Sefid
Sefid is a mapped river in the YearMaps hydrographic index. River courses organise settlement, agriculture and frontier-making more durably than any political boundary, and this reach is indexed against the dams, lakes and cities within its catchment.
- Feature Class
- River
- Coordinates
- 37.16°, 49.73°
About Sefid
The Espi Bie/Ru (Gilaki: اسپی روٚ کوٚتام/ اسپی بیه سرا
or سیوید/سپید/سفید-روٚ /بیه, lit. 'White River') is a river, approximately 670 kilometres (416 mi) long, rising in the Alborz mountain range of north-western Iran and flowing generally north-east to empty into the Caspian Sea at Kiashahr.[1]
Encyclopedic summary adapted from Wikipedia: Sefid-Rud (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Sefid in Depth
Geography
The Sefid-Rud has cut a water gap through the Alborz mountain range, the Manjil gap, capturing its two headwater tributaries, the Qizil Üzan and Shahrood rivers. It then widens the valley between the Talesh Hills and the main Alborz range. The gap provides a major route between Tehran and Gīlān Province with its Caspian lowlands.
In the wide valley before the Sefid-Rud enters the Caspian Sea, a number of transportation and irrigation canals have been cut; the two biggest are the Khomam and the Now.
The Sefid-Rud was dammed in 1962 by the Shahbanu Farah Dam (later renamed Manjil Dam), which created a 1.86 cubic kilometres (0.45 cu mi) reservoir and allowed the irrigation of an additional 2,380 km2 (919 sq mi).
History
The river was known in antiquity as Mardos (Greek: Μαρδος; Latin: Mardus) and Amardos (Greek: Αμαρδος; Latin: Amardus). In the Hellenistic period, the north side of the Sefid (then Mardus) was occupied by the Cadusii mountain tribe.
David Rohl proposes identification of Sefid-Rud with the Biblical Pishon river.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Sefid-Rud (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Sefid: Key Facts
| Length | 670 km |
|---|---|
| Drainage basin | 13,450 km² |
| Source | Zagros Mountains |
| Mouth | Caspian Sea |
| Drainage system | Caspian Sea Basin |
| Tributaries | Qezel Uzan, Shahrud River, Sīāh Rūd, Manjil River |
Facts from Wikidata Q1430986 (CC0).
Major River Dossiers
Hand-written studies of the great river systems of history.
Connected Reaches
Nearby watercourses in the same drainage network.
Water Bodies in the Catchment
Settlements Along the Reach
Hydraulic Infrastructure Nearby
Surrounding Terrain
Sefid: Quick Answers
- Where is Sefid?
- Sefid is located in Iran, at 37.1582° N, 49.7310° E.
- Are there dams on the Sefid?
- No dam on the Sefid is recorded in the YearMaps dam index, which covers major structures only.