Apuseni Natural Park

46°36′14″N 22°48′36″E / 46.604°N 22.810°E / 46.604; 22.810^[1]Area75784 hectares (187270 acres)Established2000, designation 1990Websiteparcapuseni.ro

The Apuseni Natural Park (Romanian: Parcul Natural Apuseni) is a protected area (natural park category V IUCN) situated in Romania, in the administrative territory of counties Alba (28%), Bihor (32 %), and Cluj (40%).^[2][3]

Location

The Natural Park is located in western Romania in the central-northern side of the Apuseni Mountains, comprising part of the Bihor Mountains to the south and Vlădeasa Mountains [ro] to the north. It is situated on the administrative territory of 16 communes, which include 53 localities fully and 8 others partially. The Park features 3 resorts: Boga, Fântânele, and Vârtop.^[3]

Natural reserves

The Apuseni Natural Park with an area of 75,784 ha (187,270 acres)^[4] was declared natural protected area by the Law Number 5 of March 6, 2000 (published in the Monitorul Oficial of Romania, Number 152 of April 12, 2000)^[5] and represents a mountainous area (mountain peaks, cirques, caves, valleys, karst areas, forests, and pastures), with flora and fauna specific to the Western Carpathians.

Natural reserves included in the park:

• Alba County^[6]

• • Avenul din Hoanca Urzicarului [ro], 1 ha (2.5 acres)
  • Coiba Mare Cave [ro], 0.5 ha (1.2 acres)
  • Ghețarul de la Vârtop Cave [ro], 1 ha (2.5 acres)
  • Izbucul de la Cotețul Dobreștilor [ro], 0.2 ha (0.49 acres)
  • Izbucul Mătișești [ro], 2 ha (4.9 acres)
  • Izbucul Tăuzului [ro], 1 ha (2.5 acres)
  • Scărișoara Cave, 1 ha (2.5 acres)

• Bihor County^[7]
  • Avenul Borțigului [ro], 0.1 ha (0.25 acres)
  • Bears' Cave, 1 ha (2.5 acres)
  • Cârligați Peak [ro], 10 ha (25 acres)
  • Cerbului Cave - Avenul cu Vacă [ro], 45 ha (110 acres)
  • Cetatea Rădesei Cave [ro], 20 ha (49 acres)
  • Cetățile Ponorului [ro], 14.9 ha (37 acres)
  • Ciur Izbuc Cave [ro], 0.1 ha (0.25 acres)
  • Fâneața Izvoarelor Crișul Pietros [ro], 1 ha (2.5 acres)
  • Ghețarul Focul Viu Cave [ro], 0.1 ha (0.25 acres)
  • Groapa de la Bârsa [ro], 30 ha (74 acres)
  • Groapa Ruginoasa - Valea Seacă [ro], 20.4 ha (50 acres)
  • Micula’s Cave [ro], 0.1 ha (0.25 acres)
  • Pietrele Boghii [ro], 38.4 ha (95 acres)

• • Pietrele Galbenei [ro], 6.3 ha (16 acres)
  • Platoul carstic Lumea Pierdută [ro], 39 ha (96 acres)
  • Platoul carstic Padiș [ro], 39 ha (96 acres)
  • Poiana Florilor [ro], 1 ha (2.5 acres)
  • Săritoarea Bohodeiului [ro], 32.9 ha (81 acres)
  • Smeii de la Onceasa Cave [ro], 0.5 ha (1.2 acres)
  • Valea Galbenei [ro], 70.5 ha (174 acres)
  • Valea Sighiștelului [ro], 412.6 ha (1,020 acres)
  • Vârful Biserica Moțului [ro], 3 ha (7.4 acres)
• Cluj County
  • Molhașul Mare de la Izbuc [ro], 8 ha (20 acres)

Rivers and lakes

The surface waters of the Apuseni Natural Park belong to the hydrographic basins of the rivers:^[8]

• Arieșul Mare and its tributaries, Gârda Seacă, Popasele [ro], and Cobleș.
• Someșul Mic and its left headwater, the Someșul Cald, together with the latter's tributaries, Alunul Mare [ro], Alunul Mic [ro], Beliș, Ponor [ro], Valea Firii [ro], Barna [ro], Valea Izbucului, and Călineasa.
• Crișul Negru and its tributaries, Crișul Pietros (together with its headwater, Galbena [ro], and its tributaries, Valea Mare Cărpinoasa and Căuși [ro]) and Crișul Băița (together with its tributaries, Hoanca Moțului [ro] and Sighiștel).

In the northern part of the park, there is the Beliș-Fântânele Lake [ro], a reservoir in the Gilău Mountains, built between 1970 and 1974. Located at an altitude of 1,050 m (3,440 ft), the reservoir covers an area of ​826 ha (2,040 acres) and has a volume of 225–250 million cubic metres (0.054–0.060 cu mi) of water. It was formed after the damming of the Someșul Cald downstream of its confluence with the Beliș stream; the dam has a height of 92 m (302 ft) and a length of 410 m (1,350 ft). From the reservoir, the water is diverted through a 8.475 km (5.266 mi) tunnel to the turbines of the Mărișelu Hydroelectric Power Station.^[8][9]

References