Arieș

The Arieș (Hungarian: Aranyos) is a left tributary of the river Mureș in Transylvania, Romania.[1][2] It discharges into the Mureș in Gura Arieșului, 11 km southwest of Luduș. Its total length (including its headwater Arieșul Mare) is 166 km (103 mi), and its drainage basin area is 3,005 km² (1,160 sq mi).[2][3]

For other uses, see Arieș (disambiguation).

Arieș Aranyos
The Arieș in Turda
Location
Country	Romania
Counties	Alba, Cluj
Towns	Turda, Câmpia Turzii
Physical characteristics
Source	Confluence of headwaters Arieșul Mare and Arieșul Mic
• location	Lake Mihoești
• coordinates	46°22′20″N 23°01′01″E
• elevation	570 m (1,870 ft)
Mouth	Mureș
• location	Gura Arieșului
• coordinates	46°25′45″N 23°58′38″E
• elevation	263 m (863 ft)
Length	166 km (103 mi)
Basin size	3,005 km^2 (1,160 sq mi)
Discharge
• average	25.4 m^3/s (900 cu ft/s)
Basin features
Progression	Mureș→ Tisza→ Danube→ Black Sea
Tributaries
• left	Arieșul Mare, Iara
• right	Arieșul Mic, Abrud

Most probably "Arieș" means "Gold River", the name being derived from the Latin "Aureus". The Hungarian name "Aranyos" means "Golden" and it was first mentioned in 1177.[4]

Course

The source of the river is in the Bihor Mountains, part of the Apuseni Mountains, which translates as The Western Mountains. The Arieș is formed near the village of Mihoești at the confluence of two headwaters: Arieșul Mare and Arieșul Mic. It flows through Alba and Cluj Counties and flows into the Mureș near the village of Gura Arieșului, which is close to the town of Luduș.

The towns of Câmpeni, Baia de Arieș, Turda, and Câmpia Turzii lie on the river Arieș. The upper valley of the river, Țara Moților, is a beautiful rustic region and an important mining region (Roșia Montană), rich in gold, silver and uranium. Those mines of Apuseni Mountains (also known as "Metaliferi Mountains") were exploited since Dacian reign, and later on they attracted the Roman invasion.

Towns and villages

The following towns and villages are situated along the river Arieș, from source to mouth: Mihoești, Gura Sohodol, Câmpeni, Boncești, Lunca Merilor, Bistra, Gârde, Lunca Largă, Pițiga, Lupșa, Hădărău, Valea Lupșii, Muncelu, Baia de Arieș, Sartăș, Brăzești, Sălciua de Jos, Poșaga de Jos, Lunca, Vidolm, Lungești, Buru, Moldovenești, Cornești, Cheia, Mihai Viteazu, Turda, Câmpia Turzii, Viișoara, Luna, Luncani, Hădăreni, Gligorești

Tributaries

The following rivers are tributaries to the river Arieș (from source to mouth):[2]

Left: Arieșul Mare, Valea Caselor (Câmpeni), Bistra, Bistrișoara, Valea Mare, Dobra, Valea Caselor (Lupșa), Lupșa, Sartăș, Sălciuța, Poșaga, Ocoliș, Ocolișel, Iara, Borzești, Hășdate, Valea Pordei, Săndulești, Valea Racilor, Aluniș, Valea Sărată, Pârâul Florilor, Valea Largă

Right: Arieșul Mic, Sohodol, Abrud, Valea Luteștilor, Ștefanca, Valea Mușcanilor, Valea Șesii, Hermăneasa, Cioara, Valea Largă, Cheia, Rimetea, Văleni, Plăiești, Bădeni, Racoșa, Valea Odăii Beteag

References

Notes

1. "Planul național de management. Sinteza planurilor de management la nivel de bazine/spații hidrografice, anexa 7.1" (PDF, 5.1 MB). Administrația Națională Apele Române. 2010. pp. 309–311.
2. Atlasul cadastrului apelor din România. Partea 1 (in Romanian). Bucharest: Ministerul Mediului. 1992. pp. 147–154. OCLC 895459847. River code: IV.1.81
3. 2017 Romanian Statistical Yearbook, p. 13
4. Vistai András János. "Erdélyi helynévkönyv". Archived from the original on 2011-07-10. Retrieved 2009-12-28.

Sources

• Trasee turistice – Județul Alba
• Kniezsa István- Erdély földrajzi nevei