Abstract
Slovenia is a country characterized by an abundance of water in a great variety of forms. The river network comprises almost 28,000 km of watercourses (1.4 km/km2), but they are not equally distributed because about 40% of Slovenia is karst and therefore almost without surface waters. Rivers from four-fifths of Slovene territory flow several hundred kilometers to the Black Sea and from less than one-fifth into the nearest Adriatic Sea. The few small natural lakes are either tectonic, glacial, or karst. There are more artificial lakes, including reservoirs for hydroelectric power plants, multipurpose reservoirs, and pit lakes in basins formed by abandoned mine excavations. The once-extensive swamps and marshes have shrunk significantly due to water regulation, and climate change has also caused the two Slovenian glaciers on Mount Triglav and Mount Skuta to shrink drastically. The population’s water supply relies heavily on groundwater. This is divided into aquifers with intergranular porosity, karst fissure porosity, and fissure porosity, all of which are threatened by pollution. Slovenia also has a small share of coastal water: part of the Adriatic Sea’s Gulf of Trieste.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Bat M (1997) Slovenija (Vodovje, Površinske vode) [Slovenia (Waters, surface waters)]. In: Voglar D (ed) Enciklopedija Slovenije, vol 11. Mladinska knjiga, Ljubljana, pp 325–327
Bat M, Uhan J (2004) Vode [Waters]. In: Lovrenčak F, Pavlovec R (eds) Narava Slovenije. Mladinska knjiga, Ljubljana, pp 103–145
Bat M, Dobnikar Tehovnik M, Mihorko P, Grbović J (2004) Rivers. In: Uhan J, Bat M (eds) Water treasures of Slovenia. Slovenian Environment Agency, Ljubljana, pp 27–37
Beltram G (1999) Mokrišča – njihova vrednost, vloga in ogroženost [Wetlands – their value, role and threat]. In: Sovinc A (ed) Ramsarska konvencija in slovenska mokrišča. Nacionalni odbor Republike Slovenije za Ramsarsko konvencijo, Ljubljana, pp 5–13
Beltram G (2004) Wetlands. In: Uhan J, Bat M (eds) Water treasures of Slovenia. Slovenian Environment Agency, Ljubljana, pp 46–53
Bernot F (1990) Hidrografske značilnosti morja ob slovenski obali [Hydrographic characteristics of the sea along the Slovenian coast]. In: Orožen Adamič M (ed) Primorje: zbornik 15. zborovanja slovenskih geografov. Zveza geografskih društev Slovenije, Ljubljana, pp 29–34
Brenčič M (2009) Shallow groundwater. In: Pleničar M, Ogorelec B, Novak M (eds) The geology of Slovenia. Geološki zavod Slovenije, Ljubljana, pp 543–552
Cogley JG, Hock R, Rasmussen LA, Arendt AA, Bauder A, Braithwaite RJ, Jansson P, Kaser G, Möller M, Nicholson L, Zemp M (2011) Glossary of glacier mass balance and related terms. IHP-VII technical documents in hydrology No. 86, IACS contribution No. 2. UNESCO-IHP, Paris
Del Gobbo C, Colucci RR, Forte E, Triglav Čekada M, Zorn M (2016) The Triglav glacier (South-Eastern Alps, Slovenia): volume estimation, internal characterization and 2000–2013 temporal evolution by means of ground penetrating radar measurements. Pure Appl Geophys 173:2753–2766. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00024-016-1348-2
Dobravec J, Šiško M (2002) Geografska lega in opis jezer [Geographical location and description of the lakes]. In: Brancelj A (ed) Visokogorska jezera v vzhodnem delu Julijskih Alp. Založba ZRC, Ljubljana, pp 49–76
Frantar P (2008) The water balance for the 1971–2000 period. In: Frantar P (ed) Water balance of Slovenia 1971–2000. Slovenian Environment Agency, Ljubljana, pp 71–79
Gabrovec M, Ortar J, Pavšek M, Zorn M, Triglav Čekada M (2013) The Triglav glacier between the years 1999 and 2012. Acta Geogr Slov 53(2):257–293. https://doi.org/10.3986/AGS53202
Habič P (1991) Kraška voda [Karst water]. In: Voglar D (ed) Enciklopedija Slovenije, vol 5. Mladinska knjiga, Ljubljana, pp 402–404
Hrvatin M (1998) Discharge regimes in Slovenia. Geografski zbornik 38:59–87
Hrvatin M (2004) Waters. In: Orožen Adamič M (ed) Slovenia: a geographical overview. Založba ZRC, Ljubljana, pp 31–34
Hrvatin M, Zorn M (2017) Trendi pretokov rek v slovenskih Alpah med letoma 1961 in 2010 [River discharge trends in Slovenian Alps between 1961 and 2010]. Geografski vestnik 89(2):9–35. https://doi.org/10.3986/GV89201
Kolbezen M (1998) Hidrografija [Hydrology]. In: Gams I, Vrišer I (eds) Geografija Slovenije. Slovenska matica, Ljubljana, pp 139–172
Kolega N (2006) Slovenian coast sea floods risk. Acta Geogr Slov 46(2):143–167. https://doi.org/10.3986/AGS46201
Komac B, Natek K, Zorn M (2008) Geografski vidiki poplav v Sloveniji [Geographical aspects of floods in Slovenia]. Geografija Slovenije 20. Založba ZRC, Ljubljana
Kopalne vode [Bathing waters]. http://www.arso.gov.si/vode/kopalne%20vode/. Accessed 24 July 2017
Kranjc A (1998) Kraške vode [Karst water systems]. In: Fridl J, Kladnik D, Orožen Adamič M, Perko D (eds) Geografski atlas Slovenije. DZS, Ljubljana, pp 92–93
Kranjc A (2002) Hidrološke značilnosti [Hydrological characteristics]. In: Gaberščik A (ed) Jezero, ki izginja. Društvo ekologov Slovenije, Ljubljana, pp 27–37
Kranjc U, Toman MJ, Vodopivec R, Oberžan T (2001) Programi sanacije kakovosti Blejskega jezera in Save Bohinjke [Programs for the rehabilitation of the quality of Lake Bled and the river Sava Bohinjka]. In: 12. Mišičev vodarski dan: zbornik. Vodnogospodarski biro, Maribor, pp 54–63
Lapanje A, Rman N (2009) Thermal and thermomineral water. In: Pleničar M, Ogorelec B, Novak M (eds) The geology of Slovenia. Geološki zavod Slovenije, Ljubljana, pp 553–560
Lenarčič M, Plut D (1995) Vode v Sloveniji [Waters in Slovenia]. EPSI, Nazarje
Natek K, Natek M (1998) Slovenija, geografska, zgodovinska, pravna, politična, ekonomska in kulturna podoba Slovenije [Slovenia, geographical, historical, legal, political, economic and cultural identity of Slovenia]. Mladinska knjiga, Ljubljana
Natek K, Natek M (2008) Slovenija, portret države [Slovenia, a portrait of country]. Natek in ostali, Ljubljana
Orožen Adamič M (1990) Podvodni relief Tržaškega zaliva in varovanje naravne dediščine [Underwater relief of the Gulf of Trieste and protection of the natural heritage]. In: Orožen Adamič M (ed) Primorje: zbornik 15. zborovanja slovenskih geografov. Zveza geografskih društev Slovenije, Ljubljana, pp 21–27
Orožen Adamič M, Rejec Brancelj I (1998) Morje [The sea]. In: Fridl J, Kladnik D, Orožen Adamič M, Perko D (eds) Geografski atlas Slovenije. DZS, Ljubljana, pp 96–97
Pavšek M (2007) Ledenik pod Skuto kot pokazatelj podnebnih sprememb v slovenskem delu Alp [The Skuta glacier as an indicator of climate changes in slovenian part of the Alps]. Dela 28:207–219
Prestor J, Rikanovič R, Janža M (2002) Podzemne vode [Groundwater]. In: Ušeničnik B (ed) Nesreče in varstvo pred njimi. Uprava Republike Slovenije za zaščito in reševanje, Ljubljana, pp 200–205
Radinja D (1990) Dimenzije Tržaškega zaliva in slovenskega morja ter njihov regionalni pomen [Dimensions of the Gulf of Trieste and the Slovenian Sea and their regional significance]. In: Orožen Adamič M (ed) Primorje: zbornik 15. zborovanja slovenskih geografov. Zveza geografskih društev Slovenije, Ljubljana, pp 13–20
Ravnik D (1999) Termalna voda [Thermal water]. In: Voglar D (ed) Enciklopedija Slovenije, vol 13. Mladinska knjiga, Ljubljana, p 239
Rejec Brancelj I (2004) Sea. In: Uhan J, Bat M (eds) Water treasures of Slovenia. Slovenian Environment Agency, Ljubljana, pp 67–71
Remec-Rekar Š (2016) Ocena stanja jezer v Sloveniji v letu 2015 [Assessment of the state of lakes in Slovenia in 2015]. Agencija Republike Slovenije za okolje, Ljubljana. http://www.arso.gov.si/vode/jezera/Poro%c4%8dilo%20JEZERA%20_2015%20_kon%c4%8dno%20MDT_%c5%a0RR_KON%c4%8cNO%20za%20splet.pdf. Accessed 24 July 2017
Remec-Rekar Š, Bat M (2004) Lakes. In: Uhan J, Bat M (eds) Water treasures of Slovenia. Slovenian Environment Agency, Ljubljana, pp 39–45
Šterbenk E, Ževart M, Ramšak R (2004) Jezera, o katerih bomo še slišali – Šaleška jezera [Lakes that we will hear about – Šalek lakes]. Geografski obzornik 51(1):4–12
Šušteršič F (1994) Reka sedmerih imen [The river of seven names]. NAKLO, Logatec
Trobec A, Šmuc A, Poglajen S, Vrabec M (2017) Submerged and buried Pleistocene river channels in the Gulf of Trieste (Northern Adriatic Sea): geomorphic, stratigraphic and tectonic inferences. Geomorphology 286:110–120. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geomorph.2017.03.012
Turk V (2016) Izvajanje monitoringa kemijskega in ekološkega stanja morja v letu 2015 [Implementation of monitoring of the chemical and ecological status of the sea in 2015]. Nacionalni inštitut za biologijo, Morska biološka postaja Piran, Piran. http://www.arso.gov.si/vode/morje/Barcelonska%202015.pdf. Accessed 7 Aug 2017
Uhan J, Kranjc M (2004) Groundwater. In: Uhan J, Bat M (eds) Water treasures of Slovenia. Slovenian Environment Agency, Ljubljana, pp 55–65
Valvasor JW (1689) Die Ehre des herzogthums Crain. W. M. Endtner, Nürnberg
Vreš B, Gilčvert Berdnik D, Seliškar A (2014) Rastlinstvo življenjskih okolij v Sloveniji [Vegetation of natural environments in Slovenia]. Pipinova knjiga, Ljubljana
Žlebnik L (1993) Mineralna voda [Mineral water]. In: Voglar D (ed) Enciklopedija Slovenije, vol 7. Mladinska knjiga, Ljubljana, pp 147–148
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2020 Springer Nature Switzerland AG
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Hrvatin, M., Pavšek, M., Topole, M. (2020). Waters of Slovenia. In: Perko, D., Ciglič, R., Zorn, M. (eds) The Geography of Slovenia. World Regional Geography Book Series. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-14066-3_4
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-14066-3_4
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-030-14065-6
Online ISBN: 978-3-030-14066-3
eBook Packages: Earth and Environmental ScienceEarth and Environmental Science (R0)