Cem River
Dried up river bed of the Cem i Vuklit
Gorge at Tamara
The Valley of the Cijevna little above the Montenegrin- Albanian border
Template: Infobox River / Obsolete
The Cijevna (Serbian Цијевна ) respectively Albanian Cem or Cemi is a tributary of the Morača, which rises in northern Albania and ends after 62.2 km far from the lake Skadar in Montenegro. It drains the northwest of the Albanian Alps - an area of 368 km ², of which 238 km ² are in Albania. The average amount of water is 24.86 m³ / s Most water the river carries in December after the first rainfall and strong in April as a result of snowmelt.
The Cijevna whose headwaters Cem i Selcës is called, rises in the far north of Albania from several mountain streams to around 1500 m altitude. After the source of the Berizhdol pass Qafa e Bordolecit he runs first west, then to the southwest. The Cem Valley cuts right from the start deep in the mountains of Malësia e Madhe and forms several deep ravines. Despite all, the V- valley habitat for several villages - including Grabon, Broja, Tamara, Dobrenja, Selca and Gropat e Selcës and Kozhnja, Vukël and Nikç side valleys - and only thoroughfare in this part of the country.
After about 22.5 kilometers, it unites the place Tamara with the coming of a left tributary Cem i Vuklit, rarely also called Cem i Nikçit. The 17.9 km long Cem i Vuklit with a catchment area of 132 km ² is not only the largest tributary, but also carries more water than the main river. [Note 1] In the lower part of the river runs through a narrow incised valley, the upper part Nikç the village where the mountains form a valley with steep cliffs, is a dry valley - just below the village Vukël performs a great source of the river bed in the valley running water. Some right side streams run, however, an ongoing water.
After 26.5 km, the river happens to about 160 m.ü.A. the Albanian- Montenegrin border. The river crosses again at this point a deep gorge, which is only poorly developed. This area is an important refuge for many rare plant and animal species, especially birds. It is a protected area within the meaning of the Berne Convention and includes several endemic species. The mountains to the west flowing river which now gradually lower. Northeast of Tuzi he then in the zeta - level exits, he crosses south of Podgorica, and then open into the Morača.
There live 22 species of fish in the river, including salmonids, eel and Strömer ( Leuciscus souffia montenegrinus ). There are also amphibians and reptiles.
In some places there are small hydroelectric power plants, and more are planned. The water of the Cijevna is also used in some places for irrigation purposes. In some fish farms trout are bred. While the Albanian section of the water quality is good, the ecosystems of the river is threatened by waste and sewage as well as extraction of gravel and sand in the lower section.