Săsar River

Săsar River
River
256px The Săsar flowing through Baia Mare
Countries	Romania
Counties	Maramureş County
Tributaries
- left	Valea Slipului
- right	Valea Crişului, Frăsinet, Valea Limpede, Valea Tulbure, Borcutul, Chiuzbaia, Valea Morii, Valea Gordon, Firiza, Usturoiu, Valea Borcutului
Villages	Baia Sprie, Tăuţii de Sus, Baia Mare, Săsar
Source
- location	Gutâi Mountains, Mount Arșița
- elevation	1,005 m (3,297 ft)
- coordinates
Mouth	Lăpuş River
- elevation	155 m (509 ft)
- coordinates

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

External links

• United Nations report on cyanide spill from the Baia Mare mine

References

• Administrația Națională Apelor Române - Cadastrul Apelor - București
• Institutul de Meteorologie și Hidrologie - Rîurile României - București 1971
• Trasee turistice - județul Maramureș [1]

Maps

• Harta județului Maramureș [2]
• Harta muntii Gutâi [3]