Isonzo

	Soča/Isonzo
	River
	The Soča near Bobarid
Country	Slovenia, Italy
Municipalities	Bovec, Kobarid, Tolmin, Kanal ob Soči, Nova Gorica, Gorizia, Savogna d'Isonzo, Farra d'Isonzo, Gradisca d'Isonzo, Sagrado, Fogliano Redipuglia, Villesse, San Pier d'Isonzo, Fiumicello, Turriaco, San Canzian d'Isonzo
	Tributaries
- left	Idrijca, Vipava
- right	Torre
Landmark	Solkan Bridge
Source
- location	Trenta Valley, Julian Alps, Slovenia
- elevation	876 m (2,874 ft)
- coordinates	46°24′10″N 13°44′44″E / 46.40278°N 13.74556°E
Mouth	Gulf of Trieste
- location	Adriatic Sea, Italy
- elevation	0 m (0 ft)
- coordinates	43°43′35″N 13°33′09″E / 43.72639°N 13.5525°E
Length	138 km (86 mi)
Basin	3,400 km² (1,313 sq mi)
Discharge	for Pieris
- average	172 m³/s (6,074 cu ft/s)
	Wikimedia Commons: Soča River

Coordinates: 43°43′35″N 13°33′09″E / 43.72639°N 13.5525°E

The Isonzo/Soča (Soča in Slovene; Isonzo in Italian; Lusinç in Friulian^[1]) is a river that flows through western Slovenia and northeastern Italy.

An Alpine river in character, its source lies in the Julian Alps in Slovenia and enters the Adriatic Sea close to the Italian town of Monfalcone.

Geography[change | change source]

The Soča river has a length of 138 km (86 mi), 96 km (60 mi) in Slovenia and 43 km (27 mi) in Italy.^[2]

Its drainage basin has a pronounced mountainous character with an average elevation of about 599 m (1,965 ft) above sea level,^[3] and an area of 3,400 km² (1,313 sq mi), 2,250 km² (869 sq mi) (66%) in Slovenia and 1,150 km² (444 sq mi) (34%) in Italy.^[3]

The watershed of this river is one of the few places where the Marble trout (Salmo marmoratus) is found.^[4]

Course[change | change source]

Course of the Soča/Isonzo

The source of the Soča lies in the Trenta Valley in the Julian Alps in northwestern Slovenia, at an altitude of 876 m (2,874 ft).^[2] The river flows through the Triglav National Park where is the mountain Triglav (2,864 m), the highest mountain in the Julian Alps and in the country. Then it flows to the south past the Slovenian towns of Bovec, Kobarid, Tolmin, Kanal ob Soci and Nova Gorica (where it is crossed by the Solkan Bridge); here, at an altitude of 56 m (184 ft),^[2] the river crosses the border and gets into Italy.

In Italy, the Soča, now called Isonzo, flows through several comuni of the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region. Theses comuni are:

Province of Gorizia: Gorizia, Savogna d'Isonzo, Farra d'Isonzo, Gradisca d'Isonzo, Sagrado, Fogliano Redipuglia, Villesse, San Pier d'Isonzo, Turriaco, San Canzian d'Isonzo, Staranzano, Grado.
Province of Udine: Only one comune, Fiumicello; the river flows through a small part of this comune that borders with the province of Gorizia.

Finally, it flows into the Gulf of Trieste (Adriatic Sea) in the Riserva Naturale della Foce dell'Isonzo ("Natural Reserve of the Mouth of the Isonzo"), to the southwest of the town of Monfalcone.

Main tributaries[change | change source]

Left tributaries
- Idrijca - 60 km (37 mi) long;^[2] it joins the Soča river in Most na Soči, a town in the municipality of Tolmin.
- Vipava - 49 km (30 mi) long;^[2] it joins the Soča river in the municipality of Savogna d'Isonzo, Italy.
Right tributaries
- Torre - 70 km (43 mi) long;^[5]

History[change | change source]

The valley of the Soča river was the place where several battles were fought in World War I between May 1915 and November 1917, in which over 300,000 Austro-Hungarian and Italian soldiers lost their lives.^[6]