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The Sava (; , ; sr-cyr, Сава, hu, Száva) is a
river A river is a natural flowing watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, sea, lake or another river. In some cases, a river flows into the ground and becomes dry at the end of its course without reaching another body of wate ...
in
Central Central is an adjective usually referring to being in the center of some place or (mathematical) object. Central may also refer to: Directions and generalised locations * Central Africa, a region in the centre of Africa continent, also known as ...
and
Southeast Europe Southeast Europe or Southeastern Europe (SEE) is a geographical subregion of Europe, consisting primarily of the Balkans. Sovereign states and territories that are included in the region are Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia (al ...
, a right-bank and the longest tributary of the
Danube The Danube ( ; ) is a river that was once a long-standing frontier of the Roman Empire and today connects 10 European countries, running through their territories or being a border. Originating in Germany, the Danube flows southeast for , pa ...
. It flows through
Slovenia Slovenia ( ; sl, Slovenija ), officially the Republic of Slovenia (Slovene: , abbr.: ''RS''), is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the west, Austria to the north, Hungary to the northeast, Croatia to the southeast, an ...
,
Croatia , image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg , image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg , anthem = "Lijepa naša domovino"("Our Beautiful Homeland") , image_map = , map_caption = , capit ...
and along its border with
Bosnia and Herzegovina Bosnia and Herzegovina ( sh, / , ), abbreviated BiH () or B&H, sometimes called Bosnia–Herzegovina and often known informally as Bosnia, is a country at the crossroads of south and southeast Europe, located in the Balkans. Bosnia and H ...
, and finally through
Serbia Serbia (, ; Serbian language, Serbian: , , ), officially the Republic of Serbia (Serbian language, Serbian: , , ), is a landlocked country in Southeast Europe, Southeastern and Central Europe, situated at the crossroads of the Pannonian Bas ...
, feeding into the Danube in its capital,
Belgrade Belgrade ( , ;, ; Names of European cities in different languages: B, names in other languages) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Serbia, largest city in Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers a ...
. The Sava forms the main northern limit of the
Balkan Peninsula The Balkans ( ), also known as the Balkan Peninsula, is a geographical area in southeastern Europe with various geographical and historical definitions. The region takes its name from the Balkan Mountains that stretch throughout the who ...
, and the southern edge of the
Pannonian Plain The Pannonian Basin, or Carpathian Basin, is a large basin situated in south-east Central Europe. The geomorphological term Pannonian Plain is more widely used for roughly the same region though with a somewhat different sense, with only the ...
. The Sava is long, including the Sava Dolinka
headwater The headwaters of a river or stream is the farthest place in that river or stream from its estuary or downstream confluence with another river, as measured along the course of the river. It is also known as a river's source. Definition The ...
rising in
Zelenci Zelenci Springs is a nature reserve near the town of Kranjska Gora, in the far northwestern corner of Slovenia. It is the source of the Sava Dolinka River, a tributary of the Danube. At Zelenci Springs, water from underground Nadiža Creek (or ...
, Slovenia. It is the largest tributary of the Danube by volume of water, and second-largest after the
Tisza The Tisza, Tysa or Tisa, is one of the major rivers of Central and Eastern Europe. Once, it was called "the most Hungarian river" because it flowed entirely within the Kingdom of Hungary. Today, it crosses several national borders. The Tisza be ...
in terms of catchment area () and length. It drains a significant portion of the
Dinaric Alps The Dinaric Alps (), also Dinarides, are a mountain range in Southern and Southcentral Europe, separating the continental Balkan Peninsula from the Adriatic Sea. They stretch from Italy in the northwest through Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herz ...
region, through the major tributaries of
Drina The Drina ( sr-Cyrl, Дрина, ) is a long Balkans river, which forms a large portion of the border between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia. It is the longest tributary of the Sava River and the longest karst river in the Dinaric Alps whic ...
, Bosna,
Kupa The Kupa () or Kolpa ( or ; from la, Colapis in Roman times; hu, Kulpa) river, a right tributary of the Sava, forms a natural border between north-west Croatia and southeast Slovenia. It is long, with its border part having a length of and th ...
,
Una Una and UNA may refer to: Places * 160 Una, the asteroid "Una", an asteroid named after the Faerie Queene character * Una River (disambiguation), numerous rivers * Una, Himachal Pradesh, a town in India ** Una, Himachal Pradesh Assembly constit ...
, Vrbas,
Lonja Lonja is a river in central Croatia, a left tributary of the Sava. It is long and its basin covers an area of . The Lonja rises in the Kalnik mountain in northern Croatia, southeast of Novi Marof, at . It flows westward until turning south near ...
,
Kolubara The Kolubara ( sr-cyr, Колубара, ) is a long river in western Serbia; it is an eastern, right tributary to the Sava river. General overview Kolubara is formed by the two small rivers Obnica and Jablanica. ''Obnica'' is the river in W ...
, Bosut and Krka. The Sava is one of the longest
rivers in Europe This article lists the principal rivers of Europe with their main tributaries. Scope The border of Europe and Asia is here defined as from the Kara Sea, along the Ural Mountains and Ural River to the Caspian Sea. While the crest of the Caucas ...
and among the longest tributaries of another river. The population in the Sava River basin is estimated at 8,176,000, and is shared by three capital cities:
Ljubljana Ljubljana (also known by other historical names) is the capital and largest city of Slovenia. It is the country's cultural, educational, economic, political and administrative center. During antiquity, a Roman city called Emona stood in the ar ...
,
Zagreb Zagreb ( , , , ) is the capital (political), capital and List of cities and towns in Croatia#List of cities and towns, largest city of Croatia. It is in the Northern Croatia, northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slop ...
and Belgrade. The Sava is about -navigable for larger vessels: from the confluence of the Kupa in
Sisak Sisak (; hu, Sziszek ; also known by other alternative names) is a city in central Croatia, spanning the confluence of the Kupa, Sava and Odra rivers, southeast of the Croatian capital Zagreb, and is usually considered to be where the Posavin ...
a few kilometers below Zagreb. The name is believed to be derived from the Proto-Indo-European root ''*sewh1'' ('to take liquid', whence the English word ''sup'') and the ending ''*eh2'', so that it literally means 'that which waters
he ground He or HE may refer to: Language * He (pronoun), an English pronoun * He (kana), the romanization of the Japanese kana へ * He (letter), the fifth letter of many Semitic alphabets * He (Cyrillic), a letter of the Cyrillic script called ''He'' in ...
. The
ancient Greeks Ancient Greece ( el, Ἑλλάς, Hellás) was a northeastern Mediterranean civilization, existing from the Greek Dark Ages of the 12th–9th centuries BC to the end of classical antiquity ( AD 600), that comprised a loose collection of cultu ...
called it Saos ( grc, Σάος).


Sources

The Sava River is formed from the Sava Dolinka and the
Sava Bohinjka The Sava Bohinjka is a headwater of the Sava River in northwestern Slovenia. At in length, it is the shorter of the two headwaters that become the Sava River in Radovljica, the other being the -long Sava Dolinka. Course The Sava Bohinjka origin ...
headwater The headwaters of a river or stream is the farthest place in that river or stream from its estuary or downstream confluence with another river, as measured along the course of the river. It is also known as a river's source. Definition The ...
s in northwest
Slovenia Slovenia ( ; sl, Slovenija ), officially the Republic of Slovenia (Slovene: , abbr.: ''RS''), is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the west, Austria to the north, Hungary to the northeast, Croatia to the southeast, an ...
. The drainage basin has other key
tributaries A tributary, or affluent, is a stream or river that flows into a larger stream or main stem (or parent) river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean. Tributaries and the main stem river drain the surrounding drainage b ...
, including the Sora, the
Tržič Bistrica The Tržič Bistrica ( sl, Tržiška Bistrica) is a river in Upper Carniola, Slovenia. The river is in length. It starts in the Karawanks, runs through the Dovžan Gorge and the town of Tržič, and joins the Sava near Podbrezje. References E ...
and the Radovna rivers—flowing into the Sava at
confluence In geography, a confluence (also: ''conflux'') occurs where two or more flowing bodies of water join to form a single channel. A confluence can occur in several configurations: at the point where a tributary joins a larger river (main stem); o ...
s as far east downstream as
Medvode Medvode (; german: Zwischenwässern''Leksikon občin kraljestev in dežel zastopanih v državnem zboru,'' vol. 6: ''Kranjsko''. 1906. Vienna: C. Kr. Dvorna in Državna Tiskarna, p. 110.) is a town in Slovenia. It is the seat of the Municipality o ...
. The Sava Dolinka rises at the
Zelenci Zelenci Springs is a nature reserve near the town of Kranjska Gora, in the far northwestern corner of Slovenia. It is the source of the Sava Dolinka River, a tributary of the Danube. At Zelenci Springs, water from underground Nadiža Creek (or ...
Pools near
Kranjska Gora Kranjska Gora (; german: Kronau) is a town in northwestern Slovenia, on the Sava Dolinka River in the Upper Carniola region, close to the Austrian and Italian borders. It is the seat of the Municipality of Kranjska Gora. Name Kranjska Gora was f ...
, Slovenia, in a valley separating the
Julian Alps The Julian Alps ( sl, Julijske Alpe, it, Alpi Giulie, , ) are a mountain range of the Southern Limestone Alps that stretch from northeastern Italy to Slovenia, where they rise to 2,864 m at Mount Triglav, the highest peak in Slovenia. A large pa ...
from the
Karavanke The Karawanks or Karavankas or Karavanks ( sl, Karavanke; german: Karawanken, ) are a mountain range of the Southern Limestone Alps on the border between Slovenia to the south and Austria to the north. With a total length of in an east–west dir ...
mountain range A mountain range or hill range is a series of mountains or hills arranged in a line and connected by high ground. A mountain system or mountain belt is a group of mountain ranges with similarity in form, structure, and alignment that have arise ...
. The spring is near the Slovene-
Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance language *** Regional Ita ...
border at
above sea level Height above mean sea level is a measure of the vertical distance (height, elevation or altitude) of a location in reference to a historic mean sea level taken as a vertical datum. In geodesy, it is formalized as ''orthometric heights''. The comb ...
, in a
drainage divide A drainage divide, water divide, ridgeline, watershed, water parting or height of land is elevated terrain that separates neighboring drainage basins. On rugged land, the divide lies along topographical ridges, and may be in the form of a singl ...
between the
Adriatic The Adriatic Sea () is a body of water separating the Italian Peninsula from the Balkans, Balkan Peninsula. The Adriatic is the northernmost arm of the Mediterranean Sea, extending from the Strait of Otranto (where it connects to the Ionian Sea) ...
and
Danube basin The Danube ( ; ) is a river that was once a long-standing frontier of the Roman Empire and today connects 10 European countries, running through their territories or being a border. Originating in Germany, the Danube flows southeast for , pa ...
s. The Sava Dolinka
spring Spring(s) may refer to: Common uses * Spring (season), a season of the year * Spring (device), a mechanical device that stores energy * Spring (hydrology), a natural source of water * Spring (mathematics), a geometric surface in the shape of a ...
is fed by
groundwater Groundwater is the water present beneath Earth's surface in rock and soil pore spaces and in the fractures of rock formations. About 30 percent of all readily available freshwater in the world is groundwater. A unit of rock or an unconsolidate ...
possibly exhibiting
bifurcation Bifurcation or bifurcated may refer to: Science and technology * Bifurcation theory, the study of sudden changes in dynamical systems ** Bifurcation, of an incompressible flow, modeled by squeeze mapping the fluid flow * River bifurcation, the for ...
of source
karst Karst is a topography formed from the dissolution of soluble rocks such as limestone, dolomite, and gypsum. It is characterized by underground drainage systems with sinkholes and caves. It has also been documented for more weathering-resistant ro ...
aquifer An aquifer is an underground layer of water-bearing, permeable rock, rock fractures, or unconsolidated materials (gravel, sand, or silt). Groundwater from aquifers can be extracted using a water well. Aquifers vary greatly in their characterist ...
to the Sava and
Soča The Soča ( in Slovene) or Isonzo ( in Italian; other names fur, Lusinç, german: Sontig, la, Aesontius or ') is a long river that flows through western Slovenia () and northeastern Italy (). An Alpine river in character, its source lies in ...
basins. Nadiža creek, a short
losing stream A losing stream, disappearing stream, influent stream or sinking river is a stream or river that loses water as it flows downstream. The water infiltrates into the ground recharging the local groundwater, because the water table is below the bo ...
flowing nearby, is the source of Zelenci Pools water. The Sava Dolinka is considered the Sava's initial, segment. The Sava Bohinjka originates in
Ribčev Laz Ribčev Laz (, german: Fischgereuth) is a settlement on Lake Bohinj in the Municipality of Bohinj in the Upper Carniola region of Slovenia. Most of the settlement consists of hotels and holiday homes. Churches The local church dedicated to John ...
, at the confluence of the Jezernica, a short watercourse flowing out from
Lake Bohinj Lake Bohinj ( sl, Bohinjsko jezero, german: Wocheiner See), covering , is the largest permanent lake in Slovenia. It is located within the Bohinj Valley of the Julian Alps, in the northwestern Upper Carniola region, and part of Triglav National Par ...
and the Mostnica River. Some sources define the Jezernica as a part of the Sava Bohinjka, specifying the latter as flowing directly out of the lake, while another group of sources include Savica, rising at the southern flank of
Triglav Triglav (; german: Terglau; it, Tricorno), with an elevation of , is the highest mountain in Slovenia and the highest peak of the Julian Alps. The mountain is the pre-eminent symbol of the Slovene nation. It is the centrepiece of Triglav Natio ...
as the
Savica Falls Savica Falls is a waterfall in northwestern Slovenia. It is high and is fed by a karst spring also called Savica just above the waterfall. A large portion of water is sourced from a karst basin around Black Lake, which lies around higher a ...
, downstream from
Triglav Lakes Valley The Triglav Lakes Valley ( sl, Dolina Triglavskih jezer) is a rocky hanging valley in the Julian Alps in Slovenia, below the sheer sides of Mount Tičarica and Mount Zelnarica southwest of Triglav. The valley is also called the Seven Lakes Val ...
, and flowing into the lake, as a part of the Sava Bohinjka. The watercourse flows —including the length of the Savica—east to
Radovljica Radovljica (; german: Radmannsdorf) is a town in the Upper Carniola region of northern Slovenia. It is the administrative seat of the Municipality of Radovljica. Geography The town is located on the southern slope of the Karawanks mountain range, ...
, where it discharges into the Sava Dolinka. Downstream from the confluence, the river is referred to as the Sava.


Course

The Sava spans Central-
Southeast Europe Southeast Europe or Southeastern Europe (SEE) is a geographical subregion of Europe, consisting primarily of the Balkans. Sovereign states and territories that are included in the region are Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia (al ...
, flowing through Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia and along the Bosnia-Herzegovina border. Its total length is , including the Sava Dolinka and the Sava proper. As a right tributary of the
Danube The Danube ( ; ) is a river that was once a long-standing frontier of the Roman Empire and today connects 10 European countries, running through their territories or being a border. Originating in Germany, the Danube flows southeast for , pa ...
, the river belongs to the
Black Sea The Black Sea is a marginal mediterranean sea of the Atlantic Ocean lying between Europe and Asia, east of the Balkans, south of the East European Plain, west of the Caucasus, and north of Anatolia. It is bounded by Bulgaria, Georgia, Roma ...
drainage basin. The Sava River is the third longest tributary of the Danube, slightly shorter than the
Tisza The Tisza, Tysa or Tisa, is one of the major rivers of Central and Eastern Europe. Once, it was called "the most Hungarian river" because it flowed entirely within the Kingdom of Hungary. Today, it crosses several national borders. The Tisza be ...
and the
Prut The Prut (also spelled in English as Pruth; , uk, Прут) is a long river in Eastern Europe. It is a left tributary of the Danube. In part of its course it forms Romania's border with Moldova and Ukraine. Characteristics The Prut originates ...
—the Danube's two longest tributaries—when the Sava Dolinka headwater is excluded from its course. It is also the largest tributary of the Danube by discharge. The river course is sometimes used to describe the northern boundary of the
Balkans The Balkans ( ), also known as the Balkan Peninsula, is a geographical area in southeastern Europe with various geographical and historical definitions. The region takes its name from the Balkan Mountains that stretch throughout the who ...
, and the southern border of the
Central Europe Central Europe is an area of Europe between Western Europe and Eastern Europe, based on a common historical, social and cultural identity. The Thirty Years' War (1618–1648) between Catholicism and Protestantism significantly shaped the area' ...
. Before the
breakup of Yugoslavia The breakup of Yugoslavia occurred as a result of a series of political upheavals and conflicts during the early 1990s. After a period of political and economic crisis in the 1980s, constituent republics of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yu ...
in 1991, the Sava was the longest river lying completely within the country.


From the source to the Sutla

The Sava Dolinka rises in the Zelenci Pools, west of
Podkoren Podkoren (, german: Wurzen) is a settlement in the Municipality of Kranjska Gora in the northwestern Upper Carniola region of Slovenia. Geography It is situated in the Upper Sava Valley. The Zelenci nature reserve, at the source of the Sava River ...
in the
Upper Carniola Upper Carniola ( sl, Gorenjska; it, Alta Carniola; german: Oberkrain) is a traditional region of Slovenia, the northern mountainous part of the larger Carniola region. The centre of the region is Kranj, while other urban centers include Jeseni ...
region of Slovenia at above sea level (a.s.l.), and flows east, past Kranjska Gora to
Jesenice Jesenice (, german: Aßling''Leksikon občin kraljestev in dežel zastopanih v državnem zboru'', vol. 6: Kranjsko. 1906. Vienna: C. Kr. Dvorna in Državna Tiskarna, p. 144.) is a Slovenian town and the seat of the Municipality of Jesenice on the ...
, where it turns southeast. At Žirovnica, the river enters the
Ljubljana Basin The Ljubljana Basin ( sl, Ljubljanska kotlina) is a basin in the upper river basin of Sava. It is the most populated area in Slovenia and it is metropolitan area of Ljubljana. Its main rivers are the Sava, the Kamnik Bistrica and the Ljubljanica ...
and encounters the first
hydroelectric dam Hydroelectricity, or hydroelectric power, is electricity generated from hydropower (water power). Hydropower supplies one sixth of the world's electricity, almost 4500 TWh in 2020, which is more than all other renewable sources combined and ...
Moste plant—before proceeding to the east of the glacial
Lake Bled Lake Bled ( sl, Blejsko jezero; german: Bleder See, Veldeser See) is a lake in the Julian Alps of the Upper Carniolan region of northwestern Slovenia, where it adjoins the town of Bled. The area is a tourist destination. The lake is from Ljublj ...
towards Radovljica and confluence of the Sava Bohinjka, at a.s.l. Downstream of Radovljica, the Sava proceeds southeast towards
Kranj Kranj (, german: Krainburg) is the third-largest city in Slovenia, with a population of 37,941 (2020). It is located approximately northwest of Ljubljana. The centre of the City Municipality of Kranj and of the traditional region of Upper Carniol ...
. Between Kranj and Medvode, its course comprises the
Lake Trboje Lake Trboje ( sl, Trbojsko jezero), also named Lake Mavčiče () and Lake Kranj (), is an artificial lake west of the village of Trboje in the Municipality of Šenčur, northwestern Slovenia. It was created in 1986 as a reservoir for the Mavčiče ...
and the
Lake Zbilje A lake is an area filled with water, localized in a Depression (geology), basin, surrounded by land, and distinct from any river or other outlet that serves to feed or drain the lake. Lakes lie on land and are not part of the World Ocean, oce ...
reservoir A reservoir (; from French ''réservoir'' ) is an enlarged lake behind a dam. Such a dam may be either artificial, built to store fresh water or it may be a natural formation. Reservoirs can be created in a number of ways, including contro ...
s, built for the
Mavčiče Mavčiče (; german: Mautschitsch''Leksikon občin kraljestev in dežel zastopanih v državnem zboru,'' vol. 6: ''Kranjsko''. 1906. Vienna: C. Kr. Dvorna in Državna Tiskarna, p. 54.) is a village on the right bank of the Sava River in the Municipa ...
and the Medvode power plants. The Sava then flows through the capital of Slovenia,
Ljubljana Ljubljana (also known by other historical names) is the capital and largest city of Slovenia. It is the country's cultural, educational, economic, political and administrative center. During antiquity, a Roman city called Emona stood in the ar ...
, where another reservoir is on the river, adjacent to the
Tacen Whitewater Course The Tacen Whitewater Course is a venue for canoe and kayak slalom competition in Tacen, Slovenia, a suburb of Ljubljana. Located on the Sava River, eight kilometers northwest of the city center, it is known locally as Kayak Canoe Club Tacen ( sl, ...
. There the river course turns east and leaves the Ljubljana Basin via
Dolsko Dolsko ( or ; in older sources also ''Dolško'',''Leksikon občin kraljestev in dežel zastopanih v državnem zboru,'' vol. 6: ''Kranjsko''. 1906. Vienna: C. Kr. Dvorna in Državna Tiskarna, p. 18. german: Douschko) is a settlement northeast of Lj ...
, at a.s.l. (at confluence of the
Ljubljanica The Ljubljanica (), known in the Middle Ages as the ''Sava'', is a river in the southern part of the Ljubljana Basin in Slovenia. The capital of Slovenia, Ljubljana, lies on the river. The Ljubljanica rises south of the town of Vrhnika and flows ...
and the
Kamnik Bistrica The Kamnik Bistrica ( sl, Kamniška Bistrica, ) is an Alpine river in northern Slovenia, a left tributary of the Sava River. It springs from the Kamnik Alps (part of the Southern Limestone Alps) near the border with Austria. It is long. The Kamnik ...
). The course continues through the
Sava Hills The Sava Hills ( sl, Posavsko hribovje) are the eastern part of the Slovene Prealps. They are oriented in the east-west direction and are located to the north and south of the Sava River in central and eastern Slovenia, among the Ljubljana Basin ...
, where it passes the
Litija Basin Litija (; german: Littai''Leksikon občin kraljestev in dežel zastopanih v državnem zboru,'' vol. 6: ''Kranjsko''. 1906. Vienna: C. Kr. Dvorna in Državna Tiskarna, pp. 90, 92–93.) is a town in the Litija Basin in central Slovenia. It is the ...
with the mining and industrial town of
Litija Litija (; german: Littai''Leksikon občin kraljestev in dežel zastopanih v državnem zboru,'' vol. 6: ''Kranjsko''. 1906. Vienna: C. Kr. Dvorna in Državna Tiskarna, pp. 90, 92–93.) is a town in the Litija Basin in central Slovenia. It is the ...
, the
Central Sava Valley The Central Sava Valley ( sl, Zasavje) is a valley in the Sava Hills and a geographic region along the Sava in central Slovenia, now constituting the Central Sava Statistical Region. The region consists of three municipalities: Zagorje ob Savi, ...
with the mining towns of
Zagorje ob Savi Zagorje ob Savi (; german: Sagor,''Leksikon občin kraljestev in dežel zastopanih v državnem zboru,'' vol. 6: ''Kranjsko''. 1906. Vienna: C. Kr. Dvorna in Državna Tiskarna, p. 96. ''Seger an der Sau'') is a town in the Central Sava Valley in ce ...
,
Trbovlje Trbovlje (; german: Trifail''Leksikon občin kraljestev in dežel zastopanih v državnem zboru,'' vol. 4: ''Štajersko''. 1904. Vienna: C. Kr. Dvorna in Državna Tiskarna, p. 58.) is Slovenia's tenth-largest town, and the seat of the Municipality o ...
, and
Hrastnik Hrastnik (, German: ''Hrastnigg'') is a town in the Central Sava Valley in central Slovenia. It is the seat of the Municipality of Hrastnik. The area is part of the traditional region of Styria. The entire municipality is now included in the Centr ...
, turns to the southeast and runs through the
Lower Sava Valley The Lower Sava Valley ( sl, Posavje, also ''Spodnje Posavje'' and ''Posavska regija''Ferenc, Tone. 1995. "Posavje". ''Enciklopedija Slovenije'' vol 9. Ljubljana: Mladinska knjiga, pp. 155–156.) is a region in southeastern Slovenia on the border ...
with the towns of
Radeče Radeče (; german: Ratschach''Leksikon občin kraljestev in dežel zastopanih v državnem zboru,'' vol. 6: ''Kranjsko''. 1906. Vienna: C. Kr. Dvorna in Državna Tiskarna, pp. 88–89.) is a small town in the Lower Sava Valley in eastern Slovenia. ...
,
Sevnica Sevnica (; german: Lichtenwald''Leksikon občin kraljestev in dežel zastopanih v državnem zboru,'' vol. 4: ''Štajersko''. 1904. Vienna: C. Kr. Dvorna in Državna Tiskarna, p. 20.) is a town on the left bank of the Sava River in central Sloveni ...
, and
Krško Krško (; german: Gurkfeld) is a town in eastern Slovenia. It is the seat of the City municipality of Krško. The town lies on the Sava River and on the northwest edge of the Krško Plain ( sl, Krško polje), which is part of the larger Krka Flat ...
. The course through the Sava Hills forms the boundary of traditional regions of Lower Carniola and
Styria Styria (german: Steiermark ; Serbo-Croatian and sl, ; hu, Stájerország) is a state (''Bundesland'') in the southeast of Austria. With an area of , Styria is the second largest state of Austria, after Lower Austria. Styria is bordered to ...
, At Radeče, the Vrhovo hydroelectric dam reservoir stands. The latter is site of the
Krško Nuclear Power Plant The Krško Nuclear Power Plant ( sl, Jedrska elektrarna Krško, JEK, or , NEK, ; hr, Nuklearna elektrana Krško) is located in Vrbina in the Municipality of Krško, Slovenia. The plant was connected to the power grid on October 2, 1981 and went ...
, which uses the Sava River water to dissipate excess heat. The easternmost stretch of the Sava River course in Slovenia runs to the south of
Brežice Brežice (; german: Rann ) is a town in eastern Slovenia in the Lower Sava Valley, near the Croatian border. It is the seat of the Municipality of Brežice. It lies in the center of the Brežice Plain ( sl, Brežiško polje), which is part of the ...
, where it is joined by the Krka, and the river ultimately becomes a border river between Slovenia and
Croatia , image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg , image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg , anthem = "Lijepa naša domovino"("Our Beautiful Homeland") , image_map = , map_caption = , capit ...
, marking of their border near confluence of the
Sutla The Sutla ( Croatian) or Sotla ( Slovene) is a river flowing through Slovenia and Croatia, mostly forming their border. It is a tributary to the Sava, itself a tributary to the Danube. It is long and has a watershed area of . Overview The Sutla f ...
( sl, Sotla). At that point, the Sava reaches a.s.l. after flowing through Slovenia and along its border.


From the Sutla to the Una

The westernmost part of the Sava River course in Croatia, takes the river east, through the western part of the
Zagreb County Zagreb County ( hr, Zagrebačka županija) is a county in Northern Croatia. It surrounds, but does not contain, the nation's capital Zagreb, which is a separate territorial unit. For that reason, the county is often nicknamed "Zagreb ring" ( hr, z ...
, between
Samobor Samobor () is a city in Zagreb County, Croatia. It is part of the Zagreb metropolitan area. Administratively it is a part of Zagreb County. Geography Samobor is located west of Zagreb, between the eastern slopes of the Samobor hills ( hr, Samo ...
and
Zaprešić Zaprešić () is a town in Hrvatsko zagorje, Zagreb County in Croatia. It has a population of 19,644 inhabitants in the town proper, with 25,223 in the administrative area. The town's metropolitan area, which encompasses the seven neighbouring m ...
. The area encompasses forests interspersed by
marsh A marsh is a wetland that is dominated by herbaceous rather than woody plant species.Keddy, P.A. 2010. Wetland Ecology: Principles and Conservation (2nd edition). Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK. 497 p Marshes can often be found at ...
es and lakes formed in
gravel pit A gravel pit is an open-pit mine for the extraction of gravel. Gravel pits often lie in river valleys where the water table is high, so they may naturally fill with water to form ponds or lakes. Old, abandoned gravel pits are normally used eithe ...
s. As the Sava approaches the capital of Croatia,
Zagreb Zagreb ( , , , ) is the capital (political), capital and List of cities and towns in Croatia#List of cities and towns, largest city of Croatia. It is in the Northern Croatia, northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slop ...
, the marshes give way to urban landscape, but there are surviving examples of the gravel pit lakes, such as the
Jarun Jarun (local pronunciation: ) is a neighborhood in the southwestern part of Zagreb, Croatia. It was named after Lake Jarun, formed by the Sava River, now located on the southern edge of the neighborhood. Lake The lake is the location of the Jar ...
, and the
Bundek Bundek is a park in the Novi Zagreb - istok city district of Zagreb, Croatia. It is located north of the Zapruđe and Središće neighborhoods. Bundek was renovated during 2005 to turn a badly maintained lake into a tourism and events center of No ...
within the city. At the western outskirts of Zagreb, there is the western terminus of the Sava–Odra flood-relief canal connecting the Sava to the Odra River plain which is intended to act as
flood control Flood control methods are used to reduce or prevent the detrimental effects of flood waters."Flood Control", MSN Encarta, 2008 (see below: Further reading). Flood relief methods are used to reduce the effects of flood waters or high water level ...
retention basin A retention basin, sometimes called a wet pond, wet detention basin, or stormwater management pond (SWMP), is an artificial pond with vegetation around the perimeter and a permanent pool of water in its design. It is used to manage stormwater r ...
. The canal has been built in response to the most destructive flooding of the river that occurred in Zagreb in 1964, when one third of the city was flooded and 17 people were killed. The city itself marks the western extent of the Sava River basin area especially prone to flooding, spanning from Zagreb to confluence of the river in
Belgrade Belgrade ( , ;, ; Names of European cities in different languages: B, names in other languages) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Serbia, largest city in Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers a ...
,
Serbia Serbia (, ; Serbian language, Serbian: , , ), officially the Republic of Serbia (Serbian language, Serbian: , , ), is a landlocked country in Southeast Europe, Southeastern and Central Europe, situated at the crossroads of the Pannonian Bas ...
. East of Zagreb, the river turns southeast again further through the
Central Croatia Croatia proper ( hr, Hrvatska) is one of the four historical regions of the Republic of Croatia, together with Dalmatia, Istria, and Slavonia. It is located between Slavonia in the east, the Adriatic Sea in the west, and Dalmatia to the south ...
, to the
Sisak-Moslavina County Sisak-Moslavina County ( hr, Sisačko-moslavačka županija) is a Croatian Counties of Croatia, county in eastern Central Croatia and southwestern Slavonia. It is named after the city of Sisak and the region Moslavina just across the river Sava. ...
, the city of
Sisak Sisak (; hu, Sziszek ; also known by other alternative names) is a city in central Croatia, spanning the confluence of the Kupa, Sava and Odra rivers, southeast of the Croatian capital Zagreb, and is usually considered to be where the Posavin ...
, reaching a.s.l. The city of Sisak marks the westernmost extent of the Sava River navigable to larger vessels. Navigation conditions on the river are poor due to limited
draft Draft, The Draft, or Draught may refer to: Watercraft dimensions * Draft (hull), the distance from waterline to keel of a vessel * Draft (sail), degree of curvature in a sail * Air draft, distance from waterline to the highest point on a vessel ...
and fairway width,
meander A meander is one of a series of regular sinuous curves in the channel of a river or other watercourse. It is produced as a watercourse erodes the sediments of an outer, concave bank ( cut bank) and deposits sediments on an inner, convex bank ...
ing of the river,
bridge clearance A structure gauge, also called the minimum clearance outline, is a diagram or physical structure that sets limits to the extent that bridges, tunnels and other infrastructure can encroach on rail vehicles. It specifies the height and width of pl ...
restrictions, poor fairway markings as well as presence of sunken vessels and other objects, including unexploded ordnance. The ordnance is left over from various conflicts including the
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
,
Croatian War of Independence The Croatian War of Independence was fought from 1991 to 1995 between Croat forces loyal to the Government of Croatia—which had declared independence from the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (SFRY)—and the Serb-controlled Yugosl ...
,
Bosnian War The Bosnian War ( sh, Rat u Bosni i Hercegovini / Рат у Босни и Херцеговини) was an international armed conflict that took place in Bosnia and Herzegovina between 1992 and 1995. The war is commonly seen as having started ...
, and the
1999 NATO bombing of Yugoslavia The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) carried out an aerial bombing campaign against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia during the Kosovo War. The air strikes lasted from 24 March 1999 to 10 June 1999. The bombings continued until an a ...
. Before reaching confluence of
Una Una and UNA may refer to: Places * 160 Una, the asteroid "Una", an asteroid named after the Faerie Queene character * Una River (disambiguation), numerous rivers * Una, Himachal Pradesh, a town in India ** Una, Himachal Pradesh Assembly constit ...
at Jasenovac and a.s.l, the Sava River traces
Lonjsko polje Nature Park Lonjsko Polje (English: ''Lonja Field'') is the largest protected wetland in both Croatia and the entire Danube basin. It covers an area of , extending along the river Sava from the areas east of Sisak, the lower course of the river Lonja for ...
, encompassing marshes frequently flooded by the Sava and its tributaries in the area.


From the Una to the Drina

Downstream of confluence of the Una River, the Sava is once again tracing an international border—between Croatia and
Bosnia-Herzegovina Bosnia and Herzegovina ( sh, / , ), abbreviated BiH () or B&H, sometimes called Bosnia–Herzegovina and Pars pro toto#Geography, often known informally as Bosnia, is a country at the crossroads of Southern Europe, south and southeast Euro ...
. Its meandering course runs generally eastwards along Bosanska Gradiška, and
Slavonski Brod Slavonski Brod (), commonly shortened to simply Brod, is a city in eastern Croatia, near the border with Bosnia and Herzegovina. Being one of the principal cities in the historical regions of Slavonia and Posavina, Slavonski Brod was the 7th large ...
to
Županja Županja (, hu, Zsupanya, german: Schaupanie) is a town in eastern Slavonia, Croatia, located 254 km east of Zagreb. It is administratively part of the Vukovar-Syrmia County. It is inhabited by 12,090 people (2011). Županja lies on the Sa ...
, where it turns south to
Brčko Brčko ( sr-cyrl, Брчко, ) is a city and the administrative seat of Brčko District, in northern Bosnia and Herzegovina. It lies on the banks of Sava river across from Croatia. As of 2013, it has a population of 39,893 inhabitants. De jure, ...
. There, the river resumes its predominantly eastward course towards Sremska Rača and confluence of the
Drina The Drina ( sr-Cyrl, Дрина, ) is a long Balkans river, which forms a large portion of the border between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia. It is the longest tributary of the Sava River and the longest karst river in the Dinaric Alps whic ...
River. The right bank of the Sava, in this segment of its course, belongs to Bosnia-Herzegovina (with Bosnia's all three administrative entities,
Republika Srpska Republika Srpska ( sr-Cyrl, Република Српска, lit=Serb Republic, also known as Republic of Srpska, ) is one of the two Political divisions of Bosnia and Herzegovina, entities of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the other being the Feder ...
,
Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina The Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina is one of the two Political divisions of Bosnia and Herzegovina, entities within the State of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the other being Republika Srpska. The Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina consists ...
and the
Brčko District Brčko District ( bs, Brčko Distrikt; hr, Brčko Distrikt; sr, Брчко Дистрикт, ), officially the Brčko District of Bosnia and Herzegovina ( bs, Brčko Distrikt Bosne i Hercegovine; hr, Brčko Distrikt Bosne i Hercegovine; ), i ...
, having gateway to the river), while the opposite bank belongs to Croatia and its Sisak-Moslavina,
Brod-Posavina Brod-Posavina County ( hr, Brodsko-posavska županija) is the southern Slavonian Counties of Croatia, county in Croatia. Its center is the city of Slavonski Brod and it spreads along the left bank of the Sava river, hence the name ''Posavina''. O ...
and
Vukovar-Srijem Vukovar-Srijem County ( hr, Vukovarsko-srijemska županija), Vukovar-Sirmium County or Vukovar-Syrmia County, named after the eponymous town of Vukovar and the region of Syrmia, is the easternmost Croatian county. It includes the eastern parts of ...
counties, except in the area of
Jamena Jamena () is a village located in the municipality of Šid, Srem District, Vojvodina, Serbia. As of 2011 census, it has a population of 950 inhabitants. It is the only place in Serbia that borders both Croatia and Bosnia and Hercegovina (Republi ...
and further downstream—which belongs to Serbia and the province of
Vojvodina Vojvodina ( sr-Cyrl, Војводина}), officially the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina, is an autonomous province that occupies the northernmost part of Serbia. It lies within the Pannonian Basin, bordered to the south by the national capital ...
. No cities in this segment of the course span the river. It represents an international frontier, three times seeing adjacent, opposing key settlements: Bosanska Gradiška, Bosanski Brod and Brčko in Bosnia-Herzegovina, opposing
Stara Gradiška Stara Gradiška (, german: Altgradisch) is a village and a municipality in Slavonia, in the Brod-Posavina County of Croatia. It is located on the left bank of the river Sava, across from Gradiška in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Etymology The first wo ...
, Slavonski Brod and Gunja in Croatia. The segment between the Una and the Drina confluences, corresponding to the Sava flowing along the border of Bosnia-Herzegovina, exhibits small change of elevation, such as from  
ASL American Sign Language (ASL) is a natural language that serves as the predominant sign language of Deaf communities in the United States of America and most of Anglophone Canada. ASL is a complete and organized visual language that is express ...
at Jasenovac to  ASL at Brčko gauges: over of the river between them. The river below Zagreb has a 0.4‰ slope (gradient) on average, much less steep than the course in Slovenia, where the average slope exceeds 0.7‰. This results in the Sava's meandering course running through a wide plain bordered by
wetland A wetland is a distinct ecosystem that is flooded or saturated by water, either permanently (for years or decades) or seasonally (for weeks or months). Flooding results in oxygen-free (anoxic) processes prevailing, especially in the soils. The ...
s.


From the Drina to the Danube

Downstream from the confluence of the Drina, the Sava River changes its eastward course to northeast, until it reaches
Sremska Mitrovica Sremska Mitrovica (; sr-Cyrl, Сремска Митровица, hu, Szávaszentdemeter, la, Sirmium) is a city and the administrative center of the Srem District in the autonomous province of Vojvodina, Serbia. It is situated on the left bank ...
, whence it flows southeast and then south to
Šabac Šabac (Serbian Cyrillic: Шабац, ) is a city and the administrative centre of the Mačva District in western Serbia. The traditional centre of the fertile Mačva region, Šabac is located on the right banks of the river Sava. , the city p ...
, before finally turning east towards Belgrade. Most of the river's course in Serbia represents a border between province of Vojvodina, on the left bank, and
Central Serbia Central Serbia ( sr, централна Србија / centralna Srbija), also referred to as Serbia proper ( sr, link=no, ужа Србија / uža Srbija), is the region of Serbia lying outside the autonomous province of Vojvodina to the nort ...
, on the right bank. Exceptions to that are in area around Sremska Mitrovica, where both banks are in Vojvodina, and downstream of
Progar Progar ( sr-cyr, Прогар) is a List of Belgrade neighborhoods, suburban neighborhood of Belgrade, Serbia. It is located in Belgrade's municipality of Surčin. Location Progar is located in Syrmia's sub-region of Podlužje, in southwester ...
suburb of Belgrade where both banks are in Central Serbia. The river meanders and forms wetlands there as well—the most significant centering on
Obedska bara Obedska bara (Obedska pond or Obedska bog, Serbian Cyrillic: Обедска бара, pronounced ) is a large swamp-forest area and natural reserve stretching along the Sava River in Serbia, in Southern Syrmia (Srem/Szerémség), some 40 km west ...
oxbow lake An oxbow lake is a U-shaped lake or pool that forms when a wide meander of a river is cut off, creating a free-standing body of water. In South Texas, oxbows left by the Rio Grande are called '' resacas''. In Australia, oxbow lakes are call ...
. The Sava River forms several large
islands An island (or isle) is an isolated piece of habitat that is surrounded by a dramatically different habitat, such as water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, skerries, cays or keys. An island ...
in this segment of the course, with the largest among them—
Ada Ciganlija Ada Ciganlija ( sr-cyr, Ада Циганлија, ), colloquially shortened to Ada, is a river island that has artificially been turned into a peninsula, located in the Sava River's course through central Belgrade, Serbia. The name can also ref ...
in Belgrade—connected to the right bank by a pair of artificial
embankment dam An embankment dam is a large artificial dam. It is typically created by the placement and compaction of a complex semi-plastic mound of various compositions of soil or rock. It has a semi-pervious waterproof natural covering for its surface and ...
s forming
Lake Sava Ada Ciganlija ( sr-cyr, Ада Циганлија, ), colloquially shortened to Ada, is a river island that has artificially been turned into a peninsula, located in the Sava River's course through central Belgrade, Serbia. The name can also r ...
since 1967. The Sava discharges into the Danube, after reaching a.s.l. as its right tributary at the
Great War Island Great War Island ( sr, Велико ратно острво, Veliko ratno ostrvo) is a river island in Belgrade, capital of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of Sava and Danube rivers. Though uninhabited, the island is part of the Belgrade Ci ...
off the easternmost tip of
Syrmia Syrmia ( sh, Srem/Срем or sh, Srijem/Сријем, label=none) is a region of the southern Pannonian Plain, which lies between the Danube and Sava rivers. It is divided between Serbia and Croatia. Most of the region is flat, with the exce ...
in Belgrade, away from the Danube's confluence and the Black Sea.


Settlements

Population in the Sava River basin is estimated at 8,176,000, and includes four capitals: Belgrade, Ljubljana,
Sarajevo Sarajevo ( ; cyrl, Сарајево, ; ''see Names of European cities in different languages (Q–T)#S, names in other languages'') is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Bosnia and Herzegovina, with a population of 275,524 in its a ...
and Zagreb. All except Sarajevo, are on the river banks and represent the three largest settlements found along the river. Belgrade, at the lowest end of the river, is the largest city in the basin with urban population of 1,135,502. Ten municipalities of its outer conurbation have combined population of 1,283,783, taking in many mutual suburbs. The Belgrade
metropolitan area A metropolitan area or metro is a region that consists of a densely populated urban agglomeration and its surrounding territories sharing industries, commercial areas, transport network, infrastructures and housing. A metro area usually com ...
has a population of 1,639,121. Zagreb is the second largest city on the river, comprising population of 688,163 living in the city itself, and 802,588 in the city-administered area. Together with the Zagreb County, largely corresponding to various definitions of the city's metropolitan area, it has a combined population of 1,110,517. Ljubljana is the third-largest city on the banks of the Sava, encompassing a population of 258,873 living in the city itself and 265,881 in the city-governed area. The largest city of Bosnia-Herzegovina on the river is Brčko, whose urban population is estimated at 40,000. Other cities along the river, with populations of 20,000 and larger, are Slavonski Brod (53,473), Šabac (52,822), Sremska Mitrovica (37,586), Kranj (35,587), Sisak (33,049),
Obrenovac Obrenovac ( sr-cyr, Обреновац, ) is a municipality of the city of Belgrade. According to the 2011 census results, the municipality has a population of 71,419 inhabitants, while the urban area has 24,568 inhabitants. The largest Serbian th ...
(24,568), and Bosanska Gradiška (est. 20,000).


Watershed

The Sava River basin covers a total area of making it the second largest Danube tributary catchment by area size, surpassed only by the Tisza basin, and it encompasses 12% of the Danube basin, draining into the Black Sea. The Sava represents the third longest tributary of the Danube and its largest tributary by discharge. The catchment area borders the remainder of the Danube basin to the north and east, and the Adriatic Sea basin to the west and south. The river basin generally consists of parts of Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia,
Montenegro ) , image_map = Europe-Montenegro.svg , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Podgorica , coordinates = , largest_city = capital , official_languages = M ...
, Serbia and Slovenia, with a very small part of the catchment area belonging to
Albania Albania ( ; sq, Shqipëri or ), or , also or . officially the Republic of Albania ( sq, Republika e Shqipërisë), is a country in Southeastern Europe. It is located on the Adriatic and Ionian Seas within the Mediterranean Sea and shares ...
. Topography of the basin varies significantly. Upstream portion of the basin is more rugged than downstream one, but asymmetry of the basin topography is particularly apparent when comparing right and left bank areas—the former dominated by the
Alps The Alps () ; german: Alpen ; it, Alpi ; rm, Alps ; sl, Alpe . are the highest and most extensive mountain range system that lies entirely in Europe, stretching approximately across seven Alpine countries (from west to east): France, Sw ...
and the
Dinarides The Dinaric Alps (), also Dinarides, are a mountain range in Southern and Southcentral Europe, separating the continental Balkan Peninsula from the Adriatic Sea. They stretch from Italy in the northwest through Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Her ...
reaching elevations in excess of a.s.l, while the latter is dominated by the
Pannonian Plain The Pannonian Basin, or Carpathian Basin, is a large basin situated in south-east Central Europe. The geomorphological term Pannonian Plain is more widely used for roughly the same region though with a somewhat different sense, with only the ...
. The mean elevation of the basin is a.s.l.


Major tributaries

The most important tributaries of the Sava River found in its upper basin are characterized by relatively steep grades of flow, high flow velocities and
rapid Rapids are sections of a river where the river bed has a relatively steep gradient, causing an increase in water velocity and turbulence. Rapids are hydrological features between a ''run'' (a smoothly flowing part of a stream) and a ''cascade''. ...
s. Those are left tributaries: the
Kokra The Kokra () is a river of Slovenia. Originating in the Karawanks, the river is long. It flows into the Sava in Kranj Kranj (, german: Krainburg) is the third-largest city in Slovenia, with a population of 37,941 (2020). It is located approxima ...
, the Kamnik Bistrica and the
Savinja The Savinja () is a river in northeast Slovenia which flows mostly in the Upper and Lower Savinja Valley ( sl, Zgornja in Spodnja Savinjska dolina) and through the cities of Celje and Laško. The Savinja is the main river of the Savinja Alps (Sl ...
; and right tributaries: the Sora, the Ljubljanica and the
Krka (Sava) The Krka (; german: Gurk, ; la, Corcoras) is a river in southeastern Slovenia (the traditional region of Lower Carniola), a right tributary of the Sava. With a length of , it is the second-longest river flowing in its entirety in Slovenia, foll ...
. Further downstream larger rivers empty into the Sava, as the right bank of the basin grows steadily. Right tributaries in this lower segment of the basin start as fast flowing courses, only to slow down as they enter the
Pannonian Basin The Pannonian Basin, or Carpathian Basin, is a large Sedimentary basin, basin situated in south-east Central Europe. The Geomorphology, geomorphological term Pannonian Plain is more widely used for roughly the same region though with a somewh ...
. They include the
Kupa The Kupa () or Kolpa ( or ; from la, Colapis in Roman times; hu, Kulpa) river, a right tributary of the Sava, forms a natural border between north-west Croatia and southeast Slovenia. It is long, with its border part having a length of and th ...
, the Una, the Vrbas, the
Ukrina Ukrina ( cyrl, Укрина) is a river in the Central Bosnia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, right tributary of the river Sava. Its mouth is 3 km north from settlement Koraće and 10 km southwest of Brod. Vojnogeografski institut, Ed. (1955): ...
, the Bosna, the Brka, the Tinja, the Drina and the
Kolubara The Kolubara ( sr-cyr, Колубара, ) is a long river in western Serbia; it is an eastern, right tributary to the Sava river. General overview Kolubara is formed by the two small rivers Obnica and Jablanica. ''Obnica'' is the river in W ...
. Left tributaries in the lower segment drain plains consequently exhibiting less steep course grades, lower flow rates and meandering. They include the Sutla, the
Krapina Krapina (; hu, Korpona) is a town in northern Croatia and the administrative centre of Krapina-Zagorje County with a population of 4,482 (2011) and a total municipality population of 12,480 (2011). Krapina is located in the hilly Zagorje region ...
, the
Lonja Lonja is a river in central Croatia, a left tributary of the Sava. It is long and its basin covers an area of . The Lonja rises in the Kalnik mountain in northern Croatia, southeast of Novi Marof, at . It flows westward until turning south near ...
, the Ilova, the
Orljava Orljava is a river in Slavonia, eastern Croatia, a left tributary of Sava. It is long and its basin covers an area of . Orljava rises in the mountainous forested areas of Psunj, south of Bučje. It receives influx from smaller rivers that rise ...
and the Bosut. The Drina is the largest tributary of the Sava, flowing in Bosnia-Herzegovina and along border of the country and Serbia. It is formed by the headwaters of the Tara and the
Piva Piva may refer to: * Piva (river), a river in Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina * Piva, Montenegro, a region in Montenegro and tribe * Piva River, Bougainville, Papua New Guinea * Piva Trail, Bougainville, Papua New Guinea ** Battle for Piva Tr ...
at the border of Bosnia-Herzegovina and Montenegro, near
Šćepan Polje Šćepan Polje ( sr-cyrl, Шћепан Поље, ) is the name of a small settlement and the region in Plužine Municipality northwestern in Montenegro. It is the border crossing point between Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina, where the Tara r ...
. Its catchment extends across parts of four countries—reaching as far south as Albania. The Bosna and the Kupa river basins are the second and third largest catchments of the Sava tributaries, each surpassing in size.


Hydrology

The average annual
flow rate Flow rate may refer to: * Flow measurement, a quantification of bulk fluid movement * Mass flow rate, the mass of a substance which passes per unit of time * Volumetric flow rate, the volume of fluid which passes per unit time ** Discharge (hydrol ...
of the Sava River at Radovljica, immediately downstream of the Sava Dolinka and the Sava Bohinjka confluence, stands at per second. Downstream of the Krka confluence the average flow rate reaches per second, gradually increasing as tributaries discharge along the course— per second downstream of the Sutla, per second following discharge of the Kupa and the Una, per second downstream of the Vrbas confluence, per second after the Bosna river empties into the Sava, and finally of per second at confluence of the Sava in Belgrade. The highest flow rate of per second was recorded by Slavonski Šamac
gauging station A stream gauge, streamgage or stream gauging station is a location used by hydrologists or environmental scientists to monitor and test terrestrial bodies of water. Hydrometric measurements of water level surface elevation ("stage") and/or volu ...
in May 2014. Seven out of eight largest reservoirs in the Sava River basin are in the Drina catchment, the largest among them being the
Lake Piva Lake Piva ( cg, Пивско језеро, Pivsko јezero) is a reservoir in Montenegro. It is located in the northwest part of the country, in Plužine Municipality. The surface of the lake is 12.5 km², the length is 45 km, and the ma ...
on the eponymous river in Montenegro, created after construction of
Mratinje Dam The Mratinje Dam ( cnr, Брана Мратиње, Brana Mratinje) is a concrete arch dam in the canyon of the Piva River in Montenegro. The dam was completed in 1975 with designs by Energoprojekt. Its construction resulted in the flooding of the ...
. Overall, there are 22 reservoirs holding more than of water in the basin, with four of them ''on'' the Sava, including one on the Sava Dolinka. Most of the reservoirs are used primarily, or even exclusively, for
electricity generation Electricity generation is the process of generating electric power from sources of primary energy. For electric utility, utilities in the electric power industry, it is the stage prior to its Electricity delivery, delivery (Electric power transmi ...
, but they are also used as supply of
drinking water Drinking water is water that is used in drink or food preparation; potable water is water that is safe to be used as drinking water. The amount of drinking water required to maintain good health varies, and depends on physical activity level, a ...
,
industrial water Water resources are natural resources of water that are potentially useful for humans, for example as a source of drinking water supply or irrigation water. 97% of the water on the Earth is salt water and only three percent is fresh water; slightl ...
source, for
irrigation Irrigation (also referred to as watering) is the practice of applying controlled amounts of water to land to help grow Crop, crops, Landscape plant, landscape plants, and Lawn, lawns. Irrigation has been a key aspect of agriculture for over 5,00 ...
and
food production The food industry is a complex, global network of diverse businesses that supplies most of the food consumed by the world's population. The food industry today has become highly diversified, with manufacturing ranging from small, traditional, ...
. Groundwater is a very important resource in the Sava River basin, generally used for public water supply of potable water, as a source of water for industrial use, but also as the mainstay of
aquatic ecosystem An aquatic ecosystem is an ecosystem formed by surrounding a body of water, in contrast to land-based terrestrial ecosystems. Aquatic ecosystems contain communities of organisms that are dependent on each other and on their environment. The tw ...
s. There are 41 identified significant groundwater bodies in the Sava River basin of basin-wide importance, ranging in area size from , as well as numerous minor ground water bodies. Even though most of them are
transboundary waters The terms international waters or transboundary waters apply where any of the following types of bodies of water (or their drainage basins) transcend international boundaries: oceans, large marine ecosystems, enclosed or semi-enclosed regiona ...
, eleven are considered to be largely in Slovenia, fourteen in Croatia, seven in Bosnia-Herzegovina, five in Serbia and four in Montenegro.


Geology

The course of the Sava River runs through several diverse
geological unit A stratigraphic unit is a volume of rock of identifiable origin and relative age range that is defined by the distinctive and dominant, easily mapped and recognizable petrographic, lithologic or paleontologic features (facies) that characterize it ...
s and orographic regions. The uppermost course of the river and its headwaters in the Karavanke area, is in the
Southern Alps The Southern Alps (; officially Southern Alps / Kā Tiritiri o te Moana) is a mountain range extending along much of the length of New Zealand's South Island, reaching its greatest elevations near the range's western side. The name "Southern ...
, tracing the Sava Fault—itself running parallel to the
Periadriatic Seam The Periadriatic Seam (or fault) is a distinct geologic fault in Southern Europe, running ''S-shaped'' about from the Tyrrhenian Sea through the whole Southern Alps as far as Hungary. It forms the division between the Adriatic plate and the Euro ...
.
Mesozoic The Mesozoic Era ( ), also called the Age of Reptiles, the Age of Conifers, and colloquially as the Age of the Dinosaurs is the second-to-last era of Earth's geological history, lasting from about , comprising the Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceo ...
and
Upper Triassic The Late Triassic is the third and final epoch of the Triassic Period in the geologic time scale, spanning the time between Ma and Ma (million years ago). It is preceded by the Middle Triassic Epoch and followed by the Early Jurassic Epoch. Th ...
rocks are exposed in the region. The Ljubljana Basin represents the boundary of the Southern Alps and the Dinarides. Valleys of the Sava Dolinka and the Sava Bohinjka are
glacial valley U-shaped valleys, also called trough valleys or glacial troughs, are formed by the process of glaciation. They are characteristic of mountain glaciation in particular. They have a characteristic U shape in cross-section, with steep, straight s ...
s, carved out by the Sava Dolinka and Bohinj
glacier A glacier (; ) is a persistent body of dense ice that is constantly moving under its own weight. A glacier forms where the accumulation of snow exceeds its Ablation#Glaciology, ablation over many years, often Century, centuries. It acquires dis ...
s advancing down Karavanke range to vicinity of present-day Radovljica. In the
late Pleistocene The Late Pleistocene is an unofficial Age (geology), age in the international geologic timescale in chronostratigraphy, also known as Upper Pleistocene from a Stratigraphy, stratigraphic perspective. It is intended to be the fourth division of ...
, Bohinj Glacier was the largest glacier in the territory of present-day Slovenia, up to thick. Sava Folds, southeast and east of the Ljubljana Basin are thought of as a part of the Dinarides, separating the Ljubljana and Krško Basins, and forming the Sava Hills. The east–west oriented folds are younger than the
Miocene The Miocene ( ) is the first geological epoch of the Neogene Period and extends from about (Ma). The Miocene was named by Scottish geologist Charles Lyell; the name comes from the Greek words (', "less") and (', "new") and means "less recen ...
and the folding is considered to had taken place in the
Pliocene The Pliocene ( ; also Pleiocene) is the epoch in the geologic time scale that extends from 5.333 million to 2.58Quaternary The Quaternary ( ) is the current and most recent of the three periods of the Cenozoic Era in the geologic time scale of the International Commission on Stratigraphy (ICS). It follows the Neogene Period and spans from 2.58 million years ...
, but it is possible that the tectonic activity continues in the present day. The Sava Folds largely exhibit
Paleozoic The Paleozoic (or Palaeozoic) Era is the earliest of three geologic eras of the Phanerozoic Eon. The name ''Paleozoic'' ( ;) was coined by the British geologist Adam Sedgwick in 1838 by combining the Greek words ''palaiós'' (, "old") and ' ...
and
Triassic The Triassic ( ) is a geologic period and system which spans 50.6 million years from the end of the Permian Period 251.902 million years ago ( Mya), to the beginning of the Jurassic Period 201.36 Mya. The Triassic is the first and shortest period ...
rocks, and
clastic sediment Clastic rocks are composed of fragments, or clasts, of pre-existing minerals and rock. A clast is a fragment of geological detritus,Essentials of Geology, 3rd Ed, Stephen Marshak, p. G-3 chunks, and smaller grains of rock broken off other rocks ...
s. The lower course of the Sava in the Pannonian Basin—first reached by the Sava River in the Krško Basin on the western rim of the Pannonian Basin. The Pannonian Basin took shape through Miocenian thinning and
subsidence Subsidence is a general term for downward vertical movement of the Earth's surface, which can be caused by both natural processes and human activities. Subsidence involves little or no horizontal movement, which distinguishes it from slope move ...
of crust structures formed during Late Paleozoic
Variscan orogeny The Variscan or Hercynian orogeny was a geologic mountain-building event caused by Late Paleozoic continental collision between Euramerica (Laurussia) and Gondwana to form the supercontinent of Pangaea. Nomenclature The name ''Variscan'', comes f ...
. The Paleozoic and Mesozoic structures are visible in
Papuk Papuk is the largest mountain in the Slavonia region in eastern Croatia, near the city of Požega. It extends between Bilogora to the northwest, Krndija to the east, and Ravna gora and Psunj to the southwest. The highest peak is the eponymous ...
and other Slavonian mountains. The processes also led to the formation of a stratovolcanic chain in the basin 17–12  Mya (million years ago) and intensified subsidence observed until 5 Mya as well as
flood basalt A flood basalt (or plateau basalt) is the result of a giant volcanic eruption or series of eruptions that covers large stretches of land or the ocean floor with basalt lava. Many flood basalts have been attributed to the onset of a hotspot reach ...
s about 7.5 Mya. Contemporary uplift of the
Carpathian Mountains The Carpathian Mountains or Carpathians () are a range of mountains forming an arc across Central Europe. Roughly long, it is the third-longest European mountain range after the Urals at and the Scandinavian Mountains at . The range stretches ...
prevented water flowing to the Black Sea, and the
Pannonian Sea The Pannonian Sea was a shallow ancient lake, where the Pannonian Basin in Central Europe is now. The Pannonian Sea existed from about 10 Ma (million years ago) until 1 Ma, during the Miocene and Pliocene epochs, when marine sediments were dep ...
formed in the basin. Sediments were transported to the basin from uplifting Carpathian and Dinaric mountains, with particularly deep fluvial sediments being deposited in the
Pleistocene The Pleistocene ( , often referred to as the ''Ice age'') is the geological Epoch (geology), epoch that lasted from about 2,580,000 to 11,700 years ago, spanning the Earth's most recent period of repeated glaciations. Before a change was fina ...
during the uplift of the
Transdanubian Mountains __NOTOC__ The Transdanubian Mountains (sometimes also referred to as ''Bakony Forest, Dunántúl Highlands, Highlands of Dunántúl, Highlands of Transdanubia, Mountains of Dunántúl, Mountains of Transdanubia, Transdanubian Central Range, Tra ...
. Ultimately, up to of the sediment was deposited in the basin, and the Pannonian sea eventually drained through the Iron Gate gorge. In the southern Pannonian Basin, the
Neogene The Neogene ( ), informally Upper Tertiary or Late Tertiary, is a geologic period and system that spans 20.45 million years from the end of the Paleogene Period million years ago ( Mya) to the beginning of the present Quaternary Period Mya. ...
to Quaternary sediment depth is normally lower, averaging , except in central parts of depressions formed by
subduction Subduction is a geological process in which the oceanic lithosphere is recycled into the Earth's mantle at convergent boundaries. Where the oceanic lithosphere of a tectonic plate converges with the less dense lithosphere of a second plate, the ...
. A subduction zone formed in the present-day Sava River valley, and approximately deep sediments were deposited in the Slavonia-Syrmia depression and in the Sava depression. The results of those processes are large
plain In geography, a plain is a flat expanse of land that generally does not change much in elevation, and is primarily treeless. Plains occur as lowlands along valleys or at the base of mountains, as coastal plains, and as plateaus or uplands ...
s in the Sava River valley and the Kupa River valley. The plains are interspersed by the horst and
graben In geology, a graben () is a depressed block of the crust of a planet or moon, bordered by parallel normal faults. Etymology ''Graben'' is a loan word from German, meaning 'ditch' or 'trench'. The word was first used in the geologic contex ...
structures, believed to have broken the Pannonian Sea surface as
islands An island (or isle) is an isolated piece of habitat that is surrounded by a dramatically different habitat, such as water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, skerries, cays or keys. An island ...
, which became watershed between
Drava The Drava or Drave''Utrata Fachwörterbuch ...
and Sava River basins extending along IvanščicaKalnik
Bilogora Bilogora (Bilo-gora, or ''Bilogorje'', ''Bilo-gorje'') is a low mountainous range in Central Croatia. It consists of a series of hills and small plains some 80 kilometres in length stretching in the direction northwest-southeast, along the southwest ...
–Papuk mountain chain. The Papuk Mountain is flanked by the
Krndija Krndija is a mountain in Slavonia, Croatia, extending eastwards from Papuk. It is located south of Orahovica and Našice and north of Požega. The westernmost point of Krndija is the mountain pass that connects Orahovica with Kutjevo; the easter ...
and the
Dilj Dilj is a low mountain in south-central Slavonia, located in eastern Croatia. Of all the mountains in Slavonia, Dilj is the lowest-lying, at 471 meters. It is located north of Slavonski Brod and south of Krndija. Dilj mountain contains a forest t ...
Hills on the eastern rim of the
Požega Valley The Požega Valley ( hr, Požeška kotlina) is a geographic microregion of Croatia, located in central Slavonia, encompassing the eastern part of the Požega-Slavonia County. It is located in the Pannonian Basin, bounded by Psunj, Papuk and Krnd ...
. The Bilogora, Papuk and Krndija Mountains consist mostly of Paleozoic rocks which are 300–350 million years old, while the Dilj consists of much more recent Neogene rocks, 2–18 million years old. Further east of the chain, the watershed runs through the
Đakovo Đakovo (; hu, Diakovár) is a town in the region of Slavonia, Croatia. Đakovo is the centre of the fertile and rich Đakovo region ( hr, Đakovština ). Etymology The etymology of the name is the gr, διάκος (diákos) in Slavic form đ ...
Vinkovci Vinkovci () is a city in Slavonia, in the Vukovar-Syrmia County in eastern Croatia. The city's registered population was 28,247 in the 2021 census, the total population of the city was 31,057, making it the largest town of the county. Surrounde ...
and
Vukovar Vukovar () ( sr-Cyrl, Вуковар, hu, Vukovár, german: Wukowar) is a city in Croatia, in the eastern region of Slavonia. It contains Croatia's largest river port, located at the confluence of the Vuka and the Danube. Vukovar is the seat of ...
Plateau. The
loess Loess (, ; from german: Löss ) is a clastic, predominantly silt-sized sediment that is formed by the accumulation of wind-blown dust. Ten percent of Earth's land area is covered by loess or similar deposits. Loess is a periglacial or aeolian ...
plateau, extending eastward from Dilj and representing the watershed between the Vuka and Bosut rivers, gradually rises to the
Fruška Gora Fruška gora ( sr-Cyrl, Фрушка гора; hu, Tarcal-hegység) is a mountain in Syrmia, administratively part of Serbia with a part of its western side extending into eastern Croatia. The area under Serbian administration forms the countr ...
south of Ilok.


Economy


Electric power generation

There are 18 hydroelectric power plants with power generation capacity exceeding 10 
Megawatt The watt (symbol: W) is the unit of Power (physics), power or radiant flux in the International System of Units, International System of Units (SI), equal to 1 joule per second or 1 kg⋅m2⋅s−3. It is used to quantification (science), ...
s in the Sava River basin. In Slovenia, most of them harness the Sava itself. In other countries, the hydroelectric power plants are on its tributaries. Total power generation capacity of the 18 power plants, and additional smaller plants largely found in Slovenia, amounts to 41,542 megawatts, and their annual production capacity stands at 2,497 
gigawatt-hour A kilowatt-hour (unit symbol: kW⋅h or kW h; commonly written as kWh) is a unit of energy: one kilowatt of power for one hour. In terms of SI derived units with special names, it equals 3.6 megajoules (MJ). Kilowatt-hours are a common bil ...
s. Approximately of water per year in the river's basin is used to cool thermoelectric and nuclear power plants. Power plant cooling represents the main type of use of the Sava River waters. , there are six existing hydroelectric power plants built along the Sava River. Upstream of Ljubljana there are Moste, Mavčiče and Medvode power plants, while Vrhovo, Boštanj and Blanca are downstream of the capital. There is one additional plant under construction near Krško. The Krško hydroelectric power plant, as well as two additional plants planned on the Sava River course downstream of Ljubljana—Brežice and Mokrice—should be completed by 2018. The power plants downstream of Ljubljana, except Vrhovo, are developed as a chain of five Slovenia's Lower Sava Valley plants since 2002. They will have production capacity of 2,000 gigawatt-hours per year and 570 megawatts of
installed capacity Nameplate capacity, also known as the rated capacity, nominal capacity, installed capacity, or maximum effect, is the intended full-load sustained output of a facility such as a power station,
. Completion of the five power plants is expected to cost 700  million
euro The euro ( symbol: €; code: EUR) is the official currency of 19 out of the member states of the European Union (EU). This group of states is known as the eurozone or, officially, the euro area, and includes about 340 million citizens . ...
s. There are also plans for construction of ten new powerplants in the middle Sava valley HE Suhadol, HE Trbovlje, HE Renke, HE Ponovice, HE Kresnice, HE Jevnica, HE Zalog, HE Šentjakob, HE Ježica and HE Tacen. Croatia is planning the construction of four hydroelectric power plants on the Sava River in the Zagreb area. The four plants— Podsused, Prečko, Zagreb and Drenje—are scheduled to be completed by 2021 at a cost of 800  million euros. The four power plants will have an installed capacity of 122  megawatts and an annual production capacity of 610 gigawatt-hours.


Water supply and food production

Use of water for public
water supply Water supply is the provision of water by public utilities, commercial organisations, community endeavors or by individuals, usually via a system of pumps and pipes. Public water supply systems are crucial to properly functioning societies. Thes ...
in the Sava River basin is estimated at per year, and another of water per year is used for industrial production purposes. Use of water for
agriculture Agriculture or farming is the practice of cultivating plants and livestock. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that enabled people to ...
in the Sava River basin is relatively high, but most of it is applied in non-consumptive uses, such as
fish farming upright=1.3, Salmon farming in the sea (mariculture) at Loch Ainort, Isle of Skye">mariculture.html" ;"title="Salmon farming in the sea (mariculture">Salmon farming in the sea (mariculture) at Loch Ainort, Isle of Skye, Scotland Fish farming or ...
. Use of water for irrigation is relatively low, estimated at per year.
Commercial fishing Commercial fishing is the activity of catching fish and other seafood for commercial profit, mostly from wild fisheries. It provides a large quantity of food to many countries around the world, but those who practice it as an industry must often ...
on the Sava River is in decline since the middle of the 20th century. In 1978, there were only 97  commercial fishermen there, while
recreational fishing Recreational fishing, also called sport fishing or game fishing, is fishing for leisure, exercise or competition. It can be contrasted with commercial fishing, which is professional fishing for profit; or subsistence fishing, which is fishing ...
became dominant. The decline became more rapid during the wars in Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina, reducing the quantity of fish caught in the river to approximately one-third of the pre-war catches which ranged from between 1979 and 1990. The
International Sava River Basin Commission International Sava River Basin Commission is an international organisation with its permanent secretariat in Zagreb, Croatia. Sava Commission has been established for purpose of the implementation of the Framework Agreement on the Sava River Basin ...
(ISRBC), a cooperative body established by Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, Slovenia and
Serbia and Montenegro Serbia and Montenegro ( sr, Cрбија и Црна Гора, translit=Srbija i Crna Gora) was a country in Southeast Europe located in the Balkans that existed from 1992 to 2006, following the breakup of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yu ...
in 2005, is tasked with the establishment of sustainable management of surface water and groundwater resources in the Sava River basin.


Navigation and ports

The Sava is navigable to larger vessels for between its confluence with the Danube in Belgrade, Serbia and Galdovo Bridge in Sisak, Croatia, upstream from confluence of Sava and Kupa rivers. The confluence marks the westernmost point of the river course designated as a Class IV international
waterway A waterway is any navigable body of water. Broad distinctions are useful to avoid ambiguity, and disambiguation will be of varying importance depending on the nuance of the equivalent word in other languages. A first distinction is necessary b ...
in compliance with the
United Nations Economic Commission for Europe The United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (ECE or UNECE) is one of the five regional commissions under the jurisdiction of the United Nations Economic and Social Council. It was established in order to promote economic cooperation and i ...
's European Agreement on Main Inland Waterways of International Importance (AGN). The classification means that the river course between Sisak and Belgrade is navigable to ships of the maximum length of , the maximum beam of , the maximum draught of and tonnage up to . The Sava River downstream of Sisak, is designated as European waterway E 80-12, branching off from the E 80 waterway spanning the Danube and
Le Havre Le Havre (, ; nrf, Lé Hâvre ) is a port city in the Seine-Maritime department in the Normandy region of northern France. It is situated on the right bank of the estuary of the river Seine on the Channel southwest of the Pays de Caux, very cl ...
via the Rhine. The largest ports on the Sava River are Brčko and Šamac in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Sisak and Slavonski Brod in Croatia, and Šabac and Sremska Mitrovica in Serbia. , of the river course between Slavonski Šamac and Oprisavci, as well as additional between Slavonski Brod and Sisak, are considered by Ministry of Maritime Affairs, Transport and Infrastructure (Croatia), Croatia's Ministry of Maritime Affairs, Transport and Infrastructure to fail the Class IV criteria, permitting navigation of vessels up to only, complying with the AGN's Category III. The Slavonski Šamac–Oprisavci section is especially troublesome for navigation as it offers draught in less than 50% of an average hydrological year, causing navigation to cease each summer. Similar interruptions are less frequent elsewhere on the river, occurring 30 days a year on average upstream from Oprisavci, and even more rarely downstream from Slavonski Šamac. The restricted draft and fairway is compounded with a meandering of the river's course—limiting the length of vessels—and low bridge clearance. Further problems are incurred through poor transport infrastructure along the route, including poor navigation markings, and presence of sunken vessels and unexploded munitions. Navigation along further of the river upstream to Rugvica near Zagreb is possible for vessels with tonnage below , and the section of the river belongs to the AGN's Category II. There are plans for the restoration of the Category IV compliant waterway downstream of Sisak and betterment of navigation infrastructure between Sisak and Rugvica, as well as upgrading of the waterway between Brčko and Belgrade to Category Va, matching that of the Danube, with uninterrupted navigation through the year. The plan is planned to be supported by the European Union and , an agreement to implement the plan was signed by Bosnia-Herzegovina and Croatia, while Serbia is invited to join the project. The plan aims to increase the safety and volume of river transport, which declined by about 70% since the breakup of Yugoslavia, largely because of poor maintenance of the route. The ISRBC is tasked with the establishment of an international regime of navigation on the river since 2005.


Road, rail and pipeline transport

The Sava River valley is also a route for road and rail traffic. The river valley routes are a part of the Pan-European Corridor X, and forming junctions with Pan-European Corridors V, Vb, Pan-European Corridor Vc, Vc, Xa and Xb in area of Ljubljana (V), Zagreb (Vb, Xa), Slavonski Šamac (Vc), and Belgrade (Xb). The motorways forming the Pan-European Corridor X in the area—A2 motorway (Slovenia), Slovenia's A2, A3 (Croatia), Croatia's A3 and A1 (Serbia), Serbia's A1 motorways—represent a part of European route E70 Bordeaux–Turin–Ljubljana–Zagreb–Belgrade–Bucharest, and the European route E61 Villach–Ljubljana–Trieste–Rijeka. A largely double track and railway electrification system, electrifried railway is also a part of the Corridor X. The railway was a part of the Orient Express, Simplon-Orient-Express and Direct-Orient-Express routes. The navigable river course between Belgrade and Galdovo north of Sisak is spanned by 25 bridges. The Sava River valley east of Sisak is also used as a route for the Jadranski naftovod, a crude oil pipeline. The system connects the Port of Rijeka oil terminal to Oil refinery, oil refineries in Rijeka and Sisak, to Bosanski Brod in Bosnia-Herzegovina, as well as Novi Sad and Pančevo in Serbia.


Environmental issues


Pollution

The main pressure on the Sava River basin environment is generated by the activities of the urban population in the basin. Even though nearly all population centres generating pollution above 10,000 population equivalent (PE) have some sort of sewage treatment in place, less than a quarter of them are adequate. Wastewater from 86% of Sava River basin settlements, generating more than 2,000 PE, goes untreated. Pollution levels vary along the river. The best conditions in terms of wastewater treatment are found in Slovenia, although the existing facilities are inadequate. In Serbia, on the other hand, 68% of population centres have no wastewater treatment facilities at all. Population centres exceeding 2,000 PE directly discharge into the Sava River basin's surface waters 11,112 tonnes of nitrogen and 2,642 tonnes of phosphorus. Agriculture is another significant source of the Sava River basin surface water pollution, specifically through livestock manure production. It is estimated that the nutrient pollution levels generated by manure production equal 32,394 tonnes of nitrogen and 3,784 tonnes of phosphorus per year. As a consequence, the Sava River is microbiologically polluted in areas affected by the nutrient pollution. One such part of the river is the lowermost part of its course between Šabac and Belgrade, where acceptable freshwater bacterial counts are exceeded. Levels of industrial pollution vary significantly throughout the basin. In 2007, significant sources of industrial pollution were identified in Slovenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Serbia. Levels of lead, cadmium and arsenic measured in the Sava River at Zagreb in 2003 did not exceed permitted concentrations, but measured levels of Mercury (element), mercury exceeded permitted levels in four out of 216 samples. Levels of heavy metals, specifically zinc, copper, lead and cadmium, measured in sediments in the Sava River near Belgrade were assessed as representing little to no risk, and the conclusion drawn was that in order to "reduce the existing bacterial contamination of the Sava River it is necessary to control faecal discharge near cities like Belgrade." The two countries (Croatia and Montenegro) with the greatest direct access to the Adriatic showed by far the least polluted basin surface waters, although other factors, such as demography, agricultural/environmental development and, especially, investment (internal and external), play a role.


Protected areas

The Sava River basin is very significant because of its biological diversity, and it contains large alluvial wetlands and lowland forests. This led to the designation of six protected areas under provisions of the Ramsar Convention by the countries in the basin. Those are Lake Cerknica in Slovenia, Lonjsko Polje and Crna Mlaka in Croatia, Lake Bardača in Bosnia-Herzegovina, and Obedska and Zasavica (bog), Zasavica bogs in Serbia.


Sport and recreation

There are several sports and recreational grounds on the river banks and gravel pits and artificial lakes adjacent. Tacen Whitewater Course, on the right bank of the Sava in Tacen, a suburb of Ljubljana, was built as a permanent kayaking course in 1948. It hosts a major international competition almost every year, examples being the ICF Canoe Slalom World Championships in 1955 ICF Canoe Slalom World Championships, 1955, 1991 ICF Canoe Slalom World Championships, 1991, and 2010 ICF Canoe Slalom World Championships, 2010. In Zagreb, Jarun complex of lakes along the river course offers a range of facilities for swimming, water sports and cycling. The island of Ada Ciganlija in Belgrade is the major recreational zone of the city, gathering as many as 100,000 visitors daily in the summer months. The Sava River is the site of several regattas. Those include the International Sava Tour Rowing (sport), rowing regatta taking place between Zagreb and Brčko, and the Belgrade Regatta (Sailing (sport), sailing regatta). The river is also the site of the Šabac Swimming Marathon—an open water swimming competition, running on an course between the village of Jarak and the city of Šabac in Serbia. The competition is held annually since 1970, and was included in FINA international calendar from 1984 to 2012. Recreational and sport fishing is a popular activity along the Sava River course. There is a long sport fishing competition ground near Hotemež, Slovenia.


Tradition

Even though the name ''Sava'' became very common among Slavs, and has a "Slavic tone", the river's name has pre-Slavic languages, Slavic Celtic languages, Celtic and Latin, Roman origins; Strabo writes in ''Geographica'' 4.6.10 (composed between 20 BCE and 20 CE) of the River ''Saüs'', and the Romans used the name ''Savus''. Another name, used for the Sava in entirety or its lower part by Strabo, is ''Noarus''. Worship of various river gods in the area dates to the Late Bronze Age, when the first settlements were founded along the Sava River. Taurisci associated their river goddess Adsullata with the ''Savus''. Altars or inscriptions dedicated to the river-god Savus have been found at a number of locations along the river course, including at the Zelenci Pools where the Sava Dolinka rises, and a number of Roman Empire, Roman settlements and castra built along the Via Pannonia, the Roman road running from Aquileia to the Danube. The settlements include Emona, Andautonia and Siscia (near modern-day Ljubljana, Velika Gorica and Sisak respectively) upstream of the Kupa River confluence, and Marsonia, itself built atop a prehistory, prehistoric settlement, Cibalae, Sirmium and Singidunum (in modern-day Slavonski Brod, Vinkovci, Sremska Mitrovica and Belgrade) downstream of the Kupa. Besides the altar found at the Zelenci Pools, inscriptions and sites dedicated to Savus have been found in remains of Emona, Andautonia and Siscia. Several years after 1751 completion of the Robba Fountain in Ljubljana, the three male figures sculpted as parts of the fountain were identified as statues of the river gods of Sava, Krka and Ljubljanica. In the early 20th century, the fountain was named the Fountain of Three Carniolan Rivers. The Romantic poetry, Romantic poet France Prešeren wrote ''The Baptism on the Savica'' ( sl, Krst pri Savici, links=no), the Slovenes, Slovene national epic, in 1835. The poem, referring in its title to a headwater of the Sava River, helped to inspire the design of the coat of arms of Slovenia of 1991: However, the two wavy lines at the base of the blazon officially represent rivers of Slovenia and the Adriatic Sea rather than the Savica or the Sava specifically. The Sava River also appears symbolically in the coat of arms of the former Kingdom of Slavonia: The design, approved by the Vladislaus II of Bohemia and Hungary in 1496, incorporates two Bar (heraldry), bars symbolising the Sava and the Drava rivers tracing the borders of the kingdom. The design inspired the arms of several present-day counties of Croatia in the region of Slavonia and itself forms a part of the coat of arms of Croatia. The poem ''Horvatska domovina'', written by Antun Mihanović in 1835 as a national symbol of Croatia, also refers to the Sava River. Modified lyrics of the poem later became the Croatian anthem.


See also

*
International Sava River Basin Commission International Sava River Basin Commission is an international organisation with its permanent secretariat in Zagreb, Croatia. Sava Commission has been established for purpose of the implementation of the Framework Agreement on the Sava River Basin ...
* Posavina (region)


Footnotes


References


Books

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Scientific and professional papers

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News reports

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Other sources

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External links

* Condition of Sava at locations in Slovenia (proceeding down the stream): *
Radovljica
– graphs, in the following order, of water level, flow and temperature data for the past 30 days (taken in
Radovljica Radovljica (; german: Radmannsdorf) is a town in the Upper Carniola region of northern Slovenia. It is the administrative seat of the Municipality of Radovljica. Geography The town is located on the southern slope of the Karawanks mountain range, ...
by Slovenian Environment Agency, ARSO) *
Medno
– graphs, in the following order, of water level, flow and temperature data for the past 30 days (taken in Medno by Slovenian Environment Agency, ARSO) *
Šentjakob
– graphs, in the following order, of water level, flow and temperature data for the past 30 days (taken in Šentjakob by Slovenian Environment Agency, ARSO) *
Hrastnik
– graphs, in the following order, of water level, flow and temperature data for the past 30 days (taken in
Hrastnik Hrastnik (, German: ''Hrastnigg'') is a town in the Central Sava Valley in central Slovenia. It is the seat of the Municipality of Hrastnik. The area is part of the traditional region of Styria. The entire municipality is now included in the Centr ...
by Slovenian Environment Agency, ARSO) *
Jesenice na Dolenjskem
– graphs, in the following order, of water level and temperature data for the past 30 days (taken in Jesenice, Brežice, Jesenice na Dolenjskem by Slovenian Environment Agency, ARSO) * {{Good article Sava, Sava basin, Rivers of Slovenia Rivers of Croatia Rivers of Bosnia and Herzegovina Rivers of Serbia International rivers of Europe Geography of Belgrade Geography of Zagreb Geography of Vukovar-Syrmia County Borders of Serbia Bosnia and Herzegovina–Croatia border Rivers of Ljubljana Border rivers Croatia–Slovenia border Braided rivers in Europe