Daugava
| Daugava | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Russia |
| Mouth | Gulf of Riga, Baltic Sea |
| Basin Countries | Belarus, Latvia, Russia |
| Length | 1020 km (663 mi) |
| Source Elevation | 221 m (725 ft) |
| Avg. Discharge | 678 m³/s (7,310 ft³/s) |
| Watershed Area | 87,900 km² (33,900 mi²) |
The Western Dvina or Daugava (Belarusian: Заходняя Дзьвіна (Zahodniaja Dźvina), Latvian: Daugava, Russian: Западная Двина´, Polish: Dźwina, German: Düna, ) is a River rising in the Valdai Hills, Russia, flowing through Russia, Belarus, and Latvia, draining into the Gulf of Riga, an arm of the Baltic Sea. The total length of the river is 1,020 km (633.7 mi.).
It is connected by a canal with Biarezina and Dniapro rivers.
It is not to be confused with Northern Dvina.
There are three hydroelectric dams on the river - Rīgas HES just upstream from Riga or 35 km from the mouth of the river, Ķeguma HES another 35 km further up or 70 km from the mouth, and Pļaviņu HES another 37 km upstream or 107 km from the mouth. A fourth one, Daugavpils HES, has been planned but has always faced strong criticism. Belarus currently plans to build several hydroelectric dams on the Belarusian part of Daugava.