Argeș River

Argeş is a river of Southern Romania. It starts at the junction of headwaters Buda and Capra in the Făgăraş Mountains, in the Southern Carpathians and flows into the Danube at Olteniţa.

The main city on the Argeş is Piteşti. Upstream, it is retained by the Vidraru Dam, which has created Lake Vidraru.

Name
The river is believed to be the same as Ὀρδησσός Ordessus, a name mentioned by Ancient Greek historian Herodotus. The etymology of Argeş is not clear. Traditionally, it was considered that it's derived from the ancient name, through a reconstructed term, *Argessis. The capital of Dacian leader Burebista was named Argedava, but it appears that it has no link with the name for the river.

An alternate etymology derives the name of the river from a Pecheneg word, transliterated into Romanian as argiş (meaning "higher ground"). The earliest recorded variants of the name, referring to the city of Curtea de Argeş (lit. "The Court on the Argeş"), also suggest a derivation from this word: Argyas (1369), Argies (1379), Arghiş (1427), the river probably taking the name of the city.

Localities
The following localities are situated along the river Argeş, from source to mouth: Căpăţânii Ungureni, Căpăţânenii Pământeni, Poienari, Corbeni, Bucşenești, Rotunda, Albeştii Ungureni, Albeştii Pământeni, Curtea de Argeş, Zigoneni, Băiculeşti, Argeşani, Stejari, Mănicești, Vâlcelele, Malu Vânăt, Merişani, Borlești, Vărzaru, Dobrogostea, Schiau, Bascov, Pitești, Goleşti, Catanele, Coşeri, Căteasca, Baloteasca

Hydro energy
The Argeş River and some of its tributaries are used for hydro energy. The hydroelectrical system consists of several dams, lakes, tunnels and power plants. The lakes built on the Argeş River are: Vidraru, Oieşti, Cerbureni, Curtea de Argeş, Zigoneni, Merişani, Budeasa, Bascov, Piteşti, Călineşti (or Goleşti), Zăvoiu (near Mătăsaru), Ogrezeni and Mihăileşti. There are dams also on its tributaries.

Tributaries
Argeş has for its left tributaries: Buda, Valea cu Peşti, Valea Lupului, Limpedea, Chiciura, Valea Iaşului, Vâlsan, Valea Satului, Râul Doamnei, Râncaciov, Cârcinov, Budişteanca, Sabar, Câlnău, Dâmboviţa, Rasa, and Luica.

Its tributaries on the right are Capra, Cumpăna, Valea lui Stan, Arefu, Băneşti, Valea Danului, Tutana, Schiau, Bascov, Neajlov and Zboiul.