Sava - Source

Source

The Sava River is formed of the Sava Dolinka and the Sava Bohinjka headwaters in northwest Slovenia. The river's headwater area also encompasses several tributaries, including the 52-kilometre (32 mi) Sora, the 27-kilometre (17 mi) Tržič Bistrica and the 17-kilometre (11 mi) Radovna rivers—flowing into the Sava at confluences located as far east downstream as Medvode. Valleys of the Sava Dolinka and the Sava Bohinjka are glacial valleys, carved out by the Sava Dolinka and Bohinj glaciers advancing down Karavanke mountain range to vicinity of present-day Radovljica. In the late Pleistocene, Bohinj Glacier was the largest glacier in the territory of present-day Slovenia, up to 900 metres (3,000 feet) thick.

The Sava Dolinka rises at the Zelenci Pools near Kranjska Gora, Slovenia, in a valley separating the Julian Alps from Karavanke range. The spring is located near Slovene-Italian border at 833 metres (2,733 feet) above sea level, in area of drainage divide between Adriatic and Danube basins. The Sava Dolinka spring is thus fed by groundwater possibly exhibiting bifurcation of source karst aquifer to Sava and Soča basins. Losing stream of short Nadiža creek, flowing nearby, is the source of Zelenci Pools water. Sava River is considered to comprise Sava Dolinka as its initial, 45-kilometre (28 mi) segment.

The Sava Bohinjka originates in Ribčev Laz, at confluence of the Jezernica, a short watercourse flowing out from Lake Bohinj—and the Mostnica River. Some sources define the Jezernica as a part of the Sava Bohinjka, specifying the latter as flowing directly out of the lake, while another group of sources include Savica, rising at the southern flank of Triglav as the 78-metre (256 ft) Savica Falls, downstream from Triglav Lakes Valley, and flowing into the lake, as a part of the Sava Bohinjka. The watercourse flows 41 kilometres (25 miles)—including length of the Savica—east to Radovljica, where it discharges into the Sava Dolinka. Downstream from the confluence, the river is referred to as the Sava.