Tounjčica

Tounjčica
Tounj bridge
Data
location	Central Croatia ( Croatia )
River system	Danube
Drain over	Mrežnica  → Korana  → Kupa  → Save  → Danube  → Black Sea
source	in Tounj 45 ° 14 ′ 57 ″  N , 15 ° 19 ′ 18 ″  E
muzzle	at Ključ in the Mrežnica coordinates: 45 ° 15 ′ 20 ″  N , 15 ° 24 ′ 44 ″  E 45 ° 15 ′ 20 ″  N , 15 ° 24 ′ 44 ″  E
length	8 kilometers
Right tributaries	Rudnica
Communities	Tounj

The Tounjčica [touɲtʃitsa] is a karst river in central Croatia in the Kordun region .

It forms the main tributary to the Mrežnica , which is why it was also called Western Mrežnica in the past . It receives its water from underground rivers from sinkholes in the area between Ogulin and Modruš . It rises from a cave about 300 meters long under the hill Krpel in Tounj , from which it got its name. Research has shown that the spring is also connected to Lake Sabljaci near Ogulin. With the construction of the “Gojak” hydroelectric power station in 1959, the inflow was reduced by 40%, which is why the upper part of the Tounjčica has a very low water level in the dry summer months.

The river course is divided into two distinctive parts: the upper part of the source to the village Ožanići and lower to its confluence with the Mrežnica at the old Frankopan - Fortress Ključ and the village of the same name. While the upper part flows through a relatively narrow canyon up to 200 m deep, the lower part becomes significantly wider due to the Rudnica tributary near Ožanići.

In Tounj the river is crossed by a well-known stone bridge, which was built in 1775 and an additional floor was added in 1836.

Brown trout and rainbow trout , pike , barbel , nasal , female nerfling , chub , tench and perch live in the river .

In the lower section of the Tounjčica, mines were laid on both sides during the Croatian War, which have not yet been completely cleared.