Kamchiya
Encyclopedia
The Kamchiya is a 244.5 km long river in eastern Bulgaria
, the longest river on the Balkan Peninsula to flow directly into the Black Sea
. It starts from the confluence of two rivers springing from Eastern Stara Planina, Golyama Kamchiya (itself formed by the confluence of the rivers Ticha and Vrana) and Luda Kamchiya
, flows eastward to the Black Sea and empties into it 25 km south of Varna
, in the Resort of Kamchiya
.
origin. The Romans
built the stronghold Erite on its bank. The Kamchia bassin played a notable role in the history of the First Bulgarian Empire
. Much of the Medieval Bulgarian Navy
from the 9th to the 14th century was built at the river mouth thanks to the quality timber of the area. In the 18th century, Lipovans
settled along the lower banks.
, a UNESCO-listed biosphere reserve
protecting the primeval forest from intensive logging and drainage that had decimated it by mid-20th century. The river mouth forms a sand barrier and often overflows its banks to the valley. The old synclines of the river leave swampy areas called azmatsi. The reserve is 40 km long (stretching throughout the longose grove to the river mouth) and up to 5 km wide.
The area around the mouth is remarkable for its variety - frequently flooded, old growth forest
s of a riverine type, up to 450 m-wide beaches with up to 19 m-high, forested or grass-covered sand dunes, freshwater marshes and marshy remnants of old riverbeds, cutting deep into the forest. The unusual coexistence of ash
, oak
, elm
, alder
and maple
trees sometimes rising up to 40–50 m with lianas climbing between the branches creates the impression of a tropical forest, a real tangle of woods. The summer snowflake (Leucojum aestivum) and several buttercup species (Scilla sp.), as well as fern
s, grow in the delta. One can see otter
, deer
, wild boar and wild cat
, among 26 mammal species, sea hawk
s, eagle
s, and up to 200 other bird species, including 56 protected ones, and 25 fish species, among others.
The towns the river flows by include Veliki Preslav and Smyadovo
in Shumen Province
, Dalgopol
and Dolni Chiflik
in Varna Province. Ticha feeds dam lake Ticha and Luda Kamchiya feeds dam lakes Kamchiya and Tsonevo
supplying water to Varna and Burgas
. Lake Tsonevo is also a preferred fishing spot for much of Eastern Bulgaria. The Luda Kamchiya gorge cutting across Stara Planina provides the easternmost of the three railway routes between northern and southern Bulgaria. The river valley is fertile, lined with orchards and vegetable gardens; much of it is irrigated. The lower Kamchiya is navigable for smaller motor boats.
Other environmental issues are that the river is purportedly becoming marshy. The water lily, torfaceous snowdrop, and white Kamchia lily are also disappearing according to the World Wildlife Fund. The Storage Battery Plant in Targovishte is a significant polluter (heavy metals) of the Kamchia River.
Cattle breeding is the second major source of water pollution and directly affects sources of drinking water. Due to a serious lack of water purification stations on cattle farms, non-purified waste waters pour into the various water basins. The same holds for the underground waters, as nitrates, phosphates, and other macroelements used in farming are dissolved and washed away by rains, to appear subsequently in water basins and mineral springs. The Kamchia reservoir, which is the primary source of drinking water for Bourgas and a secondary source for Varna, is an example. Water and sewage experts have stated that the "Komounari" hydro project should not divert waters from the highly polluted Gorna Kamchia River into the Kamchia reservoir. This reservoir, as well as other sources of drinking water for Varna, have old and low-capacity purification stations. During droughts, drinking water is drawn from the reservoir that does not meet sanitary standards.
The third main pollutant is waste water from everyday household activities in cities and small towns. One of the major problems at the Kamchia reservoir is the lack of purified water provided to the town of Kotel. The city of Varna discharges too much impure water.
However on a more positive outlook as a result of improvements to the Kamchia river, it no longer floods the dense forest. This was responsible for the appearance of Dutch elm disease
, which had been causing great damage to elms and ashes.
on Livingston Island in the South Shetland Islands
, Antarctica is named after Kamchiya River
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
, the longest river on the Balkan Peninsula to flow directly into the Black Sea
Black Sea
The Black Sea is bounded by Europe, Anatolia and the Caucasus and is ultimately connected to the Atlantic Ocean via the Mediterranean and the Aegean seas and various straits. The Bosphorus strait connects it to the Sea of Marmara, and the strait of the Dardanelles connects that sea to the Aegean...
. It starts from the confluence of two rivers springing from Eastern Stara Planina, Golyama Kamchiya (itself formed by the confluence of the rivers Ticha and Vrana) and Luda Kamchiya
Luda Kamchiya
Luda Kamchiya is a river in eastern Bulgaria, the main tributary of the Kamchiya river. The river has a total length of 201 km and a drainage basin of 1612 km², with an average slope of 5.3%....
, flows eastward to the Black Sea and empties into it 25 km south of Varna
Varna
Varna is the largest city and seaside resort on the Bulgarian Black Sea Coast and third-largest in Bulgaria after Sofia and Plovdiv, with a population of 334,870 inhabitants according to Census 2011...
, in the Resort of Kamchiya
Resort of Kamchiya
The Resort Complex of Kamchia, , is a Black Sea coastal resort on the northern length of the coast of Bulgaria. It is located 25 km south of the Provincial Centre of Varna in the municipality of Avren and lies north of the mouth of the river Kamchia...
.
History
In antiquity, the river was known as Panisos; later, Slavs gave it the name of Ticha. Its contemporary name is considered to be of CumanCumans
The Cumans were Turkic nomadic people comprising the western branch of the Cuman-Kipchak confederation. After Mongol invasion , they decided to seek asylum in Hungary, and subsequently to Bulgaria...
origin. The Romans
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
built the stronghold Erite on its bank. The Kamchia bassin played a notable role in the history of the First Bulgarian Empire
First Bulgarian Empire
The First Bulgarian Empire was a medieval Bulgarian state founded in the north-eastern Balkans in c. 680 by the Bulgars, uniting with seven South Slavic tribes...
. Much of the Medieval Bulgarian Navy
Medieval Bulgarian Navy
During most of the Middle Ages the Bulgarians did not maintain naval forces. The first records of Bulgarians ships come from the reign of Khan Omurtag: during his war against the Franks he came with ships from the Danube and landed troops in the rear of the Franks.The first organised Bulgarian...
from the 9th to the 14th century was built at the river mouth thanks to the quality timber of the area. In the 18th century, Lipovans
Lipovans
Lipovans or Lippovans are the Old Believers, mostly of Russian ethnic origin, who settled in the Moldavian Principality, in Dobruja and Eastern Muntenia...
settled along the lower banks.
Geography and ecology
Running down through Eastern Stara Planina, Kamchiya meanders through the Longoz or alluvial longose grove, and through the Kamchia (biosphere reserve)Kamchia (biosphere reserve)
The Kamchia Biosphere Reserve, is a biosphere reserve on the northern coastline of Bulgaria, comprising the floodplain at the mouth of the Kamchia River...
, a UNESCO-listed biosphere reserve
Biosphere reserve
The Man and the Biosphere Programme of UNESCO was established in 1971 to promote interdisciplinary approaches to management, research and education in ecosystem conservation and sustainable use of natural resources.-Development:...
protecting the primeval forest from intensive logging and drainage that had decimated it by mid-20th century. The river mouth forms a sand barrier and often overflows its banks to the valley. The old synclines of the river leave swampy areas called azmatsi. The reserve is 40 km long (stretching throughout the longose grove to the river mouth) and up to 5 km wide.
The area around the mouth is remarkable for its variety - frequently flooded, old growth forest
Old growth forest
An old-growth forest is a forest that has attained great age , and thereby exhibits unique ecological features. An old growth forest has also usually reached a climax community...
s of a riverine type, up to 450 m-wide beaches with up to 19 m-high, forested or grass-covered sand dunes, freshwater marshes and marshy remnants of old riverbeds, cutting deep into the forest. The unusual coexistence of ash
Ash tree
Fraxinus is a genus flowering plants in the olive and lilac family, Oleaceae. It contains 45-65 species of usually medium to large trees, mostly deciduous though a few subtropical species are evergreen. The tree's common English name, ash, goes back to the Old English æsc, while the generic name...
, oak
Oak
An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus Quercus , of which about 600 species exist. "Oak" may also appear in the names of species in related genera, notably Lithocarpus...
, elm
Elm
Elms are deciduous and semi-deciduous trees comprising the genus Ulmus in the plant family Ulmaceae. The dozens of species are found in temperate and tropical-montane regions of North America and Eurasia, ranging southward into Indonesia. Elms are components of many kinds of natural forests...
, alder
Alder
Alder is the common name of a genus of flowering plants belonging to the birch family . The genus comprises about 30 species of monoecious trees and shrubs, few reaching large size, distributed throughout the North Temperate Zone and in the Americas along the Andes southwards to...
and maple
Maple
Acer is a genus of trees or shrubs commonly known as maple.Maples are variously classified in a family of their own, the Aceraceae, or together with the Hippocastanaceae included in the family Sapindaceae. Modern classifications, including the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group system, favour inclusion in...
trees sometimes rising up to 40–50 m with lianas climbing between the branches creates the impression of a tropical forest, a real tangle of woods. The summer snowflake (Leucojum aestivum) and several buttercup species (Scilla sp.), as well as fern
Fern
A fern is any one of a group of about 12,000 species of plants belonging to the botanical group known as Pteridophyta. Unlike mosses, they have xylem and phloem . They have stems, leaves, and roots like other vascular plants...
s, grow in the delta. One can see otter
Otter
The Otters are twelve species of semi-aquatic mammals which feed on fish and shellfish, and also other invertebrates, amphibians, birds and small mammals....
, deer
Deer
Deer are the ruminant mammals forming the family Cervidae. Species in the Cervidae family include white-tailed deer, elk, moose, red deer, reindeer, fallow deer, roe deer and chital. Male deer of all species and female reindeer grow and shed new antlers each year...
, wild boar and wild cat
Wild cat
The wildcat is a small cat with several subspecies and a very broad distribution, found throughout most of Africa, Europe, and southwest and central Asia into India, China, and Mongolia. It is a hunter of small mammals, birds, and other creatures of a similar or smaller size. Sometimes included is...
, among 26 mammal species, sea hawk
Sea Hawk
Sea Hawk or Seahawk may refer to:In Ornithology:* the Osprey* the SkuaIn naval history:*RNAS Culdrose , name of the Royal Naval Air Station Culdrose at Helston in Cornwall...
s, eagle
Eagle
Eagles are members of the bird family Accipitridae, and belong to several genera which are not necessarily closely related to each other. Most of the more than 60 species occur in Eurasia and Africa. Outside this area, just two species can be found in the United States and Canada, nine more in...
s, and up to 200 other bird species, including 56 protected ones, and 25 fish species, among others.
The towns the river flows by include Veliki Preslav and Smyadovo
Smyadovo
Smyadovo is a town in eastern Bulgaria, part of Shumen Province. It is the administrative centre of the homonymous Smyadovo Municipality, which lies in the southeastern part of the province. As of December 2009, the town has a population of 4,036 inhabitants....
in Shumen Province
Shumen Province
-Religion:Religious adherence in the province according to 2001 census:-Transportation:Shumen lies on the main route between Varna and Sofia and is served by numerous trains and buses serving the city. The city is also very well connected with Istanbul which serves the large Turkish community in...
, Dalgopol
Dalgopol
Dalgopol is a town in northeastern Bulgaria, part of Varna Province. It is the administrative centre of Dalgopol Municipality, which lies in the southwestern part of the Province...
and Dolni Chiflik
Dolni Chiflik
Dolni Chiflik is a town in northeastern Bulgaria, part of Varna Province, located near the Kamchiya River about 14 km away from the Black Sea coast. It is the administrative centre of the homonymous Dolni Chiflik Municipality...
in Varna Province. Ticha feeds dam lake Ticha and Luda Kamchiya feeds dam lakes Kamchiya and Tsonevo
Tsonevo (dam)
Tsonevo Reservoir is a reservoir located in the valley of the Luda Kamchia River, 1 km from the village of Tsonevo.The reservoir ranks third in size in Bulgaria with water service of 17300 decameters. Its old name was Georgi Traikov. It has warm waters, and is used for water supply and...
supplying water to Varna and Burgas
Burgas
-History:During the rule of the Ancient Romans, near Burgas, Debeltum was established as a military colony for veterans by Vespasian. In the Middle Ages, a small fortress called Pyrgos was erected where Burgas is today and was most probably used as a watchtower...
. Lake Tsonevo is also a preferred fishing spot for much of Eastern Bulgaria. The Luda Kamchiya gorge cutting across Stara Planina provides the easternmost of the three railway routes between northern and southern Bulgaria. The river valley is fertile, lined with orchards and vegetable gardens; much of it is irrigated. The lower Kamchiya is navigable for smaller motor boats.
Environment and pollution
A 2006 study conducted by the Institute of Oceanology and the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences on the water quality and its impact on the Black Sea coastal zone concluded thatNutrients content (nitrite, phosphate) in Kamchia River downstream does not always correspond to national water quality standards. The comparison of data from different periods of investigation reveals a slight tendency of decreasing of phosphate and nitrites content and BOD. A decreasing tendency was established as a positive sign of water quality evolution last years
Other environmental issues are that the river is purportedly becoming marshy. The water lily, torfaceous snowdrop, and white Kamchia lily are also disappearing according to the World Wildlife Fund. The Storage Battery Plant in Targovishte is a significant polluter (heavy metals) of the Kamchia River.
Cattle breeding is the second major source of water pollution and directly affects sources of drinking water. Due to a serious lack of water purification stations on cattle farms, non-purified waste waters pour into the various water basins. The same holds for the underground waters, as nitrates, phosphates, and other macroelements used in farming are dissolved and washed away by rains, to appear subsequently in water basins and mineral springs. The Kamchia reservoir, which is the primary source of drinking water for Bourgas and a secondary source for Varna, is an example. Water and sewage experts have stated that the "Komounari" hydro project should not divert waters from the highly polluted Gorna Kamchia River into the Kamchia reservoir. This reservoir, as well as other sources of drinking water for Varna, have old and low-capacity purification stations. During droughts, drinking water is drawn from the reservoir that does not meet sanitary standards.
The third main pollutant is waste water from everyday household activities in cities and small towns. One of the major problems at the Kamchia reservoir is the lack of purified water provided to the town of Kotel. The city of Varna discharges too much impure water.
However on a more positive outlook as a result of improvements to the Kamchia river, it no longer floods the dense forest. This was responsible for the appearance of Dutch elm disease
Dutch elm disease
Dutch elm disease is a disease caused by a member of the sac fungi category, affecting elm trees which is spread by the elm bark beetle. Although believed to be originally native to Asia, the disease has been accidentally introduced into America and Europe, where it has devastated native...
, which had been causing great damage to elms and ashes.
Eponymous honor
Kamchiya GlacierKamchiya Glacier
Kamchiya Glacier is located on Livingston Island in the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica, south of the glacial divide between the Drake Passage and Bransfield Strait, and draining into South Bay between Ereby Point and Memorable Beach...
on Livingston Island in the South Shetland Islands
South Shetland Islands
The South Shetland Islands are a group of Antarctic islands, lying about north of the Antarctic Peninsula, with a total area of . By the Antarctic Treaty of 1959, the Islands' sovereignty is neither recognized nor disputed by the signatories and they are free for use by any signatory for...
, Antarctica is named after Kamchiya River