Çoruh Chorokh, Ch'orokhi, Acampsis | |
---|---|
Location | |
Countries | Turkey and Georgia |
Physical characteristics | |
Source | |
• location | Mescit Mountains |
Mouth | Black Sea |
• coordinates | 41°36′17″N 41°34′27″E / 41.6047°N 41.5742°E |
Length | 438 km (272 mi) [1] |
Basin size | 22,100 km2 (8,500 sq mi) |
Discharge | |
• average | 278 m3/s (9,800 cu ft/s) |
Basin features | |
Tributaries | |
• right | Machakhelistsqali, Acharistsqali |
The Chorokh ( Georgian: ჭოროხი Ch'orokhi, Turkish: Çoruh, Armenian: Ճորոխ Chorokh, Azerbaijani: Çorox, Greek: Άκαμψις, Akampsis) is a river that rises in the Mescit Mountains in north-eastern Turkey, flows through the cities of Bayburt, İspir, Yusufeli, and Artvin, along the Kelkit-Çoruh Fault, before flowing into Georgia, where it reaches the Black Sea just south of Batumi and a few kilometers north of the Turkish-Georgian border.
In Arrian's Periplus Ponti Euxini, it is called the Acampsis ( Greek: Άκαμψις); Pliny may have confused it with the Bathys. [2] Procopius writes that it was called Acampsis because it was impossible to force a way through it after it has entered the sea, since it discharges its stream with such force and swiftness, causing a great disturbance of the water before it, that it goes out for a very great distance into the sea and makes it impossible to coast along at that point. [3]
In English, it was formerly known as the Boas, the Churuk, or the Chorokh. [4] [5]
The Ch'orokhi valley lies within the Caucasus ecological zone, which is considered by the World Wide Fund for Nature and by Conservation International as a biodiversity hotspot. [6] [7] The Çoruh Valley is recognised by Turkish conservation organisations as an important plant area, [8] an important bird area, [9] a key biodiversity area [10] and has been nominated as a high priority area for protection. This valley is rich in plants and contains 104 nationally threatened plant species of which 67 are endemic to Turkey. [8]
The Çoruh has been called "an eco-tourism gem" and "Turkey's last remaining wild river", and is being promoted for whitewater kayaking by the Eastern Anatolia Tourism Development Project. [11] It attracts kayakers and rafters from all over the world and was the site of the 4th World Rafting Championship in 1993 [12] and the Coruh Extreme kayak competition in 2005. [13]
A total of 17 large hydroelectric dams are planned as part of the Çoruh River Development Plan [14] but a total of 27 are proposed for the Çoruh River Catchment. Under the Çoruh Development Plan, 8 dams have been completed (Arkun, Artvin, Borçka, Deriner, Güllübağ, Murtli, Tortum and Yusufeli Dams), another 2 are under construction. [15]
Dam | Phase |
---|---|
Tortum Dam | Operational – Tortum River (Çoruh tributary) |
Muratli Dam | Operational |
Borçka Dam | Operational |
Deriner Dam | Operational |
Olur Dam | Planned |
Bağlık Dam | Planned – Berta River (Çoruh tributary) |
Bayram Dam | Planned – Berta River (Çoruh tributary) |
Artvin Dam | Operational |
Yusufeli Dam | Operational |
Altiparmak Dam | Planned – Barhal River (Çoruh tributary) |
Ayvali Dam | Planned – Oltu River (Çoruh tributary) |
Olur Dam | Planned – Oltu River (Çoruh tributary) |
Arkun Dam | Operational |
Aksu Dam | Preliminary construction |
Güllübağ Dam | Operational |
İspir Dam | Planned |
Laleli Dam | Under construction |
Çoruh Chorokh, Ch'orokhi, Acampsis | |
---|---|
Location | |
Countries | Turkey and Georgia |
Physical characteristics | |
Source | |
• location | Mescit Mountains |
Mouth | Black Sea |
• coordinates | 41°36′17″N 41°34′27″E / 41.6047°N 41.5742°E |
Length | 438 km (272 mi) [1] |
Basin size | 22,100 km2 (8,500 sq mi) |
Discharge | |
• average | 278 m3/s (9,800 cu ft/s) |
Basin features | |
Tributaries | |
• right | Machakhelistsqali, Acharistsqali |
The Chorokh ( Georgian: ჭოროხი Ch'orokhi, Turkish: Çoruh, Armenian: Ճորոխ Chorokh, Azerbaijani: Çorox, Greek: Άκαμψις, Akampsis) is a river that rises in the Mescit Mountains in north-eastern Turkey, flows through the cities of Bayburt, İspir, Yusufeli, and Artvin, along the Kelkit-Çoruh Fault, before flowing into Georgia, where it reaches the Black Sea just south of Batumi and a few kilometers north of the Turkish-Georgian border.
In Arrian's Periplus Ponti Euxini, it is called the Acampsis ( Greek: Άκαμψις); Pliny may have confused it with the Bathys. [2] Procopius writes that it was called Acampsis because it was impossible to force a way through it after it has entered the sea, since it discharges its stream with such force and swiftness, causing a great disturbance of the water before it, that it goes out for a very great distance into the sea and makes it impossible to coast along at that point. [3]
In English, it was formerly known as the Boas, the Churuk, or the Chorokh. [4] [5]
The Ch'orokhi valley lies within the Caucasus ecological zone, which is considered by the World Wide Fund for Nature and by Conservation International as a biodiversity hotspot. [6] [7] The Çoruh Valley is recognised by Turkish conservation organisations as an important plant area, [8] an important bird area, [9] a key biodiversity area [10] and has been nominated as a high priority area for protection. This valley is rich in plants and contains 104 nationally threatened plant species of which 67 are endemic to Turkey. [8]
The Çoruh has been called "an eco-tourism gem" and "Turkey's last remaining wild river", and is being promoted for whitewater kayaking by the Eastern Anatolia Tourism Development Project. [11] It attracts kayakers and rafters from all over the world and was the site of the 4th World Rafting Championship in 1993 [12] and the Coruh Extreme kayak competition in 2005. [13]
A total of 17 large hydroelectric dams are planned as part of the Çoruh River Development Plan [14] but a total of 27 are proposed for the Çoruh River Catchment. Under the Çoruh Development Plan, 8 dams have been completed (Arkun, Artvin, Borçka, Deriner, Güllübağ, Murtli, Tortum and Yusufeli Dams), another 2 are under construction. [15]
Dam | Phase |
---|---|
Tortum Dam | Operational – Tortum River (Çoruh tributary) |
Muratli Dam | Operational |
Borçka Dam | Operational |
Deriner Dam | Operational |
Olur Dam | Planned |
Bağlık Dam | Planned – Berta River (Çoruh tributary) |
Bayram Dam | Planned – Berta River (Çoruh tributary) |
Artvin Dam | Operational |
Yusufeli Dam | Operational |
Altiparmak Dam | Planned – Barhal River (Çoruh tributary) |
Ayvali Dam | Planned – Oltu River (Çoruh tributary) |
Olur Dam | Planned – Oltu River (Çoruh tributary) |
Arkun Dam | Operational |
Aksu Dam | Preliminary construction |
Güllübağ Dam | Operational |
İspir Dam | Planned |
Laleli Dam | Under construction |