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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 km2 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

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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