Zrmanja (, it, Zermagna) is a river in southern
Lika and northern
Dalmatia,
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 ...
. It is long and its basin covers an area of .
It was known to the
ancient Romans
In modern historiography, ancient Rome refers to Roman civilisation from the founding of the city of Rome in the 8th century BC to the collapse of the Western Roman Empire in the 5th century AD. It encompasses the Roman Kingdom (753–509 ...
as ''Tedanius''. The spring of Zrmanja is located in southern part of Lika under Postak - the southern peak of
Pljesevica mountain, and close to south end of
Velebit
Velebit (; it, Alpi Bebie) is the largest, though not the highest, mountain range in Croatia. The range forms a part of the Dinaric Alps and is located along the Adriatic coast, separating it from Lika in the interior. Velebit begins in the nor ...
mountain. It is characteristic for its spring located on the bottom of very steep, almost 200 m high funnel shape rock called Misije. It flows southward through the narrow and long arable valley which encircles the southern end of Velebit through a 200-metre-deep canyon, and then turns westwards, reaches
Obrovac, and after a few kilometers flows into the
Adriatic Sea
The Adriatic Sea () is a body of water separating the Italian Peninsula from the 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) to t ...
in the bay named ''Novigradsko more''.
In the 1990s the Velebit area was declared a nature park. Rafting trips on Zrmanja take place in spring and autumn, while kayaks and canoes are used during low water level period of July and August.
The river was hit by an ecological disaster in December 2019 when waste from a former alumina plant was washed into the karst underground. Alkaline mud
has been kept in open pools since the closure of the plant.
References
Where is Zrmanja on map?
Rivers of Croatia
Drainage basins of the Adriatic Sea
{{Croatia-river-stub