662:
297:
650:
386:
674:
686:
29:
289:, in the immediate vicinity of the border between Bulgaria and Greece. The main river is formed at the confluence of the Buynovska reka (left) and the Chairdere (right) at an altitude of 847 m in the village of
273:(272 km), another major Maritsa tributary. The Vacha drains significant area of the western Rhodope Mountains, including the ridges Batak Mountain, Veliyshko–Videnishki, Pereliksko–Prespanski and Chernatitsa.
331:. In the Upper Thracian Plain the current is slow, in a wide sandy riverbed with protective dikes. The Vacha flows into the Maritsa at an altitude of 163 m about 1.3 km northeast of the village of
602:(254 MW). Its waters are also used for irrigation in the Upper Thracian Plain and the small valleys along its course, as well as for part of the potable water supply of Bulgaria’s second largest city
547:. There are ten settlements along its course, two towns and eight villages: Kozhari, Buynovo, Teshel, Grohotno, Devin (town) and Mihalkovo in Smolyan Province and Krichim (town),
576:
1063:Мичев (Michev), Николай (Nikolay); Михайлов (Mihaylov), Цветко (Tsvetko); Вапцаров (Vaptsarov), Иван (Ivan); Кираджиев (Kiradzhiev), Светлин (Svetlin) (1980).
661:
307:
In its uppermost course it flows in a northwestern direction in a wide valley, covered with meadows, forests and small farms. Downstream of the village of
480:
1306:
428:
The lower valley of the Vacha is among the prime butterfly areas of
Bulgaria, where several species of conservational importance are found, including
548:
552:
92:
167:
377:
The Vacha has rain-snow feed with high water in April–May and low water in
October. The average annual discharge at Krichim is 22 m/s.
285:
of the river and takes its source at an altitude of 1,558 m in the western
Rhodope Mountains at 3.4 km southeast of the village of
490:
301:
1430:
626:. The area along the gorges is rich in rock formations, such as stone arches, as well as numerous caves, including the show caves
555:
and
Kadievo in Plovdiv Province. There two main roads along its valley, an 11.3 km stretch of the third class III-197 road
1440:
1435:
1299:
1105:Теми по физическа и социално-икономическа география на България (Topics on Physical and Social-Economic Geography of Bulgaria)
1093:
800:
598:(80 MW). Part of the waters of the upper course of the tributaries Devnenska reka and Gashnya are diverted west to the
1329:
1152:
1420:
1161:
583:
556:
338:
Its drainage basin covers a territory of 1,645 km or 3.1% of
Maritsa's total and borders the drainage basins of the
1175:
1292:
1112:
1229:
1187:
572:
586:(500.2 MW). There are four reservoirs constructed along its course, all of them with hydro power stations:
311:, the river turns north and along most of its course flows through deep canyon-like valley until it enters the
563:–Devin follows the river between Teshel and Devin, and a 58.1 km stretch of the third class III-866 road
1085:
635:
623:
319:. In that section, there are only a few places where the valley widens — at the settlements of Teshel,
575:
in 2010 a 16.6 km section of the road was submerged and a new one was constructed via the village of
1425:
622:
is formed along the
Trigradska reka, a tributary of its right fork, the Chairdere, both included in the
393:
The river and the reservoirs along its course are rich in fish, including autochthonous species such as
489:) in the Rhodope Mountains, and one of the two in Bulgaria. Another nature reserve along its course is
1193:
618:
is located along the left fork of Vacha’s headwaters, the
Buynovska reka, and the similarly dramatic
483:
nature reserve along its left banks south of
Krichim conserves the only population of Greek juniper (
308:
296:
1315:
1199:
1145:
599:
587:
347:
270:
913:
1341:
1335:
1181:
888:
265:. The 112 km long Vacha is the 23rd longest river of Bulgaria and the second longest in the
631:
543:, and along a stretch in its middle course forms the boundary between those two provinces and
673:
466:
1394:
685:
649:
359:
312:
8:
1138:
544:
448:
442:
1076:
Golemanski, Vasil; Peev, Dimitar; Chipev, Nesho; Beron, Petar; Biserkov, Valko (2015).
511:
430:
410:
250:
503:
to conserve hydrophilic communities of tall grasses, aluvial forests of common alder (
1239:
1108:
1089:
582:
The waters of the Vacha are used for electricity generation, as the main part of the
485:
406:
343:
266:
78:
1122:Карапеткова (Karapetkova), Мария (Maria); Живков (Zhivkov), Младен (Mladen) (2000).
1224:
1219:
540:
536:
460:
394:
362:
to the west. The river receives numerous tributaries, the most important being the
339:
1130:
1103:Дончев (Donchev), Дончо (Doncho); Каракашев (Karakashev), Христо (Hristo) (2004).
1011:
1368:
1358:
1234:
986:
627:
591:
505:
472:
324:
1389:
1384:
1255:
499:). Its lower course is included in the River Vacha Thrace protected area under
355:
351:
1414:
1363:
1265:
619:
615:
571:
follows it between Devin and
Stamboliyski. Following the construction of the
454:
436:
414:
367:
363:
182:
169:
107:
94:
1284:
568:
523:
418:
402:
595:
500:
495:
398:
385:
138:
493:
near Devin, established to protect old-growth forests of
Austrian pine (
1071:] (in Bulgarian). София (Sofia): Наука и култура (Nauka i kultura).
756:
754:
717:
715:
713:
711:
709:
707:
705:
517:
422:
237:
638:, and Mihalkovo, the only naturally aerated water spring in Bulgaria.
328:
282:
751:
702:
320:
258:
44:
1271:
1062:
1047:
1035:
973:
961:
949:
937:
760:
745:
733:
721:
603:
564:
371:
332:
316:
286:
262:
233:
153:
74:
1075:
872:
860:
784:
772:
560:
290:
28:
1081:
1126:(in Bulgarian). София (Sofia): Гея Либрис (Gea Libris).
805:
Official Site of the Ministry of Environment and Waters
1160:
634:. There are mineral springs at Devin, an important
479:There are several protected areas along the river.
1121:
914:"A Map of the Republican Road Network of Bulgaria"
848:
836:
824:
1102:
1412:
918:Official Site of the Road Infrastructure Agency
1300:
1146:
1314:
590:(60 MW), Tsankov Kamak (86.4 MW),
1307:
1293:
1153:
1139:
530:
515:) and riparian galleries of white willow (
1016:Official Site of Bulgarian Tourist Union
991:Official Site of Bulgarian Tourist Union
883:
881:
384:
295:
1413:
1107:(in Bulgarian). София (Sofia): Ciela.
1048:Geographic Dictionary of Bulgaria 1980
1036:Geographic Dictionary of Bulgaria 1980
974:Geographic Dictionary of Bulgaria 1980
962:Geographic Dictionary of Bulgaria 1980
950:Geographic Dictionary of Bulgaria 1980
938:Geographic Dictionary of Bulgaria 1980
795:
793:
761:Geographic Dictionary of Bulgaria 1980
746:Geographic Dictionary of Bulgaria 1980
734:Geographic Dictionary of Bulgaria 1980
722:Geographic Dictionary of Bulgaria 1980
425:is considered extinct from the river.
1288:
1134:
878:
281:The Buynovska reka is considered the
1124:Рибите в България (Fish in Bulgaria)
873:Red Book of Bulgaria, Volume II 2015
861:Red Book of Bulgaria, Volume II 2015
785:Red Book of Bulgaria, Volume II 2015
773:Red Book of Bulgaria, Volume II 2015
790:
220:1,645 km (635 sq mi)
13:
14:
1452:
1069:Geographic Dictionary of Bulgaria
893:Prime Butterfly Areas of Bulgaria
261:, a right tributary of the river
1431:Landforms of Pazardzhik Province
684:
672:
660:
648:
27:
1162:Dospat–Vacha Hydropower Cascade
1078:Red Book of Bulgaria, Volume II
1041:
1029:
1004:
979:
967:
955:
943:
931:
906:
866:
854:
842:
584:Dospat–Vacha Hydropower Cascade
573:Tsankov Kamak Hydro Power Plant
1205:Vacha 1 and 2 HPP (21 MW)
849:Karapetkova & Zhivkov 2000
837:Karapetkova & Zhivkov 2000
830:
825:Karapetkova & Zhivkov 2000
818:
778:
766:
739:
727:
417:and the critically endangered
161: • coordinates
86: • coordinates
1:
1441:Landforms of Smolyan Province
1436:Landforms of Plovdiv Province
1086:Bulgarian Academy of Sciences
1065:Географски речник на България
1056:
624:100 Tourist Sites of Bulgaria
51:Physical characteristics
696:
609:
535:The river flows entirely in
370:(29 km, right) and the
276:
200: • elevation
129:1,558 m (5,112 ft)
125: • elevation
7:
149: • location
69: • location
10:
1457:
1421:Tributaries of the Maritsa
641:
380:
1377:
1351:
1322:
1248:
1212:
1168:
354:to the southwest and the
257:) is a river in southern
254:
229:
224:
216:
208:
198:
183:42.1472000°N 24.6144000°E
159:
147:
137:
133:
123:
108:42.5294000°N 24.3761000°E
84:
67:
59:
55:
50:
40:
35:
26:
21:
1316:Batak Hydropower Cascade
600:Batak Hydropower Cascade
366:(57 km, left), the
212:112 km (70 mi)
204:168 m (551 ft)
1230:Tsankov Kamak Reservoir
531:Settlements and economy
389:Lower course at Krichim
390:
350:to the southeast, the
304:
188:42.1472000; 24.6144000
113:42.5294000; 24.3761000
614:The narrow and steep
521:) and silver poplar (
467:Nymphalis xanthomelas
388:
299:
801:"River Vacha Thrace"
594:(164.8 MW) and
509:) and European ash (
374:(20 km, left).
313:Upper Thracian Plain
545:Pazardzhik Province
449:Glaucopsyche alexis
443:Scolitantides orion
407:round-scaled barbel
225:Basin features
179: /
104: /
1426:Rivers of Bulgaria
736:, pp. 163–164
691:At Vacha Reservoir
512:Fraxinus excelsior
431:Zerynthia polyxena
391:
368:Shirokolashka reka
305:
1408:
1407:
1282:
1281:
1188:Tsankov Kamak HPP
1095:978-954-9746-19-8
541:Plovdiv Provinces
486:Juniperus excelsa
481:Izgoryaloto Gyune
346:to the east, the
267:Rhodope Mountains
243:
242:
79:Rhodope Mountains
16:River in Bulgaria
1448:
1352:Major reservoirs
1309:
1302:
1295:
1286:
1285:
1155:
1148:
1141:
1132:
1131:
1127:
1118:
1099:
1080:(in Bulgarian).
1072:
1051:
1045:
1039:
1033:
1027:
1026:
1024:
1022:
1008:
1002:
1001:
999:
997:
983:
977:
971:
965:
959:
953:
947:
941:
935:
929:
928:
926:
924:
910:
904:
903:
901:
899:
885:
876:
870:
864:
858:
852:
846:
840:
834:
828:
822:
816:
815:
813:
811:
797:
788:
782:
776:
770:
764:
758:
749:
743:
737:
731:
725:
719:
688:
679:At Tsankov Kamak
676:
667:At Buynovo Gorge
664:
652:
461:Neptis rivularis
395:Macedonian vimba
344:Chepelarska reka
340:Parvenetska reka
269:, following the
256:
194:
193:
191:
190:
189:
184:
180:
177:
176:
175:
172:
126:
119:
118:
116:
115:
114:
109:
105:
102:
101:
100:
97:
87:
70:
31:
19:
18:
1456:
1455:
1451:
1450:
1449:
1447:
1446:
1445:
1411:
1410:
1409:
1404:
1378:Drainage basins
1373:
1369:Shiroka Polyana
1347:
1318:
1313:
1283:
1278:
1249:Drainage basins
1244:
1208:
1178:(164.8 MW)
1164:
1159:
1115:
1096:
1059:
1054:
1046:
1042:
1034:
1030:
1020:
1018:
1012:"Trigrad Gorge"
1010:
1009:
1005:
995:
993:
987:"Buynovo Gorge"
985:
984:
980:
972:
968:
960:
956:
948:
944:
936:
932:
922:
920:
912:
911:
907:
897:
895:
887:
886:
879:
871:
867:
859:
855:
847:
843:
835:
831:
823:
819:
809:
807:
799:
798:
791:
783:
779:
771:
767:
759:
752:
744:
740:
732:
728:
720:
703:
699:
692:
689:
680:
677:
668:
665:
656:
653:
644:
612:
533:
506:Alnus glutinosa
473:Melitaea trivia
383:
315:at the town of
279:
201:
187:
185:
181:
178:
173:
170:
168:
166:
165:
162:
150:
124:
112:
110:
106:
103:
98:
95:
93:
91:
90:
85:
68:
17:
12:
11:
5:
1454:
1444:
1443:
1438:
1433:
1428:
1423:
1406:
1405:
1403:
1402:
1397:
1392:
1387:
1385:Chepinska reka
1381:
1379:
1375:
1374:
1372:
1371:
1366:
1361:
1355:
1353:
1349:
1348:
1346:
1345:
1344:(46.8 MW)
1339:
1338:(71.4 MW)
1333:
1326:
1324:
1320:
1319:
1312:
1311:
1304:
1297:
1289:
1280:
1279:
1277:
1276:
1258:
1252:
1250:
1246:
1245:
1243:
1242:
1237:
1232:
1227:
1222:
1216:
1214:
1210:
1209:
1207:
1206:
1203:
1197:
1191:
1190:(86.4 MW)
1185:
1179:
1172:
1170:
1166:
1165:
1158:
1157:
1150:
1143:
1135:
1129:
1128:
1119:
1113:
1100:
1094:
1073:
1058:
1055:
1053:
1052:
1040:
1028:
1003:
978:
966:
954:
942:
930:
905:
889:"Vacha Valley"
877:
865:
853:
841:
829:
817:
789:
777:
765:
750:
738:
726:
700:
698:
695:
694:
693:
690:
683:
681:
678:
671:
669:
666:
659:
657:
654:
647:
643:
640:
632:Devil’s Throat
611:
608:
549:Kurtovo Konare
532:
529:
382:
379:
356:Chepinska reka
278:
275:
241:
240:
231:
227:
226:
222:
221:
218:
214:
213:
210:
206:
205:
202:
199:
196:
195:
163:
160:
157:
156:
151:
148:
145:
144:
141:
135:
134:
131:
130:
127:
121:
120:
88:
82:
81:
71:
65:
64:
61:
57:
56:
53:
52:
48:
47:
42:
38:
37:
33:
32:
24:
23:
15:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
1453:
1442:
1439:
1437:
1434:
1432:
1429:
1427:
1424:
1422:
1419:
1418:
1416:
1401:
1398:
1396:
1393:
1391:
1388:
1386:
1383:
1382:
1380:
1376:
1370:
1367:
1365:
1364:Golyam Beglik
1362:
1360:
1357:
1356:
1354:
1350:
1343:
1340:
1337:
1334:
1332:(136 MW)
1331:
1328:
1327:
1325:
1321:
1317:
1310:
1305:
1303:
1298:
1296:
1291:
1290:
1287:
1274:
1273:
1268:
1267:
1266:Devinska reka
1262:
1259:
1257:
1254:
1253:
1251:
1247:
1241:
1238:
1236:
1233:
1231:
1228:
1226:
1223:
1221:
1218:
1217:
1215:
1211:
1204:
1201:
1198:
1195:
1192:
1189:
1186:
1183:
1180:
1177:
1174:
1173:
1171:
1167:
1163:
1156:
1151:
1149:
1144:
1142:
1137:
1136:
1133:
1125:
1120:
1116:
1114:954-649-717-7
1110:
1106:
1101:
1097:
1091:
1087:
1083:
1079:
1074:
1070:
1066:
1061:
1060:
1050:, p. 320
1049:
1044:
1038:, p. 163
1037:
1032:
1017:
1013:
1007:
992:
988:
982:
976:, p. 500
975:
970:
963:
958:
952:, p. 270
951:
946:
939:
934:
919:
915:
909:
894:
890:
884:
882:
875:, p. 305
874:
869:
863:, p. 209
862:
857:
850:
845:
838:
833:
826:
821:
806:
802:
796:
794:
787:, p. 314
786:
781:
775:, p. 311
774:
769:
763:, p. 132
762:
757:
755:
748:, p. 550
747:
742:
735:
730:
724:, p. 126
723:
718:
716:
714:
712:
710:
708:
706:
701:
687:
682:
675:
670:
663:
658:
651:
646:
645:
639:
637:
633:
629:
625:
621:
620:Trigrad Gorge
617:
616:Buynovo Gorge
607:
605:
601:
597:
593:
589:
585:
580:
578:
574:
570:
566:
562:
558:
557:Gotse Delchev
554:
553:Yoakim Gruevo
550:
546:
542:
538:
528:
526:
525:
520:
519:
514:
513:
508:
507:
502:
498:
497:
492:
488:
487:
482:
477:
475:
474:
469:
468:
463:
462:
457:
456:
455:Apatura metis
451:
450:
445:
444:
439:
438:
437:Pieris ergane
433:
432:
426:
424:
420:
416:
415:northern pike
412:
408:
404:
400:
396:
387:
378:
375:
373:
369:
365:
364:Devinska reka
361:
357:
353:
349:
345:
341:
336:
334:
330:
326:
322:
318:
314:
310:
303:
300:The Vacha at
298:
294:
292:
288:
284:
274:
272:
268:
264:
260:
252:
248:
239:
235:
232:
228:
223:
219:
215:
211:
207:
203:
197:
192:
174:24°36′51.84″E
164:
158:
155:
152:
146:
142:
140:
136:
132:
128:
122:
117:
99:24°22′33.96″E
96:42°31′45.84″N
89:
83:
80:
76:
73:southeast of
72:
66:
62:
58:
54:
49:
46:
43:
39:
34:
30:
25:
20:
1399:
1330:Peshtera HPP
1323:Power plants
1270:
1264:
1260:
1202:(60 MW)
1196:(80 MW)
1184:(88 MW)
1169:Power plants
1123:
1104:
1077:
1068:
1064:
1043:
1031:
1019:. Retrieved
1015:
1006:
994:. Retrieved
990:
981:
969:
964:, p. 68
957:
945:
940:, p. 17
933:
921:. Retrieved
917:
908:
896:. Retrieved
892:
868:
856:
851:, p. 60
844:
839:, p. 54
832:
827:, p. 80
820:
808:. Retrieved
804:
780:
768:
741:
729:
655:Upper course
613:
581:
569:Stamboliyski
534:
524:Populus alba
522:
516:
510:
504:
494:
484:
478:
471:
465:
459:
453:
447:
441:
435:
429:
427:
419:European eel
403:spined loach
392:
376:
337:
306:
280:
246:
244:
171:42°8′49.92″N
1194:Krichim HPP
1021:29 November
996:29 November
923:25 November
898:29 November
810:29 November
501:Natura 2000
496:Pinus nigra
411:river trout
399:stone loach
230:Progression
186: /
111: /
1415:Categories
1395:Stara reka
1213:Reservoirs
1200:Teshel HPP
1176:Orphey HPP
1057:References
628:Yagodinska
518:Salix alba
360:Stara reka
238:Aegean Sea
217:Basin size
1342:Batak HPP
1336:Aleko HPP
1182:Devin HPP
697:Citations
610:Landmarks
491:Kastrakli
329:Mihalkovo
302:Kastrakli
283:main stem
277:Geography
251:Bulgarian
636:spa town
577:Lyaskovo
321:Grohotno
259:Bulgaria
45:Bulgaria
36:Location
1272:Gashnya
1240:Krichim
642:Gallery
604:Plovdiv
596:Krichim
567:–Devin–
565:Smolyan
537:Smolyan
381:Ecology
372:Gashnya
333:Kadievo
317:Krichim
309:Buynovo
287:Kozhari
263:Maritsa
234:Maritsa
154:Maritsa
75:Kozhari
41:Country
1390:Dospat
1256:Dospat
1225:Teshel
1220:Dospat
1111:
1092:
588:Teshel
561:Dospat
421:. The
291:Teshel
209:Length
143:
63:
60:Source
1400:Vacha
1359:Batak
1261:Vacha
1235:Vacha
1082:Sofia
1067:[
592:Vacha
352:Mesta
325:Devin
247:Vacha
139:Mouth
22:Vacha
1109:ISBN
1090:ISBN
1023:2023
998:2023
925:2023
900:2023
812:2023
630:and
539:and
470:and
358:and
348:Arda
342:and
327:and
271:Arda
255:Въча
245:The
527:).
423:asp
1417::
1269:,
1088:.
1084::
1014:.
989:.
916:.
891:.
880:^
803:.
792:^
753:^
704:^
606:.
579:.
551:,
476:.
464:,
458:,
452:,
446:,
440:,
434:,
413:,
409:,
405:,
401:,
397:,
335:.
323:,
293:.
253::
236:→
77:,
1308:e
1301:t
1294:v
1275:)
1263:(
1154:e
1147:t
1140:v
1117:.
1098:.
1025:.
1000:.
927:.
902:.
814:.
559:–
249:(
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