The Çoruh River or Ch'orokhi River (Armenian: Ճորոխ, Tchorokh, Georgian: ჭოროხი ch'orokhi, Turkish: Çoruh, Greek: Άκαμψις, Akampsis) rises in the Mescit Mountains in north-eastern Turkey, flows through the cities of Bayburt, Ispir, 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 Άκαμψις Acampsis; Pliny may have confused it with the Bathys.[1] In English, it was formerly known as the Boas, the Churuk, or the Chorokh.[2][3]
| Çoruh, Ch'orokhi, Acampsis | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Origin | Mescid Mountains |
| Mouth | Black Sea |
| Basin countries | Turkey, Georgia |
| Length | 438 km[4] |
| Avg. discharge | 278 m3/s |
| Basin area | 22,100 km2 |
Contents |
Biodiversity
The Çoruh valley lies within the Caucasus ecological zone, which is considered by the World Wild Fund for Nature and by Conservation International as a biodiversity hotspot.[5][6]. The Çoruh Valley is recognised by Turkish conservation organisations as an important plant area[7], an important bird area[8], a key biodiversity area[9] 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[7].
Recreation
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.[10] It attracts kayakers and rafters from all over the world and was the site of the 2005 Coruh Extreme kayak competition.[11]
Dams
A total of 13 hydro-electric dams are planned as part of the Çoruh River Development Plan[12] but a total of 27 are proposed for the Çoruh River Catchment. Under the Çoruh Development Plan, 2 dams have been completed (Murtli Dam and Tortum Dam), another 2 are under construction (Borcka Dam and Deriner Dam) and Yusufeli Dam, just upstream is in its final planning phase.
| Dam | Phase |
|---|---|
| Tortum Dam | Operational |
| Muratli Dam | Operational |
| Borcka Dam | Operational |
| Deriner Dam | Under construction |
| Artvin Dam | Planned |
| Yusufeli Dam | Planned |
| Ayvali Dam | Planned |
| Olur Dam | Planned |
| Arkun Dam | Planned |
| Aksu Dam | Under Construction |
| Gullubag Dam | Planned |
| Ispir Dam | Planned |
| Laleli Dam | Planned |
References
- ^ William Smith, Dictionary of Greek and Roman geography, 1:216 (1854).
- ^ Encyclopedia Britannica, Eleventh Edition 2:757d
- ^ W. Rickmer Rickmers, "Lazistan and Ajaristan", The Geographical Journal 84:6 (Dec., 1934), p. 466. at JSTOR
- ^ UN Economic Commission for Europe, Our waters: joining hands across borders : first assessment of transboundary, p. 150
- ^ WWF Global 200 Regions
- ^ Conservation International Biodiversity Hotspots
- ^ a b Ozhatay N, Byfield A & Atay S 2005, 122 Important Plant Areas of Turkey, for WWF Turkey, Istanbul, Turkey.
- ^ Magnin G & Yarar M 1989, Important Bird Area in Turkey, Dogal Hayati Koruma Dernegi, Turkey.
- ^ Eken G, Bozdogan M, I˙sfendiyaroglu S, Kılıç DT & Lise Y, (editörler) 2006, Key biodiversity areas in Turkey, Doga Dernegi, Ankara, Turkey.
- ^ United Nations Development Programme: Europe & CIS, "Eastern Turkey Becomes Tourist Destination" [1]
- ^ Coruh Extreme Race
- ^ ENCON 2006, ‘Yusufeli Dam and Hydroelectric Power Project Environmental Impact Assessment’, Ankara, Turkey.
See also
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