The Svitavka (also called Svitávka; ) is a river in the Czech Republic and Germany, a right tributary of the PlouÃÂnice. It flows mostly through the Liberec Region in the Czech Republic, but it originates in Saxony in Germany. It is long.
The name referred to the clear water of the river and was derived from svÃÂtat, which meant '[be] clear' in Old Czech. Svitavka/Svitávka is a diminutive form of Svitava (a village, today a part of Cvikov). The river was called Svitávka until the 1990s, when it was officially renamed Svitavka, but it is still often called Svitávka.
The Svitavka originates in the territory of Jonsdorf in the Lusatian Mountains at an elevation of and flows to ÃÂeská LÃÂpa-VlÃÂàDà ¯l, where it merges with the PlouÃÂnice River at an elevation of . It is long, of which is in the Czech Republic. Its drainage basin has an area of .
The longest tributaries of the Svitavka are:
The Svitavka originates in Jonsdorf in Germany and then continues in the Czech Republic through the territories of Maà Âenice, Krompach, Kunratice u Cvikova, Cvikov, Velenice, Zákupy and ÃÂeská LÃÂpa.
The upper course of the Svitavka is located in the protected landscape area of Luà ¾ické hory. The mouth of the river is located in the protected landscape area of Kokoà ÂÃÂnsko â Máchà ¯v kraj.
According to a 2016 study, nine species of aquatic of water molluscs (four species of gastropods and five species of bivalves) occur in the river. Notable is the population of Pisidium amnicum and Pisidium tenuilineatum, which are endangered species within the Czech Republic. Their presence is an indicator of clean water.