Malka Arda (river)

Malka Arda
Location
CountryBulgaria
Physical characteristics
Source 
 • locationMomina Voda locality, Rhodope Mountains
 • coordinates41°42′12.96″N 24°48′11.16″E / 41.7036000°N 24.8031000°E / 41.7036000; 24.8031000
 • elevation1,716 m (5,630 ft)
Mouth 
 • location
ArdaMaritsaAegean Sea
 • coordinates
41°32′23.04″N 25°4′23.16″E / 41.5397333°N 25.0731000°E / 41.5397333; 25.0731000
 • elevation
488 m (1,601 ft)
Length41 km (25 mi)
Basin size142 km2 (55 sq mi)

The Malka Arda (Bulgarian: Малка Арда) is a 41 km long river in southern Bulgaria, a left tributary of the Arda of the Maritsa drainage.[1]

The river takes its source under the name Mrazliv Dol at an altitude of 1,716 m in the Momuna Voda locality in the Pereliksko–Prespanski Ridge of the western Rhodope Mountains, north of the Momchul Yunak refuge. It flows in a deep narrow valley in a southeast direction until the village of Slaveyno, after which it turns south–southeast for the rest of its length. Near the village of Banite, the river passes through a small valley extension, after which its valley becomes canyon-like and difficult to access, with numerous meanders along the mountain slopes. It flows into the Arda at an altitude of 488 m some 2 km south of the village of Galabovo.[1] It drains the southeastern slopes of the Pereliksko–Prespanski Ridge.[1]

Its drainage basin covers a territory of 142 km2, or 2.45% of the Arda's total.[1] The river has predominantly rain–snow feed with high water in January and low water in August. The average annual flow at Banite is 2.11 m3/s.[1]

The Malka Arda flows entirely in Smolyan Province. There are six villages along its course — Kutela, Slaveyno and Petkovo in Smolyan Municipality, and Malka Arda, Oryahovets and Banite in Banite Municipality. There are hot mineral springs at Banite.[1]

A 14.3 km stretch of the third class III-863 road Sokolovtsi–Slaveyno–Banite follows its valley between the latter two villages.[2]

Citations

  1. ^ a b c d e f Geographic Dictionary of Bulgaria 1980, p. 301
  2. ^ "A Map of the Republican Road Network of Bulgaria". Official Site of the Road Infrastructure Agency. Archived from the original on 9 October 2014. Retrieved 3 May 2024.

References

  • Мичев (Michev), Николай (Nikolay); Михайлов (Mihaylov), Цветко (Tsvetko); Вапцаров (Vaptsarov), Иван (Ivan); Кираджиев (Kiradzhiev), Светлин (Svetlin) (1980). Географски речник на България [Geographic Dictionary of Bulgaria] (in Bulgarian). София (Sofia): Наука и култура (Nauka i kultura).