Hydrology

Water resources on Shar planina Mt. consist of numerous springs, steep mountain watercourses and many glacial lakes.

Springs – Springs at Shar Planina occur in the bases of taluses (screes), rubbles, rock cuttings, at bare slopes and elsewhere. There are several hundreads of springs, ninty among which, located on the southeastern side (territory of the Republic of Macedonia) are more prominent.
The spring in the cirque of Golemo Ezero (lake) at northeren slopes of Konjushka Planina in Kosovo is deemed to be the highest with its 2460 m.a.s.l.. The temperature of this spring is 5°C. The coldest spring water is found in the highest branch of Bogovinska Reka, at 2320 m.a.s.l. The temperature of this spring measured at several occasions in only 1°C.
The river of Pena has its headwaters on the southern side og the cirque Dzinibeg, in the grassland plateau at a height of more than 2400 m. The spring Kanjak is found southeast of Mal Turchin (2702 m), at 2198 m above sea level.

The most prominent lakes have the following specific features:

  • Lake Bogovinsko Ezero is the biggest lake on Šar Planina, situated between Borislavoc and Mala Smreka. The lake is 4 to 5 m deep. Bogovinska reka enters into this lake and then it flows out again through a stretch. There are several waterfalls near the lake. Its life cycle passes away rapidly due to the sedimentation of organic matters from the nearby sheepfold. One of the biggest alpine swamp ecosystems in Macedonia is found in the initial part of the lake.
  • Crno Ezero is deeper even than Bogovinsko Ezero. It is considered to be one of the most attractive lakes on Šar Planina. As a result of many years presence of a sheepfold establishment on the northern side, part of its northern slope is covered with a community of alpine dock.
  • Dedelbeshko Ezero and Lersko Ezero are the last lakes on the southern part of Šar Planina ridge. They represent the last succession stage of glacial lake transformation into swamp ecosystem. It is grown over with high sedge – a whole meter above the water.

    Apart from the glacial lakes, ther is a significant number of ponds on Shar Planina, among which the two ponds known under the name Chelepinski Bari (2315 m), than the ponds Rudochki Bari (2179 m), the ponds Fudanski Bari (2100-2150 m) and Vrachanski Bari (1975 m) are the most popular.

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