Arga (river)

Arga
(Runa)
River
Bridge (early 11th century) over the Arga river at Puente La Reina
Country Spain
Region Navarre
City Pamplona
Source
 - location near Esteríbar
Mouth
 - location Ebro
 - coordinates
Length 145 km (90 mi)
Discharge
 - average 59.76 m3/s (2,110 cu ft/s)

The Arga is a river of Navarre, in Spain and is one of the tributaries of the river Ebro. The Arga was known as the river Runa in antiquity. Situated in the north-east of Spain, the river stretches some 145 kilometres, and has a basin of 2,759 km², 2,652 km² of which is in Navarre and the remaining 107 km² is near Arakil. The source of the river is to the north of the village Esteríbar, near the border with France, and it empties into the Aragón River near Funes.

The river is dammed in the Eugui reservoir near Esteríbar; the dam principally serves the needs of Pamplona's metropolitan area, the largest city on the Arga.

Vegetation

At the upper basin, the river is mainly surrounded by beech trees and beneath these grow bilberries, cornish heath, sedges and luzulas. Additionally, a variety of shrubs can be found in the proximity of the Eugui reservoir, including; alder, ash, maple, common hazel and buckthorn. After the dam, the lower river is lined with oak and Scots Pine trees and boxwood shrubs.

At the point where the river passes Huarte/Uharte, crack willow appear. The shrubbery around the area of Belascoáin marks the change from Cantabrian forest to more Mediterranean plant life; black poplar and white willow are common in this region.

See also