Vah

Váh 

a river in Czechoslovakia (in Slovakia). Left tributary of the Danube.

The Váh River is 433 km long; the area of its basin is 19,600 sq km. It is formed by the confluence of the Biely Ván and the Cierny Váh Rivers, which have their sources in the High Tatra and Low Tatra mountains. The greater part of the Váh flows through the hills, below the city of Nové Mesto and out onto the Central Danubian Lowland. There are floods during summer. The average discharge of water is 152 eu m per sec.

The Váh is used for water supply, irrigation, and energy. Built on the Váh and its tributary the Orava is the Váh Cascade—a system of 20 hydroelectric power stations (with an average capacity of 20,000-50,000 kW), most of which have already been put into operation. These hydroelectric power stations operate on derivation canals that run along the riverbed. The Váh is navigable as far as the populated area of Sered. The river is also used for floating logs. Cities located along the Váh include Ružomberok, Žilina, and Trenčin.