Çoruh River
The Çoruh River or Ch'orokhi River (Georgian: ჭოროხი ch'orokhi, Turkish: Çoruh, Armenian: Ճորոխ, Tchorokh, 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.[2] In English, it was formerly known as the Boas, the Churuk, or the Chorokh.[3][4]
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 is under construction (Deriner Dam) and Yusufeli Dam, just upstream is in its final planning phase.
| Dam |
Phase |
| Tortum Dam |
Operational |
| Muratli Dam |
Operational |
| Borçka Dam |
Operational |
| Deriner Dam |
Under construction |
| Artvin Dam |
Planned |
| Yusufeli Dam |
Planned |
| Olur Dam |
Planned |
| Arkun Dam |
Planned |
| Aksu Dam |
Under construction |
| Güllübağ Dam |
Planned |
| Ispir Dam Dam |
Planned |
| Laleli Dam |
Planned |
References
- ^ UN Economic Commission for Europe, Our waters: joining hands across borders : first assessment of transboundary, p. 150
- ^ William Smith, Dictionary of Greek and Roman geography, 1:216 (1854).
- ^ Encyclopædia Britannica, Eleventh Edition 2:757d
- ^ W. Rickmer Rickmers, "Lazistan and Ajaristan", The Geographical Journal 84:6 (Dec., 1934), p. 466. at JSTOR
- ^ 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