SHKUMBINI RIVER AT THE ENDING FLOW THE RROGOZHINA BRIDGE - RIVERMOUTH, DEGRADATION AND PROTECTION

Abstract

Shkumbini is among the greatest rivers of the country, with a length of 181 km and the surface of the watershed up to the spill 2464 km2. In the plain area of lbasan, the riverbed is extended up to the vicinity of Rogozhina, where in the last 40 kilometers it flows in a flat area. Just in the ending flow, at the segment from Rogozhina to the rivermouth, are identified the biggest problems of flooding, river erosion, damage of engineering works and embankments, forest cover, massive exploitation and without criteria of inert materials (sand and gravel mining) over a period of almost 30 years, coastal erosion, change of position to the river mouth. Also, the river transports contaminated materials and pollutants (urban wastes) from the former Metallurgical Combine. A spreading phenomenon is the salting up of soils and river water in the last 5 km with salt content 2- 4 times higher than allowed limits. Near the river mouth the sulphate content in the soil varies from 30 to 147 mg/kg and the dry residue, chlorine (CL) and sodium (Na) are above the permissible limits. In this presentation will be presented the characteristics of the river in the ending segment (from Rogozhina to the river mouth), characterized by high erosion of riverbanks, environmental and degradation problems, environmental and economic impacts, surfaces and points of flooding where the water stands for 1-10 days in the Cermes, Sulzotaj area and river mouth, also due to the poor operation of the drainage network and demolition of embankments, as well as of insufficient measures for the rehabilitation of damages and protection. In the ending part of the Shkumbini watershed, ecological and morphological balances have been destroyed due to the misuse of the sand and gravel from the riverbed, the lack of sediment transport for the protection of the coastal line from erosion, the water near the rivermouth with high salt content that is not suitable for irrigation.