The Pärnu () is a
river
A river is a natural stream of fresh water that flows on land or inside Subterranean river, caves towards another body of water at a lower elevation, such as an ocean, lake, or another river. A river may run dry before reaching the end of ...
in
Estonia
Estonia, officially the Republic of Estonia, is a country in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland across from Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea across from Sweden, to the south by Latvia, and to the east by Ru ...
. It drains into
Pärnu Bay
Pärnu Bay () is a bay in the northeastern part of the Gulf of Livonia (Gulf of Riga), in southern Estonia.
Geography
It has an area of 411 km2.Gulf of Riga
The Gulf of Riga, Bay of Riga, or Gulf of Livonia (, , ) is a bay of the Baltic Sea between Latvia and Estonia.
The island of Saaremaa (Estonia) partially separates it from the rest of the Baltic Sea. The main connection between the gulf and t ...
. At 144 km, it is one of the longest rivers in Estonia, with a basin area of 6,920 km
2 and an average discharge of 64.4 m³/s.
Description
The Pärnu is the second longest river in Estonia at , and one of only ten rivers in the country which is longer than .
Its catchment area is ,
occupying roughly one-sixth of the landmass of Estonia
and one of only 15 catchment areas of Estonian rivers which exceeds .
[ Its sources are in the ]karst
Karst () is a topography formed from the dissolution of soluble carbonate rocks such as limestone and Dolomite (rock), dolomite. It is characterized by features like poljes above and drainage systems with sinkholes and caves underground. Ther ...
upland of Pandivere, in north-eastern Estonia, and its main tributaries join the river from the upland of Sakala. Due to its length, the river Pärnu passes through most of the landscape types found in Estonia.[ The rivers' surroundings are dominated by ]agriculture
Agriculture encompasses crop and livestock production, aquaculture, and forestry for food and non-food products. Agriculture was a key factor in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created ...
and its upper reaches in Järva County
Järva County ( or ''Järvamaa''; ; ) is one of 15 counties of Estonia. It is situated in the central part of the country and borders Lääne-Viru County to the east, Jõgeva County to the south-east, Viljandi County to the south, Pärnu County t ...
is considered some of the best arable land
Arable land (from the , "able to be ploughed") is any land capable of being ploughed and used to grow crops.''Oxford English Dictionary'', "arable, ''adj''. and ''n.''" Oxford University Press (Oxford), 2013. Alternatively, for the purposes of a ...
in Estonia.[ In the area around Paide town, the river flows through forests and wetlands. It discharges into ]Pärnu Bay
Pärnu Bay () is a bay in the northeastern part of the Gulf of Livonia (Gulf of Riga), in southern Estonia.
Geography
It has an area of 411 km2.Pärnu
Pärnu () is the fourth-largest city in Estonia. Situated in southwest Estonia, Pärnu is located south of the Estonian capital, Tallinn, and west of Estonia's second-largest city, Tartu. The city sits off the coast of Pärnu Bay, an inlet of ...
lies where the river enters the sea.
Geology
The catchment area of the river is roughly composed of Lower Silurian deposits to the north of the river from the sea to where it merges with the Navesti, and from there north of Navesti, and to the south of this line is composed of largely Middle Devonian deposits.[ Near Tori, sandstone outcroppings, cliffs and caves border the river.][ In its northern and eastern course, the river runs over a thin (from down to as little as ) layer of ]topsoil
Topsoil is the upper layer of soil. It has the highest concentration of organic matter and microorganisms and is where most of the Earth's biological soil activity occurs.
Description
Topsoil is composed of mineral particles and organic mat ...
, while closer to the sea the topsoil can be as deep as .[
]
Hydrology
The variations in runoff from the river are great, due at least in part to the fact that the river catchment area lacks any large lakes.[ For this reason, and due to its meandering form, the river has been called the "Estonian ]Mississippi
Mississippi ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Alabama to the east, the Gulf of Mexico to the south, Louisiana to the s ...
".[ The river typically floods at spring, but also after heavy rains in autumn and summer, and the maximum amount of recorded water in the runoff at a hydrological station in Oore has been measured to be more than 100 times that of the minimum.][ The flat landscape aggravates the effects of flooding, and large stretches along the river are characterised by flood meadows, flood plain forests and swamp forests. Flood plain forests of the type found by the shores of the river Pärnu are uncommon in Estonia and in the rest of Europe, where few have been preserved. The flood meadows along the river have decreased in numbers due to the lack of tending to them; in recent years however, efforts have been made to restore several of them.][ The Sindi Dam on the main-stem Parnu was removed in 2018–2019. Other dams on the Parnu will be removed in the years ahead. The Parnu River dam removals are financed in cooperation with the Estonian Government and the European Union. Undoubtedly, Atlantic Salmon and other fish species will recover in the years ahead.]
Culture
The towns of Pärnu
Pärnu () is the fourth-largest city in Estonia. Situated in southwest Estonia, Pärnu is located south of the Estonian capital, Tallinn, and west of Estonia's second-largest city, Tartu. The city sits off the coast of Pärnu Bay, an inlet of ...
, Paide, Tori, and Türi are all located on the banks of the river Pärnu.[ The river has been a focal point for human activity in the area for a long time; the oldest discovered settlement in Estonia has been discovered by the river near the town of Sindi and has been dated to circa 7,500 BC.][
]
Gallery
File:Pärnu jõgi Toris.jpg, The river in Tori
File:Tori põrgu kaitseala.JPG, Sandstone cliffs near Tori
File:Laupa mõisa peahoone jõega.jpg, The river as it flows past the manor house in Laupa
File:Pärnu jõgi Sindis.jpg, The river near Sindi
File:Sild Linnutaja kaitsealal Kurgjal Pärnumaal.JPG, The river in its middle course in Kurgja
References
External links
*
The Pärnu River basin and floods
Estonica
{{DEFAULTSORT:Parnu river
Rivers of Estonia
Gulf of Riga
Drainage basins of the Baltic Sea
Landforms of Pärnu County
Landforms of Järva County
Geography of Pärnu