7.2 Generalities on coastal lagoons

There are only two coastal lagoons in Montenegro: Tivat Salina and Ulcinj Salina.

Table I: List of coastal lagoons in Montenegro

Name of lagoon Geographic coordinates Surface (ha)
Tivat Salina E 180 42’ N 420 23’ 150
Ulcinj Salina E 190 19’ N 410 55’ 1 492
The Tivat Salina is situated in the wetland part of the coastal strip of the Boka Kotorska (Tivat) Bay. The saltpan is divided up into pools, each of which is approximately 3 ha; with depth from 0.1 to 0.4 m. Tivat Salina is in contact with the Tivat Bay (part of Bokakotorska Bay) in the southern part of the Bay in a width of about 2 km. Connection with the sea is through the channels.

Tivat Salina, photo ©A. Joksimovic
Near the lagoon is the city of Tivat, with about 20 000 inhabitants and tourist resorts Ivory Durasevici, Island of Flowers and Brdiste. Tivat Airport is located in the saltpan contact zone. On the east side of the lagoon, there are the slopes of Mount Vrmac (700 m) and not so far away the slopes of Mount Lovcen (1 750 m). Agricultural land has not been regulated, and is mostly covered with bushes. On the south side of the lagoon, at a distance of 3-4 km, there is an industrial area with several factories (furniture, toiletries and cleaning products industries). In the Bay of Tivat, coastlines and beaches are mostly rocky. In the Bay of Tivat, there is a small coastal fishery with fishnet-gillnets, beach seines, longline and small purse seines. The whole area of the Bay of Tivat is an interesting touristic destination, especially during summer (Saveljic, 2007, 2008; Regner et al., 2005; Joksimovic, 2006; Mandic, 2004.)

The wind blows throughout the year from the southwest (15 percent). Other winds such as from the north, northeast and southeast are equally present, albeit much less frequent (8 percent). The average of the strongest north and northeast winds has a mean intensity of 3.9 knots. The main current that flows in the surface layer during winter has different directions. In the eastern part of the Bay, dynamics are of negligible intensity. In the central part of the Bay, current speed ranges from 0.1 to 0.45 knots (5-23 cm/sec). Current flow is located near the coast of the northern part of the Bay at the Verige – Kumbor junction, with the highest density in the central part; on the southern coast the dynamics are of lower intensity (Cubrovic, 2005). The Tivat salina receives water from two small rivers draining the Tivat fields- the Siroka and the Kolozun. The Tivat Salina is an Emerald site under the Bern Convention and an important bird area in Montenegro (IBA).

Special Nature Reserve in Tivat Salina, photo ©A. Joksimovic

The Ulcinj Salina is located in the southernmost part of Montenegro, in the region with the most sunshine on the Adriatic (2 567 hours) and the largest number of tropical days in this part of the Balkan peninsula. There used to be Zogajsko blato, “Zogaj mudflats” (“zog” meaning “bird” in Albanian language) in the area of the present Salina, a wetland with brackish water that began to be significantly influenced by anthropogenic infrastructural intervention in the late 1830s. Hydro-regulation of the Zogaj mudflats began in 1913, when the Port Milena drainage channel was dug. Thus, the Ulcinj Salina was created from the sea and represents a “cultural lagoon”. The Salina is among the most important birds areas in the Adriatic: Velika plaza, Ada Bojana, the Sasko lake, Skadar lake and Velipoja (Saveljic, 2008).
The Ulcinj salina has a connection with the sea by the Port Milena channel. Around Salina are the Bojana River, Sasko lake and Skadar lake. The saltpan basins are surrounded by channels that drain the nearby swamps and depressions, taking the water into the Port Milena channel and thereafter into the sea (Saveljic, 2008).
In the vicinity of Ulcinj Salina, there is a town with 20 000 inhabitants and attractive beaches, the most famous of all being the Great Beach (12 km). On surroundings fields, agriculture (citrus, olives) and livestock developed. Near the town, there is the Bojana River, with the large tourist complex of Ada Bojana. On the River Bojana, as well as in the open sea, different activities of fishing, mostly small-scale fisheries, are represented (Borovic et al., 2000; Madic et al., 2004; Regner et al., 2005).
The temperature of the sea in Ulcinj from the beginning of May to the end of October exceeds 20oC. From October to March, this location has a rainy period with the highest rainfall in Europe. Winter temperatures do not fall below 5oC. The strongest winter wind is from the south. In Ulcinj, winters are mild, snow is very rare, and the air temperature is 10oC. The spring and early autumn are generally warm with moderate temperatures both in the air and in the sea (in spring temperature it is about 14oC while in autumn it is about 17oC).
The South Adriatic coast where Ulcinj is located is considered to be the cleanest sky area in the Mediterranean. The average annual humidity is 67 percent, except for July and August when humidity reaches 63 percent, but it is 71-72 percent in May and November, indicating the proper relationship of temperature and humidity. Mean annual rainfall, (rain only), is 134 mm/m?.
The most characteristic winds are the north wind, south wind and the mistral. The north wind blows from the northeastern direction. and it is usually a cold wind blowing in the late fall and winter. Coastal winds such as sirocco blow in Ulcinj in the fall, winter or spring, and bring rain. The sirocco usually brings about big waves at sea. The mistral wind comes from the west -
southwest. It is a pleasant wind that brings refreshment from the heat in the hottest summer hours. The highest intensity that mistral can blow at is 10 m/sec (Saveljic, 2008).
An important bird area in Montenegro (IBA) and Emerald site under the Bern Convention, Salina will soon be listed in the Ramsar List of Wetlands of International Importance. It is the first private natural park in Montenegro (Saveljic, 2008).