Ribni Lakes

About

Ribni Lakes (Bulgarian, meaning Fish Lakes) are a group of two larger and several smaller non-permanent glacial lakes situated in the central part of the Rila mountain range in southwestern Bulgaria. They are located in a deep cirque widely opened to the north between the summits of Kyoravitsa (2, 612 m) to the west, Kanarata (2, 667 m) to the south and Yosifitsa (2, 697 m) to the northeast. They are located in the eastern reaches of the Rila Monastery Nature Park. The Upper Ribno Lake is situated at an altitude of 2,227 m some 1.5 km north of the summit of Kanarata. It has an oblong shape in direction south–southwest to north–northeast, with a length of 800 m, a width of 300 m and area of 176,000–180,000 m2. Its maximum depth is 9 m. The total volume is 771,000 m3. The lake is fed by about 30 small streams. A concrete spillway was built in its northeastern shore. The Lower Ribno Lake is at an altitude of 2,200 m some 400 m north of the uppers lake. It is smaller, with an oval shape, a length of 340 m, a width of 230 m, an area of 47,000 m2 and a depth of 9 m. The total volume is 131,700 m3. The lakes form the headwaters of the Rilska River, a left tributary of the Struma. Due to their permanent flow, the lakes, along with others nearby, such as the Smradlivo Lake, are important for feeding the river during the period of low water ensuring the functioning of ecosystem

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