Balsemão River

The Rio Balsemão (Portuguese pronunciation: [balsˈmɐ̃w] English language: Balsemão River) is a small stream that originates in the mountain range of Serra de Montemuro. It passes through narrow canyons before it reaches the major city Lamego.[1]

Balsemão
Balsemão River mouth
Location
CountryPortugal
LocationViseu District
Physical characteristics
Source 
 • locationSerra de Montemuro
 • elevation1,352 m (4,436 ft)
Mouth 
 • location
Varosa River
Length32.4 km (20.1 mi)
Basin features
EU Surface Water
Body Codes		PT03DOU0391
PT03DOU0421

Part of the Douro basin, its entire path is made in the old district of Viseu. Born near Rossão, Gosende, in the municipality of Castro Daire, it still draws, for short while, the frontier with neighbors Resende and Lamego before heading on through this last municipality, towards the Douro Valley.

The Balsemão River has a dam near Pretarouca, Lamego.

Nearby Magueija, in a small canyon of Balsemão was detected an extremely localized forest dominated by Elm (Ulmus glabra) and Narrow-leafed Ash (Fraxinus angustifolia).[1]

Along with watermills, its possible to find in the margins of the Balsemão River the so-called “leiras” (narrow green stretches of cultivated land).[2]

Near the end of its course, on the right bank, it's possible to find the Chapel of São Pedro de Balsemão, a former Visigothic sanctuary dating back to the 7th century and now a National monument.

Eventually it ends in a storage reservoir made by the Varosa Dam in the Varosa River.[3] The Varosa, in turn, will meet the Douro River near Peso da Régua.

This river has a "Friends of the Balsemão River Association" (Associação de Amigos do Rio Balsemão - ASAMIRB).[2]

See also

Chapel of São Pedro de Balsemão

References
  1. MONTEIRO-HENRIQUES, Tiago, COSTA, José Carlos, BELLU, Annalisa, and AGUIAR, Carlos. "Fraxino angustifoliae-Ulmetum glabrae: An Original Endemic and Extremely Localized Forest from Mainland Portugal", Centenaire de la Phytosociologie, Vol. 46, pp. 323-327, 2010. Retrieved on 5 February 2014.
  2. PINA, Helena."The Importance of Complementarity in the Territorial Cohesion and Sustainability of Rural Areas: The Case of Cambres, a Douro Winegrowing Area, and Magueija, a Mountainous Area", Revija za geografijo - Journal for Geography, 5-2, 2010, 27-42. Retrieved on 14 February 2014.
  3. REIS, Amélia, PATINHA, Carla, DIAS, Ana, CACHADA, Anabela, PATO, Pedro, FERREIRA DA SILVA, Eduardo, FONSECA, Rita, BARRIGA, Fernando, and JANEIRO, Ana. "Grapevine Cultivation and the Geochemistry of Zinc: Impact on the Environmental Equilibrium of a Vulnerabla Site within tha Alto Douro Wine Region" link 1, link 2 2013 Conference of the International Medical Geology Association (25–29 August 2013), Session No. 50, 29 August 2013. The Geological Society of America. Retrieved on 8 February 2014.
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