| Zrmanja | |
|---|---|
 Misije, a source of Zrmanja River | |
| Location | |
| Country | Croatia |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Mouth | |
• location | Adriatic Sea |
• coordinates | 44°12′06″N 15°35′18″E / 44.2017°N 15.5883°E |
| Length | 69 km (43 mi)[1] |
| Basin size | 907 km2 (350 sq mi)[1] |
Zrmanja (pronounced [zř̩maɲa], Italian: Zermagna) is a river in southern Lika and northern Dalmatia, Croatia. It is 69 km (43 mi) long and its basin covers an area of 907 km2 (350 sq mi).[1]
It was known to the ancient Romans as Tedanius. The spring of Zrmanja is located in southern part of Lika under Postak - the southern peak of Pljesevica mountain, and close to south end of Velebit mountain. It is characteristic for its spring located on the bottom of very steep, almost 200 m high funnel shape rock called Misije. It flows southward through the narrow and long arable valley which encircles the southern end of Velebit through a 200-metre-deep canyon, and then turns westwards, reaches Obrovac, and after a few kilometers flows into the Adriatic Sea in the bay named Novigradsko more.
In the 1990s the Velebit area was declared a nature park. Rafting trips on Zrmanja take place in spring and autumn, while kayaks and canoes are used during low water level period of July and August.[citation needed]
The river was hit by an ecological disaster in December 2019 [2] when waste from a former alumina plant was washed into the karst underground. Alkaline mud[3] has been kept in open pools since the closure of the plant.
