Miljacka

Characteristics

The Miljacka river originates from the Paljanska-Miljacka river and the Mokranjska Miljacka river confluence, though the Paljanska Miljacka, 13 kilometres (8.1 mi) long river, spring up around 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) eastward from the town of Pale, under the slopes of Jahorina near Begovina at 1025 metres a.s.l., and the Mokranjska Miljacka, 21 kilometres (13 mi) long river, spring up from a large cave, yet to be explored, near Kadino Selo village at 1,135 metres a.s.l. under the slopes of Romanija mountains.

The Miljacka is a rather small river, only 38 kilometres (24 mi) long with average discharge of 5.7 m³/s at the City of Sarajevo, and right tributary of the Bosna river. Hence the origin and the estuary, the Miljacka river flows from the east to the west.

Mokranjska Miljacka cave

The cave at the spring of Mokranjska Miljacka about 7 km from village Mokro near town Pale, Bosnia and Herzegovina, is officially the longest cave in entire Bosnia and Herzegovina. New species of spider, Nemanela Lade, and other animals (bats) and other paleontological finds, traces of humans and Stalactites have been found here as well as Pisolite rocks. A skeleton head of cave bear has also been found at this location.PDF source The researches believe to have discovered bubbles of air as a possible sign of tectonic activity. The length of the cave so far explored is 7200 m (as at Aug. 2015). The exact location of the cave is not as yet mapped out for public, but local authorities have released the map by which it is possible to locate it as well as gallery of discoveries within the cave.

Environment

Because of its poor discharge, the Miljacka is known for its peculiar smell and brown waters. Miljacka river cascades, which regulate the waterbed and enrich the water with oxygen, are a twirling trap for plastic scraps, stranded balls, car tires and various waste. The main collector that drains the fecal matter is parallel with the flow of Miljacka up to its mouth to the river Bosna. The sewer system is not connected to the main collector, causing leakage of fecal matter directly into the waters of Miljacka on several places. Due to Bosnian War water treatment was stopped and plant equipment looted preventing local government to deal with the issue as estimations to repair the wastewater plant run between 50 and 60 million euros.

In April 2015, project Čista rijeka Miljacka (Clean river Miljacka) was presented. The aim of the project is to bring the river status to category A, meaning for water to be clean for swimming.source

In August 2015, Sarajevo Grad signed a contract with ER Project d.o.o company to clean up 48 river cascades from Šeher-Ćehaja bridge to Dolac Malta suburb bridge.source

In popular culture

Several famous bridges span it, including the Latin Bridge close to which the murder of Franz Ferdinand, Archduke of Austria was carried out by Gavrilo Princip. Due to the shallowness of the 10 centimetres (3.9 in) deep river — as well as because of the ineffective cyanide pill he swallowed in his suicide attempt just after throwing a grenade against the archduke's car — another member of the Bosnia-Herzegovinian Mlada Bosna movement, Nedeljko Čabrinović leapt into the Miljacka, but was dragged out alive and arrested.

Bridges

There are over dozen of bridges over river Miljacka, some of the more known ones: