- right Firiza - location Lăpușel Basin area 317 km² Country Romania Villages Tăuții de Sus, Baia Mare | - elevation 1,005 m (3,297 ft) - elevation 155 m (509 ft) Mouth Lăpuș River Cities Baia Mare, Baia Sprie | |
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- location Gutâi Mountains, Mount Arșița | ||
The Săsar River is a right tributary of the river Lăpuș in Maramureș County, Romania. It discharges into the Lăpuș in Lăpușel, southwest of Baia Mare. It is a medium-size river which flows through the cities of Baia Sprie and Baia Mare.
Contents
Map of S%C4%83sar, Romania
The river was heavily polluted with untreated sewage, agricultural fertilizer, and toxic chemicals from local mining sites, including cyanide, arsenic, lead, and cadmium. One notable incident occurred on January 30, 2000, when a tailings impoundment at the Baia Mare mine burst, releasing 50 to 100 tons of cyanide and heavy metals into the river. The Săsar, locally known as the "dead river," is unsuitable for bathing, washing, or fishing. The World Health Organization has identified the Baia Mare region as a "health risk hotspot."
The Săsar River flows into the Lăpuș River, which in turn flows into the Someș River, a tributary of the Danube. Pollution in the Săsar thus eventually reaches Romania, Hungary, Serbia, and Bulgaria.
TributariesEdit
The following rivers are tributaries to the river Săsar: