Middle Course
Continuing to the south, the river passes through Gazivode, Zubin Potok, Ugljare, Zupče and Šipolje, reaching the city of Kosovska Mitrovica. There, it makes a sharp, elbow turn to the north flowing through Zvečan, Slatina, Sočanica, Leposavić, Dren and Lešak, entering central Serbia proper at the village of Donje Jarinje.
At Gazivode, the river is dammed, creating the artificial Lake Gazivode (area 11.9 km2/4.6 sq mi, altitude 693 m/2,274 ft, depth 105 m/344 ft). Water from the lake is used for industrial and mining facilities in the Kosovska Mitrovica/Trepča area. Below Gazivode another reservoir is created, Lake Pridvorice. These lakes allow irrigation of an area of 300 km³, and they represent part of plan, never completed, of a huge Ibar-Lepenac Hydrosystem, which was supposed to regulate the Ibar-Sitnica-Lepenac watercourse (including ecological protection, irrigation and power production).
At Kosovska Mitrovica, the river enters a minerals and ore rich area of the western slopes of Kopaonik mountain, which it will follow for over the next 100 km (62 mi). The area is especially rich in lead, zinc and silver (Stari Trg, Trepča and Leposavić mines).
Right on its elbow turn, the Ibar receives its longest (right) tributary, the Sitnica.
Read more about this topic: Ibar (river)
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