View source for Vrbas (river)

{{Infobox river
  | name              = Vrbas
  | other_name        = 
  | image             = Врбас са Зеленог моста.jpg
  | image_caption     = Vrbas River in Bosnia and Herzegovina
| mapframe            = yes
| mapframe-frame-height = 350
| mapframe-zoom       = 7
  | source1_location  = [[Vranica]]
  | mouth_location    = Sava
| mouth_coordinates = {{coord|45.108|N|17.514|E|display=it|source:dewiki}}
| progression       = {{RSava}}
  | subdivision_type1 = Country
  | subdivision_name1 = [[Bosnia and Herzegovina]]
| length_km         = 249.7
| length_ref = {{GeoQuelle|Sava||13}}
| source1_elevation = 
| discharge1_avg    = 
| basin_size_km2    = 6274
| basin_size_ref = {{GeoQuelle|Sava||13}}
| extra             = 
}}

The '''Vrbas''' ({{lang-sr-cyrl|Врбас}}, {{IPA|sh|ʋr̩̂ba(ː)s|pron}}) is a major [[river]] with a length of {{convert|250|km|mi}}, in western [[Bosnia and Herzegovina]]. It is a right [[tributary]] of the [[Sava]] river. The city of [[Banja Luka]] is located on the river banks.<ref>Vojnogeografski institut, Ed. (1955): Travnik (List karte 1:100.000, Izohipse na 20 m). Vojnogeografski institut, Beograd.</ref><ref>Spahić M. et al. (2000): Bosna i Hercegovina (1:250.000). Izdavačko preduzeće „Sejtarija“, Sarajevo.</ref><ref>Mučibabić  B., Ed. (1998): Geografski atlas Bosne i Hercegovine. Geodetski zavod BiH, Sarajevo.</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.rhmzrs.com/ |title=Home |website=rhmzrs.com}}</ref>

The river is the main watercourse of Banja Luka and before Banja Luka. <ref>{{Cite web |title=Vrbas – World Rafting Championship |url=https://wrc.ba/en/vrbas-river/#:~:text=THE%20VRBAS%20RIVER&text=Vrbas%20is%20the%20main%20watercourse,rivers%20in%20Bosnia%20and%20Herzegovina |access-date=2024-11-19 |language=en-GB}}</ref> With its blue-green color, it's one of the most beautiful rivers in Bosnia and Herzegovina.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Vrbas – World Rafting Championship |url=https://wrc.ba/en/vrbas-river/#:~:text=THE%20VRBAS%20RIVER&text=Vrbas%20is%20the%20main%20watercourse,rivers%20in%20Bosnia%20and%20Herzegovina |access-date=2024-11-19 |language=en-GB}}</ref>

==Etymology==
The word ''vrba'' means '[[willow]]' in [[Serbo-Croatian]], and a number of weeping willow trees adorn the river banks in Banja Luka.

It lent its name to one of the provinces ([[Subdivisions of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia|banovinas]]) of the [[Kingdom of Yugoslavia]], the [[Vrbas Banovina]].

==Tributaries==
The most important right tributaries are the Desna river, the [[Ugar (river)|Ugar]], and the [[Vrbanja river|Vrbanja]], and left: Prusačka river, Semešnica,  the [[Pliva River|Pliva]], the [[Crna Rijeka (river)|Crna Rijeka]] (Black River), and the Suturlija, which are located in the middle part of the basin.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.hesvrbas.com/eng/ |title=Hes Vrbas |website=www.hesvrbas.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050513224520/http://www.hesvrbas.com/eng/ |archive-date=2005-05-13}}</ref>

==Geography and sectioning==
It is a right tributary of the river [[Sava]]. It is one of the largest rivers in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

=== Upper Vrbas ===
The Vrbas river appears at the southern slope of the [[Vranica]] mountain near the town of [[Gornji Vakuf]], at around {{convert|1530|m|ft}} above sea level and it drains central part of the northern slopes of the Dinaric mountain massif. The Upper Vrbas is a section between its source and town of Jajce, encompassing entire valley between [[Bugojno]], [[Gornji Vakuf-Uskoplje]] and [[Donji Vakuf]], and gorge between Donji Vakuf and Jajce.

=== Middle Vrbas ===
Middle Vrbas mostly comprises a canyon section, with steep slopes and narrow passages, between [[Jajce]] and [[Banja Luka]].

=== Lower Vrbas ===
The Lower Vrbas is the last section of the river, passing through lowlands of [[Lijevče polje|Lijevče Polje]], approaching the [[Sava River]]. It empties into the Sava river at around {{convert|90|m|ft}} above sea level. Total length of the main watercourse is around {{convert|250|km|mi}}.

==Climate==
Average annual rainfall is around 800 L/m<sup>2</sup> at the mouth of the Vrbas to the [[Sava]] river and up to 1500 L/m<sup>2</sup> in the southern part of the basin. Characteristic mean flow is around 34.6 L/s/km<sup>2</sup>. Maximum rainfall occurs in the southern parts of the Vrbas basin in the late autumn and winter months, with minimum quantities in summer, whereas the northern parts of the basin receive the largest quantities of rain during the summer months (June–July), with the maximum in November and December.

==Ichthyofauna==
The Vrbas basin is known for an abundant [[ichthyofauna]], rich in species, and recreational and fly fishing are very popular on entire cours of the river. Especially important but critically endangered is [[huchen]], variation of [[hucho]] species [[endemic]] for the river [[Danube]] basin (hence known as Danube Salmon or Danube Taimen; Lat. Hucho hucho). Of all the Vrbas tributaries only the river [[Vrbanja (river)|Vrbanja]], and possibly [[Ugar (river)|Ugar]], also retain healthy population of this endemic fish. Vrbas are headwaters are important spawning grounds for both, huchen and its prey, Common nase (Chondrostoma nasus) and Grayling (Thymallus thymallus).<ref name="dnevnik.ba-mladicu-u-vrbasu">{{cite web |title=Uništavanje bogatog ribljeg fonda u Banja Luci: Mladicu u Vrbasu love i ronioci s puškama |url=https://www.dnevnik.ba/teme/unistavanje-bogatog-ribljeg-fonda-u-banja-luci-mladicu-u-vrbasu-love-i-ronioci-s-puskama |website=www.dnevnik.ba |publisher=Dnevnik.ba |access-date=30 November 2021 |language=hr-hr |date=29 July 2021}}</ref>

==Tourism and recreation==
[[Rafting]] is very popular on the Vrbas. It is also one of the most popular form of recreation in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The main attraction of the area is [[Vrbas canyon]].

In 2005, the European Championships in Rafting were held on the Vrbas and the [[Tara (Drina)|Tara]] rivers in [[Bosnia and Herzegovina]]. According to the International Rafting Federation, the event was hugely successful. In May 2009 the World Rafting Championships were held again in [[Bosnia and Herzegovina]] on the Vrbas and Tara rivers.<ref>[http://www.intraftfed.com/competition/WRC2009.html WRC2009 in Bosnia and Herzegovina] {{Webarchive|url=http://arquivo.pt/wayback/20091006224103/http%3A//www.intraftfed.com/competition/WRC2009.html |date=2009-10-06 }}</ref>

==Gallery==
<gallery>
File:Vrbas gestaut.jpg|Near Banja Luka
File:Врбас у Шехеру.jpg|
File:Vrbas_reka.jpg|The river
</gallery>
== See also ==

* [[List of rivers of Bosnia and Herzegovina]]
* [[Vrbas Oblast]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Commons category|Vrbas River}}
{{Hydrography of Bosnia and Herzegovina}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Vrbas basin| ]]
[[Category:Rivers of Bosnia and Herzegovina]]
[[Category:Rafting in Bosnia and Herzegovina]]
[[Category:Recreational fishing in Bosnia and Herzegovina]]
[[Category:Hucho habitats in Bosnia and Herzegovina]]