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Albania has an extensive hydrographic network of 152 rivers and streams, including 10 large rivers flowing from southeast to northwest, mainly discharging towards the Adriatic Sea. Combined, they produce a total annual flow rate of 1,308 cubic metres per second (46,200 cu ft/s).^[1]^[2]

In the mountainous regions, the rivers meander through narrow valleys with steep banks and great depth, collecting streams and silt during heavy rains. Their beds become erosive, causing frequent changes in their paths.^[3]

The rivers are mainly fed by atmospheric precipitation (65-92%) and underground water (8-35%), with an average rainfall layer of 1,494 mm and a runoff layer of 945 mm. Water flow varies by season, with winter having the largest annual flow (40%), followed by spring, autumn, and summer. The rivers contain an average mineralization of 150 to 500 mg/L and an average annual volume of suspended solids of 60 million tons, with greater erosion occurring in the catchment basins of Osum, Devoll, and Erzen. Temperatures in the winter months fall to 3.5-8.9°C, and in the summer months reach 17.8-24.6°C.^[4]

List of rivers

Part of a protected landscape

Part of a national park

Part of a world heritage site

Main rivers

No.	River	Length	Basin	Annual flow
1	Drin	285 km (177 mi)	14,173 km² (5,472 sq mi)	352 m³/s (12,400 cu ft/s)
2	Devoll	196 km (122 mi)	3,140 km² (1,210 sq mi)	49.5 m³/s (1,750 cu ft/s)
3	Vjosa	192 km (119 mi)	6,706 km² (2,589 sq mi)	195 m³/s (6,900 cu ft/s)
4	Shkumbin	181.4 km (112.7 mi)	2,444 km² (944 sq mi)	61.5 m³/s (2,170 cu ft/s)
5	Osum	161 km (100 mi)	2,073 km² (800 sq mi)	32.5 m³/s (1,150 cu ft/s)
6	Mat	115 km (71 mi)	2,441 km² (942 sq mi)	103 m³/s (3,600 cu ft/s)
7	Erzen	109 km (68 mi)	760 km² (290 sq mi)	18.1 m³/s (640 cu ft/s)
8	Fan	94 km (58 mi)	1,080 km² (420 sq mi)	46 m³/s (1,600 cu ft/s)
9	Seman	85 km (53 mi)	5,649 km² (2,181 sq mi)	95.7 m³/s (3,380 cu ft/s)
10	Drino	84.6 km (52.6 mi)	1,320 km² (510 sq mi)	41.6 m³/s (1,470 cu ft/s)

Other rivers

No.	River	Length	Basin	Annual flow
11	Shushicë	81.6 km (50.7 mi)	715 km² (276 sq mi)	24.3 m³/s (860 cu ft/s)
12	Ishëm	62.2 km (38.6 mi)	673 km² (260 sq mi)	21.5 m³/s (760 cu ft/s)
13	Cem	58.8 km (36.5 mi)	368 km² (142 sq mi)	24.86 m³/s (878 cu ft/s)
14	Kir	52 km (32 mi)	261 km² (101 sq mi)	17 m³/s (600 cu ft/s)
15	Valbonë	50.6 km (31.4 mi)	657 km² (254 sq mi)	33 m³/s (1,200 cu ft/s)
16	Pavllë	50 km (31 mi)	374 km² (144 sq mi)	6.51 m³/s (230 cu ft/s)
17	Bunë	44 km (27 mi)	5,187 km² (2,003 sq mi)	320 m³/s (11,000 cu ft/s)
18	Lëngaricë	36.8 km (22.9 mi)	337.1 km² (130.2 sq mi)	7.86 m³/s (278 cu ft/s)
19	Shalë	35 km (22 mi)	269 km² (104 sq mi)	33.7 m³/s (1,190 cu ft/s)
20	Kalasë	34 km (21 mi)	258 km² (100 sq mi)	7.46 m³/s (263 cu ft/s)
21	Lanë	28.9 km (18.0 mi)	66.9 km² (25.8 sq mi)	242 m³/s (8,500 cu ft/s)
22	Gashi	27 km (17 mi)
23	Bistricë	25 km (16 mi)	189 km² (73 sq mi)	23.9 m³/s (840 cu ft/s)
24	Bënça	15 km (9.3 mi)	188 km² (73 sq mi)	8.8 m³/s (310 cu ft/s)

Basins

Organized by drainage basin. Albanian-language names of the water bodies are listed if different from English. Italics indicate that the body of water is not in or bordering Albania.

Adriatic Sea

Buna – Bunë
- Great Drin – Drin, Drini
  - White Drin – Drini i Bardhë
  - Black Drin – Drini i Zi
    - Lake Ohrid – Liqeni i Ohrit
  - Valbona
    - Gashi
  - Shala
  - Kir
- Lake Skadar – Liqeni i Shkodrës
  - Morača – Moraça
    - Cem
    - Mareza
Gulf of Drin – Gjiri i Drinit
- Small Drin; see Great Drin above
Vjosa
Seman
- Osum
- Devoll
  - Tomorrica
Shkumbin
Mat
- Fan
Erzen
Ishëm
- Gjole
  - Tërzukë
  - Tiranë
    - Lanë
- Zezë

Ionian Sea

Pavllë
Bistricë
- Blue Eye (spring) – Syri i Kaltër

Black Sea

Danube – Danubi
- Sava
  - Drina
    - Lim

References

^ Cullaj, A.; Hasko, A.; Miho, A.; Schanz, F.; Brandl, H.; Bachofen, R. (2005). "The quality of Albanian natural waters and the human impact". Environment International. 31 (1): 137. doi:10.1016/j.envint.2004.06.008. PMID 15607787.
^ Agim SELENICA. "WATER RESOURCES OF ALBANIA". medhycos.mpl.ird.fr.
^ Qiriazi, Perikli (2001). Gjeografia Fizike e Shqipërisë. Tiranë: Ideart. pp. 101–108. ISBN 978-99956-29-80-9.
^ Pano, Niko (2015). Pasuritë ujore të Shqipërisë. Akademia e Shkencave e Shqipërisë. p. 636. ISBN 978-99956-10-87-6.

[1] Cullaj, A.; Hasko, A.; Miho, A.; Schanz, F.; Brandl, H.; Bachofen, R. (2005). "The quality of Albanian natural waters and the human impact". Environment International. 31 (1): 137. doi:10.1016/j.envint.2004.06.008. PMID 15607787.

[2] Agim SELENICA. "WATER RESOURCES OF ALBANIA". medhycos.mpl.ird.fr.

[3] Qiriazi, Perikli (2001). Gjeografia Fizike e Shqipërisë. Tiranë: Ideart. pp. 101–108. ISBN 978-99956-29-80-9.

[4] Pano, Niko (2015). Pasuritë ujore të Shqipërisë. Akademia e Shkencave e Shqipërisë. p. 636. ISBN 978-99956-10-87-6.

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