The Aroanios (; ; ) is a river in the southern part of Achaea, Greece and a tributary of Ladon river. The water comes from the Carbonate rock mountain range Aroania (1500-2300m). After 12 km, it meets the Ladonas (near to Pangrataika Kalyvia) in the area of "Helongospilia” (Χελωνοσπηλιά).[Χελωνοσπηλιά, village of Achaea, participated in the nation’s uprising 1821]
The river
The river has carried
Debris flow, soil and parts of trees and plants from the mountain range of Aroania (also known as Chelmos, Χελμός), to deposit it in the valley. This occurs mainly in the wet seasons of the Quaternary.
[In this geological time span (2,5 million years to the present) of weathering, erosion and denudation of the mountain range, the river and the river valley have shaped their modern morphology. The river was probably much larger in those days, transporting large woody debris, sand, gravel, and water in bigger quantities. See also the image: Giswil06.JPG] In addition, the
Scree (rock fragments) from the surrounding mountains formed further layers of
Sedimentation in the valley.
[See also the photo: Κορυφογραμμή Πίνδου Τζούρτζας.JPG] The surface of the valley was gradually covered by layers of clayish, fertile soil. Valley and river achieved their modern form. People of the villages and small towns cultivated the ground. At the confluence of the small rivers Λαγκάδα, Ξηρόρεμα and
Kleitor River, coming from the carbonate mountains in the west, their
alluvial fan expanded the valley drastically. Here, on a hill in the widened valley, the largest town of the valley has developed:
Kleitoria. The local residents turned the whole valley into a picturesque, beautiful Cultural landscape with fields, gardens and many trees. Its name is “Katsana”.
[See External Links: Map of Katsana, Achaea, the area of valley by toponavigator]
Ancient Greece
Pausanias (110-180 AD) in his book “Description of Greece” (Ancient Greek: Ἑλλάδος Περιήγησις) already used the name “Aroanios” for the valley's river.
[Pausanias, Description of Greece. Book 8, chapter 19 and chapter 21] The preserved publications of
Polybios (208-125 BC, “Historíai”) and of Pliny The Elder (AD 23-79, “Naturalis historia”) confirm Pausanias’ description, but are less precise and informative. Aroanios is the river's official name. But at some point in the past the river bore the name
Katzanas or
Katsanas (Κατσάνας, en: Katzánas). The cited ancient book authors also report on the antique city
Cleitor as predecessor of modern Kleitoria - again Pausanias is the most precise. Wall remnants are still visible in the valley only 1300m west of the modern town.
[See the ruins of Cleitor: If you have a global application like ″Google earth″ on your local device, you can have the application focus on the following coordinates. You might prefer to have the focus by using a service within your browser. Coordinates of the ruins: . To see the ruins, you must go very close.] At Kleitoria's position - in the middle of the broad valley - the three small river waters merge with River Aroanios.
[For an excellent secondary source see “W. Smith, Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography, 1854.” Chunked English text] The River Aroanios must not be confused with another, smaller river of the same name. That river flows generally southwest bound and pours into River Erymanthos at the community
Psofida.
The karst springs
The
of River Aroanios (for other karst springs on the
Peloponnese see
Καρστική πηγή) emerge in a small forest of „plane trees“ (580x30m) next to the village of
Planitero (Achaea). The plane trees obviously benefit from the
karst springs water. The very small outlets together issue a huge amount of karst water after a fairly short distance. They feed River Aroanios. A detailed international geological study lists 41 of these spring outlets.
[A. Morfis, etal, p. 123] According to this study the waters of the outlets emerge directly from local karstic rock layers, which outcrop here, or they rise from the loose
Sedimentation (Silicate minerals,
sand and
gravel).
Rainbow trout farms, restaurants and displays of tourist ware crowd the whole area. In summer the forest is part of an excursion for residents, who come in busses and private cars even from
Patras, despite the long distance.
Environment and nature
The springs under the wooded area are an extraordinaryly valuable piece of nature - a true “
Geotope“ - rare not only in Greece. It ought to be preserved and protected accordingly (see also the photo).
[The “Environmental Education Centre of Kleitoria-Akrata” at Kleitoria – together with about 60 other centers, Peloponnese and Greece – want to sensitize pupils and teachers for their environment.] But the natural monument is dominated by to much commercial tourism. Verandas of restaurants, sale points, an abandoned buildings stand directly in the fragile nature
[Water abundance in Greece within natural environment is rare. The place is attractive for greek tourists and those with commercial interests. But sustainability in the long run needs more regulation] (see the photographic document).
See also
Literature
-
A. Morfis, Athens, H. Zojer, Graz. Karst Hydrogeology of the Central and Eastern Peloponnesus (Greece), Steirische Beiträge zur Hydrogeologie, Graz (Austria) 1986
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Design and implementation, "Environmental Education Centre of Kleitoria - Akrata" (KEP). Raising the consciousness about crucial environmental problems for Greek pupils and teachers’. Kleitoria, (Achaea), 2004. See External Links.
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William Smith, Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography. London 1854.
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Pausanias, Description of Greece. English Translation by W.H.S. Jones and H.A. Ormerod, London 1918.
External links
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toponavigator, map of Katsana, Achaea, the area of Aroanios’ valley
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Pausanias, Description of Greece. Chunked English text passages. Book 8 chapter 19
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Pausanias, Description of Greece. Chunked English text passages. Book 8 chapter 21
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Smith, Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography. Chunked english text passages for Cleitor, Aroanius/Katzanas
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"Environmental Education Centre of Kleitoria - Akrata", Kleitoria Achaea: Sensitize pupils and teachers for their environment
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Helongospilia (Χελωνοσπηλιά), village of Achaea, participated in the nation’s uprising 1821 (in Greek)
