Săsar River

Geobox River
name =Săsar River
native_name =
other_name =
other_name1 =


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country_type = Countries
state_type =
region_type =
district_type = Counties
city_type = Villages
country = Romania
country1 =
state =
state1 =
region =
region1 =
district = Maramureş County
district1 =
city = Baia Sprie,
Tăuţii de Sus,
Baia Mare,
Săsar
city1 =
length =
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source_name =
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mouth_name = Lăpuş River
mouth_location =
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tributary_left = Valea Slipului
tributary_left1 =
tributary_right = Valea Crişului,
Valea Frăsinet,
Valea Limpede,
Valea Tulbure,
Valea Borcutului,
Chiuzbaia,
Valea Morii,
Valea Gordon,
Firiza,
Usturoiu,
Valea Borcutului
tributary_right1 =
free =
free_type = Official River Code


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The Săsar River is a medium-size river which crosses the Baia Mare region of Romania and flows through the city of Baia Mare in Maramureş County.

The river is 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 Sasar, 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 Lăpuş River, which in turn flows into the Someş River. The Someş is a tributary of the Danube. Pollution in the Sasar thus eventually reaches Romania, Hungary, Serbia, and Bulgaria.

External links

* [http://www.rec.org/REC/Publications/CyanideSpill/ENGCyanide.pdf United Nations report on cyanide spill from the Baia Mare mine]

References

* Administraţia Naţională Apelor Române - Cadastrul Apelor - Bucureşti
* Institutul de Meteorologie şi Hidrologie - Rîurile României - Bucureşti 1971
* Trasee turistice - judeţul Maramureş [http://www.e-calauza.ro/index.php?afiseaza=trasee-turistice-maramures]

Maps

* Harta judeţului Maramureş [http://www.harta-turistica.ro/map.php?ID=36&harta=Judetul%20Maramures]
* Harta muntii Gutâi [http://harti.mielu.ro/gutii.html]