| Šventoji River | |
|---|---|
Map of the Šventoji River |
|
| Origin | Lake Samanis |
| Mouth | Neris |
| Basin countries | Lithuania |
| Length | 246 km (153 mi) |
| Source elevation | 225 m (738 ft) |
| Avg. discharge | 56.1 m3/s (1,980 cu ft/s) at mouth |
| Basin area | 6,889 km2 (2,660 sq mi) |
The Šventoji River (; literally: The Holy One) is the longest river that flows entirely within Lithuania and the largest tributary of the Neris River.[1] It originates from the Lake Samanis in the Gražutė Regional Park and flows into Neris near Jonava.[2] The longest tributary of the Šventoji is the Širvinta River.
The Šventoji passes through the cities of Anykščiai, Kavarskas and Ukmergė. In 1963–1964 a dam near Kavarskas was built to replenish the Nevėžis River using water from the Šventoji. However, the dam is no longer used as it is too expensive, ineffective, and violates environmental regulations of the European Union.[3] In 1959 the Antalieptė Reservoir, the second largest artificial lake in Lithuania, was built on the Šventoji.[2]