Daugava River

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The Daugava or Western Dvina (Daugava, Западная Двина́ (Zapadnaya Dvina), Заходняя Дзвiна, ; Dźwina, Düna, Väina, Väinäjoki ) is a river rising in the Valdai Hills, Russia, flowing through Russia, Belarus, and Latvia, draining into the Gulf of Riga in Latvia, an arm of the Baltic Sea. The total length of the river is 1,020 km (634 mi).

It is connected by a canal with Berezina and Dnieper rivers.

It is not to be confused with Northern Dvina.

There are three hydroelectric dams on the Daugava River - Rīgas HES just upstream from Riga or 35 km from the mouth of the river, Ķeguma HES another 35 km further up or 70 km from the mouth, and Pļaviņu HES another 37 km upstream or 107 km from the mouth. A fourth one, Daugavpils HES, has been planned but has always faced strong criticism. Belarus currently plans to build several hydroelectric dams on the Belarusian part of Daugava.

Ecological catastrophy of 2007

In late March 2007, a pipe for diesel fuel transport, located in Belarus and belonging to a Russian company Zapad-Transnefte-produkt (Запад-Транснефте-продукт) failed, ejecting more than 100 tons of diesel fuel into the Daugava River. Currently more than 100 kilometres of Daugava's basin located in Latvia is covered in petroleum hydrocarbons.

Cities by Daugava

• Daugavpils, Latvia
• Jēkabpils, Latvia
• Aizkraukle, Latvia
• Ogre, Latvia
• Salaspils, Latvia
• Riga, Latvia
• Velizh, Russia
• Vitebsk, Belarus
• Polatsk, Belarus with some Dvina stones strewn in the vicinity

Main tributaries

• Aiviekste
• Pałata
• Kasplya
• Mezha
• Dysna

External links

• River Daugava Basin
• Daugava Hydropower Plants in Latvia

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Last updated on Tuesday March 11, 2008 at 08:01:35 PDT (GMT -0700)
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