Gashi (river)

The Gashi (Albanian: Lumi i Gashit) is a 27 km (17 mi) long river located in Tropojë, northern Albania. It is a nature reserve, spanning an area of 3,000 ha (7,400 acres).[2] The nature reserve forms a part of the European Green Belt and has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site within the Primeval Beech Forests of the Carpathians and Other Regions of Europe.[3]

Gashi
Gashi in Dobërdol
Location
CountryAlbania
CountyKukës
Physical characteristics
MouthValbona
 • coordinates
42°22′37″N 20°5′47″E
Length27 km (17 mi)
Basin features
ProgressionValbona→ Drin→ Adriatic Sea
Location within Albania
Gashi (river) (Europe)
Nearest cityBajram Curri
Established1996
Governing bodyMinistry of Environment
Official namePrimeval Beech Forests of the Carpathians
TypeNatural[1]
Criteriaix
Designated2017

The river is located in the eastern part of the Albanian Alps at 2,175 m (7,136 ft) above sea level. It originates at the Dobërdol Pass 2,238 m (7,343 ft) and flows through numerous peaks including the Trekufiri 2,354 m (7,723 ft) in the north, Maja Bogiçaj 2,405 m (7,890 ft) in the northeast and Maja e Shpatit 21,995 m (72,162 ft) in the northwest. The various streams, flowing first to the north and northwest, merge with the Dobërdol pasture in the northwest, than leaving the basin westward. Few kilometres further the river changes its course southwards and stops the direction in the sequence. It passes the Maja e Shkëlzenit 2,405 m (7,890 ft) on its western side. Farther south, the river passes through a narrow gorge and valley to the Tropoja basin, where the river below flows into the Valbonë river.

The climate is subarctic and oceanic, having cool summers and generally cold winters. Forests occupy the majority of the region's area. The region falls within the Balkan mixed forests and Dinaric mixed forests terrestrial ecoregion of the Palearctic Temperate broadleaf and mixed forest. The river is particularly known for the diversity of flora and fauna and is surrounded by swamps and canals that drain the whole local basin such as the region of Malësia e Gashit within the Albanian Alps into the Adriatic sea. Forests occupy the majority of the total area.

The diverse flora is characterized with high endemism due to the combination of southern geographic latitude and high altitude variation. The forests are host to several plants such as beech, macedonian pine, bosnian pine, norway spruce, and silver fir. The fauna is represented by 64 species of mammals, such as the brown bear, gray wolf, chamois, lynx, roe deer, wild boar, western capercaillie, golden eagle, eurasian otter and 14 species of amphibians.[4][5]

See also

References
  1. "Primeval Beech Forests of the Carpathians and Other Regions of Europe". whc.unesco.org.
  2. PPNEA. "Protect nature Invest for the future - Gashi" (PDF). ppnea.org. p. 8.
  3. "PËRSHKRIMI I RRJETIT AKTUAL TË ZONAVE TË MBROJTURA" (PDF). mjedisi.gov.al (in Albanian). p. 2. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2015-05-29. Retrieved 2019-12-24. PËRSHKRIMI I RRJETIT AKTUAL TË ZONAVE TË MBROJTURA
  4. "mjedisi.gov.al" (PDF). mjedisi.gov.al (in Albanian). p. 2. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2015-05-29. Retrieved 2019-12-24. mjedisi.gov.al
  5. "Extension to the Joint World Heritage Property "Primeval Beech forests of the Carpathians (Slovak Republic and Ukraine) and the Ancient Beech forests of Germany (Germany)"". whc.unesco.org. There are 81 species from different taxas. There are 14 species of amphibians, 67 mammals.
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