548
R. B˘ atina¸ s et al.
The southern region of the Apuseni Mountains, morphologically expressed by
the Zarand ridge and Metaliferi Mountains, is characterized by a hydrographical
inventory, defined by short rivers, with small flows that are directly tributary to
Mure¸ s river.
The eastern and south-eastern flank dominated by the calcareous summit of
Trasc˘ au, the peaks of the Southern Metalifers, are marked by hydrographic courses
with lengths exceeding 20 km, but with moderate or even modest flows: Valea Galda,
Ampoiul and Valea Geoagiului.
Somes , ul Mic basin develops on the north-eastern slope of the Apuseni Mountains,
overlapping the morphological units associated with three mountain massifs: Gil˘ au—
Muntele Mare Mountains, Vl˘ adeasa Massif and B˘ atrâna Mountains component of
the Bihor Mountains.
As in the Aries , basin, Some¸ sul Mic is defined by two branches, relatively parallel,
as a general direction of flow, but with very different peculiarities, including from
the point of view also the hydrotechnical arrangements. Some¸ sul Cald springs from
the Bihor Mountains, from the karst region, situated at the edge of Padi¸ s Plateau,
which gives it a drainage alternation either on the surface or underground. The most
important tributaries are the B˘ atrâna Valley, Firii Valley, Beli¸ sul, Valea Neagr˘ a, R⸠sca
and the Agârbiciu valley. The course of the river is strongly modified by the presence
of four storage lakes, equipped with hydropower plants. Moreover, from this point
of view, only the northern sector of the Apuseni is well represented hydro-technical.
The course of the river closes in Gil˘ au, where it merges with the other hydrographic
branch Some¸ sul Rece [63].
Some¸ sul Rece springs from Muntele Mare massif, through the Zboru stream,
with its origin under the Balomireasa Peak, at almost 1600 m altitudes. The area of
origin is defined by a flat relief, with large marshes, called here molha¸ suri, some
of them being preserved as natural reservations (C˘ ap˘ a¸ tânii Molha¸ s). The tributaries
are represented by short watercourses with the relatively rich flow: Fie¸ sul, Ursul and
Negru¸ ta. The natural drainage is influenced by a transverse system of underground
water adductions, which complements the flows used by hydropower plants located
on the Some¸ sul Cald basin. In the upper sector there is a single reservoir, with a name
quasi-identical to the river (Some¸ sul Rece I), which takes over the captured waters
of the Iara River tributaries, and then sends them through R˘ ac˘ at˘ au valley towards
Beli¸ s-Fantanele reservoir [63]. The lower sector closes by a flanking delta at the
upstream end of Lake Gil˘ au.
The hydrographic system of the western flank of the Apuseni Mountains is represented by a triad of Cris , uri (although there are five hydronimes with the component
“Cri¸ s”—respectively Cri¸ sul Negru, Cri¸ sul Alb, Cri¸ sul Repede, Cri¸ sul Pietros and
Cri¸ sul B˘ ai¸ ta) whose drainage direction is predominantly western. From north to
south, the hydrographic network on the western side of the Apuseni is collected by
Cri¸ sul Repede, Cri¸ sul Negru and Cris , ul Alb.
Cri¸ sul Repede drains the northern slopes of the Gil˘ au-Vl˘ adeasa and P˘ adurea
Craiului massifs. Asymmetry of the basin is very strong, being in favor of the left
tributaries, which have a generous development, especially in the upper sector. The
R. B˘ atina¸ s et al.
The southern region of the Apuseni Mountains, morphologically expressed by
the Zarand ridge and Metaliferi Mountains, is characterized by a hydrographical
inventory, defined by short rivers, with small flows that are directly tributary to
Mure¸ s river.
The eastern and south-eastern flank dominated by the calcareous summit of
Trasc˘ au, the peaks of the Southern Metalifers, are marked by hydrographic courses
with lengths exceeding 20 km, but with moderate or even modest flows: Valea Galda,
Ampoiul and Valea Geoagiului.
Somes , ul Mic basin develops on the north-eastern slope of the Apuseni Mountains,
overlapping the morphological units associated with three mountain massifs: Gil˘ au—
Muntele Mare Mountains, Vl˘ adeasa Massif and B˘ atrâna Mountains component of
the Bihor Mountains.
As in the Aries , basin, Some¸ sul Mic is defined by two branches, relatively parallel,
as a general direction of flow, but with very different peculiarities, including from
the point of view also the hydrotechnical arrangements. Some¸ sul Cald springs from
the Bihor Mountains, from the karst region, situated at the edge of Padi¸ s Plateau,
which gives it a drainage alternation either on the surface or underground. The most
important tributaries are the B˘ atrâna Valley, Firii Valley, Beli¸ sul, Valea Neagr˘ a, R⸠sca
and the Agârbiciu valley. The course of the river is strongly modified by the presence
of four storage lakes, equipped with hydropower plants. Moreover, from this point
of view, only the northern sector of the Apuseni is well represented hydro-technical.
The course of the river closes in Gil˘ au, where it merges with the other hydrographic
branch Some¸ sul Rece [63].
Some¸ sul Rece springs from Muntele Mare massif, through the Zboru stream,
with its origin under the Balomireasa Peak, at almost 1600 m altitudes. The area of
origin is defined by a flat relief, with large marshes, called here molha¸ suri, some
of them being preserved as natural reservations (C˘ ap˘ a¸ tânii Molha¸ s). The tributaries
are represented by short watercourses with the relatively rich flow: Fie¸ sul, Ursul and
Negru¸ ta. The natural drainage is influenced by a transverse system of underground
water adductions, which complements the flows used by hydropower plants located
on the Some¸ sul Cald basin. In the upper sector there is a single reservoir, with a name
quasi-identical to the river (Some¸ sul Rece I), which takes over the captured waters
of the Iara River tributaries, and then sends them through R˘ ac˘ at˘ au valley towards
Beli¸ s-Fantanele reservoir [63]. The lower sector closes by a flanking delta at the
upstream end of Lake Gil˘ au.
The hydrographic system of the western flank of the Apuseni Mountains is represented by a triad of Cris , uri (although there are five hydronimes with the component
“Cri¸ s”—respectively Cri¸ sul Negru, Cri¸ sul Alb, Cri¸ sul Repede, Cri¸ sul Pietros and
Cri¸ sul B˘ ai¸ ta) whose drainage direction is predominantly western. From north to
south, the hydrographic network on the western side of the Apuseni is collected by
Cri¸ sul Repede, Cri¸ sul Negru and Cris , ul Alb.
Cri¸ sul Repede drains the northern slopes of the Gil˘ au-Vl˘ adeasa and P˘ adurea
Craiului massifs. Asymmetry of the basin is very strong, being in favor of the left
tributaries, which have a generous development, especially in the upper sector. The