Mat (river)
Lower reaches of the Mats
Ulza Dam
Shkopet Reservoir - Canyon of the mat before entering the Plains
Template: Infobox River / Obsolete
The river Mat ( Albanian: Mati ) drained parts of the Albanian mountains northeast of Tirana. It ends after 115 kilometers between cities Laç and Lezha in the Adriatic Sea.
The Mat drains a broad (high) valley, which also bears the name Mat. He then passes through a narrow gorge through the Skanderbeggebirge that separates the Mat region of the Albanian coastal plain. At the end of this incision he unites with its main tributary, the fan This drains the northerly Mirdita. From then on, there are still around 25 kilometers through the flat coastal plain, until the river empties into the Drin golf. The entire catchment area covers an area of 2441 square kilometers.
The mat was jammed twice in the narrow gorge at the output of the Mat Valley. The Ulza Reservoir ( Liqeni i Ulzës ) is formed by a 64 meter high and 126 meter long dam. It holds 124 million cubic meters. The head of water at the power plant is around 55 meters. The hydroelectric power plant was built by Soviet specialists and taken into operation in 1957. It is the first major hydroelectric power plant in the country. Early 2000s, there was renewed with foreign aid so that more power can be obtained. Right below the Ulza dam is the narrow Shkopet Reservoir ( Liqeni i Shkopetit ), which runs for several kilometers through the narrow gorge and is also provided with a hydroelectric plant. This hydroelectric plant is six years younger and was also built yet under Soviet instructions. It is currently replacing also. The dam is 53 meters high and 90 meters long. The case height is around 36 meters there.
The average discharge of the Mat is 103 m³ / s This is the third largest value among the Albanian rivers. After rainfall, he leads a lot of water, resulting in floods again and again, by the construction of the power plants can be regulated but much better. The maximum amount of water exceeds the minimum amount of water during the year by ten times.
After the confluence with the fan of the Mat is a very wide river bed and a barrier for travelers between north and central Albania represented with its many pebble and gravel at low water. During the First World War Austrian troops built temporary bridges in Milot. In 1927 established the first permanent bridge across the river. The bridge with five large steel arches on concrete piers spans 480 meters. It was designed by German and Swiss engineers. As one of the largest buildings of the former Albania it was called the King in honor Zogu Bridge. Later, she was often referred to only as Mat Bridge. It should take about 50 years ie until another bridge crossed the river on the coastal plain. The new building for road and railroad allowed for a more direct connection, since the Zogu Bridge is a little inland located in the Mat Valley. Once again, 25 years later was for the new highway that will cross the country from north to south, a third - Mat bridge built further west. This bridge is 650 meters long.