgaria
, making the Visočica-Temštica river system 86 km long.
/Midzhur, Vražija Glava/Vrazha glava, Bratkova Strana and Gola Glava (Cyrillic: Миџор (Serbian) or Миджур (Bulgarian); Вражија Глава (Serbian) or Вража глава (Bulgarian); Браткова Страна; Гола Глава). They all join together near the village of Topli Dol, which gives the alternative name to the river. Temštica carved a canyon, popularly nicknamed "Little Colorado
". The river continues to the northwest and receives the Visočica from the left.
, just a few kilometers away from the Serbian border. The river, in this section known also as Barlska reka from the name of the village of Barlya, flows to the south, reaching the Zabarde region of eastern Bulgaria and the northern slopes of the Gora mountain, where it turns west and enters the Visok
depression at the village of Komshtitsa (Bulgarian: Комщица). Soon after it turns west, the Visočica crosses the Bulgarian-Serbian border.
The Visok depression is located between Stara Planina to the north and the Vidlič (or Vidlich) mountain to the south. It is elongated (divided into upper and lower sections) and sparsely populated: the villages of Izatovci, Slavinja (where it receives the tributary of Rosomačka reka from the right), Visoka Ržana (where it receives the tributary of the Dojkinička reka, also from the right), Rsovci, Pakleštica, Velika Lukanja and Zavoj, before it meets the Temštica.
In 1963 a huge landslide jammed the river, creating a natural earth dam (500 m long and 50 m high) which in turn created a lake that flooded the village of Zavoj. The natural lake was dried, the dam was consolidated and a hydroelectrical power plant was constructed (HE Zavoj) with the artificial Lake Zavoj
(area 5,53 km²; altitude 612 m; depth 60 m) instead of the dried one. The village of Novi Zavoj was built on higher ground for the residents of the flooded Zavoj.
Serbian government began a project of conducting waters from Temštica into the lake Zavoj. Local population in the watershed of Temštica protested claiming that over 80% of the water was already taken out of Temštica which will result in an ecological catastrophe, especially in the canyon of 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.
.
The Temštica drains an area of 820 km², it belongs to the Black Sea
drainage basin
and it is not navigable.
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...
and 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...
, a right tributary of the Nišava River. The Temštica itself is not very long, but receives a much longer tributary, the Visočica (Cyrillic: Височица), flowing from 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...
, making the Visočica-Temštica river system 86 km long.
Temštica (Toplodolska reka)
The Temštica or the Toplodoska reka (Cyrillic: Топлодолска река) originates from five streams from the Stara Planina mountain on the Serbo-Bulgarian border. Three major streams spring out from several peaks of Stara Planina: MidžorMidzor
Midžor is a peak in the Balkan Mountains, situated on the border between Bulgaria and Serbia. At , it is the highest peak of the Western Balkan Mountains, as well as of Central SerbiaThe highest peak of Serbia is officially Đeravica in the Prokletije mountain range at , but is located in Kosovo....
/Midzhur, Vražija Glava/Vrazha glava, Bratkova Strana and Gola Glava (Cyrillic: Миџор (Serbian) or Миджур (Bulgarian); Вражија Глава (Serbian) or Вража глава (Bulgarian); Браткова Страна; Гола Глава). They all join together near the village of Topli Dol, which gives the alternative name to the river. Temštica carved a canyon, popularly nicknamed "Little Colorado
Grand Canyon
The Grand Canyon is a steep-sided canyon carved by the Colorado River in the United States in the state of Arizona. It is largely contained within the Grand Canyon National Park, the 15th national park in the United States...
". The river continues to the northwest and receives the Visočica from the left.
Visočica
The Visočica or Visochitsa (Cyrillic: Височица) is 71 km long, originating in Bulgaria from the mountain of Berkovska planina, a part of Stara Planina, near Kom PeakKom Peak
Kom Peak or Golyam Kom is a peak in the western Balkan Mountains, located in western Bulgaria, not far from the Serbian border. The peak is 2,016 metres high and lies south of the town of Berkovitsa, of which it is a traditional symbol...
, just a few kilometers away from the Serbian border. The river, in this section known also as Barlska reka from the name of the village of Barlya, flows to the south, reaching the Zabarde region of eastern Bulgaria and the northern slopes of the Gora mountain, where it turns west and enters the Visok
Visok
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...
depression at the village of Komshtitsa (Bulgarian: Комщица). Soon after it turns west, the Visočica crosses the Bulgarian-Serbian border.
The Visok depression is located between Stara Planina to the north and the Vidlič (or Vidlich) mountain to the south. It is elongated (divided into upper and lower sections) and sparsely populated: the villages of Izatovci, Slavinja (where it receives the tributary of Rosomačka reka from the right), Visoka Ržana (where it receives the tributary of the Dojkinička reka, also from the right), Rsovci, Pakleštica, Velika Lukanja and Zavoj, before it meets the Temštica.
In 1963 a huge landslide jammed the river, creating a natural earth dam (500 m long and 50 m high) which in turn created a lake that flooded the village of Zavoj. The natural lake was dried, the dam was consolidated and a hydroelectrical power plant was constructed (HE Zavoj) with the artificial Lake Zavoj
Lake Zavoj
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".- Location :Lake Zavoj is located in eastern Serbia, in the northern part of the...
(area 5,53 km²; altitude 612 m; depth 60 m) instead of the dried one. The village of Novi Zavoj was built on higher ground for the residents of the flooded Zavoj.
Serbian government began a project of conducting waters from Temštica into the lake Zavoj. Local population in the watershed of Temštica protested claiming that over 80% of the water was already taken out of Temštica which will result in an ecological catastrophe, especially in the canyon of Little Colorado. As a result of this, municipality 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...
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
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....
in January 2007.
Temska
In the final, 15-km-long section after the confluence with the Visočica, the Temštica is also known as the Temska (Cyrillic: Темска). The river flows next to the village Zavoy and Monastery of Temska (with the small hydroelectrical power plant of the same name) and empties into the Nišava northwest of the town of PirotPirot
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...
.
The Temštica drains an area of 820 km², it belongs to the Black Sea
Black Sea
The Black Sea is bounded by Europe, Anatolia and the Caucasus and is ultimately connected to the Atlantic Ocean via the Mediterranean and the Aegean seas and various straits. The Bosphorus strait connects it to the Sea of Marmara, and the strait of the Dardanelles connects that sea to the Aegean...
drainage basin
Drainage basin
A drainage basin is an extent or an area of land where surface water from rain and melting snow or ice converges to a single point, usually the exit of the basin, where the waters join another waterbody, such as a river, lake, reservoir, estuary, wetland, sea, or ocean...
and it is not navigable.