Ahja River

Canoeing on the River Ahja district Põlvamaa

The Ahja (Estonian Ahja Jõgi, German Aya ) is a river in southeastern Estonia.

The river starts at the lake Erastvere ( 16.3 hectares) on the ridge of Otepaeae. It ends after 95 kilometers in the Emajögi ( German Embach ), about 8.8 km before emptying into Lake Peipus. The river travels a gradient of 87.6 m. Its catchment area is 1073 km ².

In the lower reaches the Ahja is navigable. At about halfway the hydroelectric plant of Saesaare was built in 1951. At the headwaters of the river lies the nature reserve of Tilleoru ( 1.9 km ², Lage58.01441666666726.919611111111 ). Between the villages Koorvere and Valgesoo to a distance of 18 kilometers from the protected landscape area of Ahja glacial valley ( 10.4 km ²).

The Ahja is one of the fish - and species- rich rivers in Estonia (especially brown trout, rainbow trout, grayling, pike, roach, chub, dace, minnow, roach, gudgeon, bleak, tailor, bream, burbot, nine-spined stickleback and ruffe ). There 34 different plant species were detected.

The right-hand tributaries of the Ahja are Lutsu and Orajõgi, the left tributaries Hilba and Leevi.