Sediment characteristics of the Luda Yana River, Bulgaria

This paper presents the results of an investigation into the physical properties of fluvial deposits within the channel of the Luda Yana River and its major tributaries. Sediment samples were collected from the riverbeds of the Panagyurska Luda Yana and Strelchanska Luda Yana rivers, as well as from the middle and lower courses of the main Luda Yana River, and were subjected to sedimentological (grain-size) analysis. Based on the results obtained, a qualitative assessment of erosion intensity and of the dominant sediment transport and depositional processes was performed for the upper, middle, and lower courses of the Luda Yana River. The findings indicate that the Strelchanska Luda Yana River is characterized by a high potential for strong currents. Despite the commissioning of the Luda Yana Dam on a tributary of the Panagyurska Luda Yana River, the occurrence of torrential processes within the studied drainage basin remains likely, primarily due to the high erosion potential of the Strelchanska Luda Yana River.