Crn Drim - silent river springs
Crn Drim is a river in Macedonia that flows into and belongs to the Adriatic basin. The river flows from St. Naum, passes through the Ohrid Lake and exits from it at the city of Struga at an altitude of 695 meters. This river leaves Macedonia near the city of Debar at 476 meters above sea level. Since 2013, May 6 is marked as "Day of Crn Drim River" aimed at raising public awareness to protect the basin of the Drim River.
Crn Drim Basin
On the Macedonian territory, Crn Drim is 56 km long. But the river has a usual course only slightly less than one half of that length, from Struga to the village of Tashmarunishta. Leaving the village to the north, the river enters the ravine. Immediately after that, it forms a lake thanks to a dam 82 meters high located 10 km north on the other side of the lake. The dam forms the accumulation "Globocica" created by the waters of Crn Drim.
Immediately after the Globocica hydroelectric power plant, the Crn Drim waters create another lake, using a 102 m high dam near the town of Debar. This lake is the richest water artificial lake in Macedonia. The lake accumulates 520 million cubic meters of water. From the lake with the help of tunnels the water is being brought into the hydro power plant Spilje. At this moment the water capacities of the river are used up to the maximum and it represents an important hydropower potential for the Republic of Macedonia. In northern Albania, near the town of Kuks, Crn Drim again becomes a lake along with the river Bel Drim. After the flow of Bel Drim into Crn Drim, the river flows into the Adriatic Sea, under one name - Drim.
Flora and Fauna in Crn Drim
The river Crni Drim got its name thanks to the silicate, endemic algae with a black color. You can spot them at the bottom of the water as they tremble carried away in their underwater dance. In the waters of Crn Drim there is a variety of fish species, such as carp, chub, eel, barbel and others. The Ohrid eel for millennia migrated from Lake Ohrid to the Sargassian Sea for reproduction. In the second half of the 20th century, with the construction of the two dams on the Macedonian part of the river Crn Drim, and four on the Albanian part, the eel route was completely blocked. Dams are a problem for other fish species that used to travel to the Ohrid Lake from the Adriatic Sea. According to the IUCN World Red List, European eel is considered a critically endangered species.
Crn Drim - a place for rest and recreation
The river Crn Drim with its canyon and two artificial lakes is becoming a more interesting place for recreation. And, not only for sports fishing, but also for all those who want to enjoy its beauty. In the vicinity of the pond, i.e. the spring of the Crni Drim River, besides the famous monastery dedicated to St. Naum, there are three additional churches. It is the church dedicated to the Holy Mother of God, which lies on the foundations of an older church, the church of St. Atanasie, which is located about hundred meters to the left from it and the recently built church dedicated to St. Petka, which is located on the other side of the pond right under the monastery of St. Naum.
Struga Poetry Evenings at Crni Drim
Struga Poetry Evenings are the biggest world poetry event held every year in the city of Struga, along the river Crn Drim. The manifestation is the main symbol of the city as a tourist center and at least 200 world poets attend it. Struga Evenings each year are a real holiday for the city, as well as for all lovers of poetry. They have become a significant cultural event in the world of literature. A manifestation through which, as through an open window, one can see and hear what is happening in poetry, in that "country without borders". The name of the Struga Poetry Evenings is entered in all poetic maps of the world. Struga is in all those who have visited and seen it. It is on its way to be in those who will yet see it. "If there is a biblical heavenly paradise, with an ideal beauty, then this is its own cornerstone," a record from a visitor.
More information about Crn Drim can be found on this website.