The Chorokh (Georgian: Chorokhi, Turkish: Çoruh) is a river that rises in the Mescit Mountains in north-eastern Turkey, flows through the cities of Bayburt, İspir, Yusufeli, and Artvin, along the Kelkit-Çoruh Fault, before flowing into Georgia, where it reaches the Black Sea just south of Batumi and a few kilometers north of the Turkish-Georgian border.In English, it was formerly known as the Boas, the Churuk, or the Chorokh.Biodiversity
The Chorokhi valley lies within the Caucasus ecological zone, which is considered by the World Wide Fund for Nature and by Conservation International as a biodiversity hotspot. The Çoruh Valley is recognised by Turkish conservation organisations as an important plant area, an important bird area, a key biodiversity area and has been nominated as a high priority area for protection. This valley is rich in plants and contains 104 nationally threatened plant species of which 67 are endemic to Turkey.
Recreation
The Çoruh has been called an eco-tourism gem and Turkeys last remaining wild river, and is being promoted for whitewater kayaking by the Eastern Anatolia Tourism Development Project. It attracts kayakers and rafters from all over the world and was the site of the 4th World Rafting Championship in 1993 and the Coruh Extreme kayak competition in 2005.
Dams
A total of 17 large hydroelectric dams are planned as part of the Çoruh River Development Plan but a total of 27 are proposed for the Çoruh River Catchment. Under the Çoruh Development Plan, 8 dams have been completed (Arkun, Artvin, Borçka, Deriner, Güllübağ, Murtli, Tortum and Yusufeli Dams), another 2 are under construction.
List of fish species:
Salmo coruhensis
Salmo rizeensis
Squalius orientalis
Chondrostoma colchicum
Phoxinus colchicus
Alburnoides fasciatus
Alburnus derjugini
Gobio cf. caucasicus
Barbus rionica
Capoeta sieboldii
Capoeta ekmekciae
Capoeta banarescui
Cyprinus carpio
Oxynoemacheilus sp.
Ponticola constructor
