
Almost the whole
area of Bela krajina belongs to the river basin of the Kolpa. Because of
its karstic surface river net is thin and most of the stream
is under the surface. Waters which flow on the surface are springs and
streams. The Kolpa gets water from the Lahinja and karstic springs. The
Kolpa doesn't flow under the surface because it is strongly engraved
in the limestone plateau. At first it flows from southwest to northeast.
Near Croatian Ladoviæi it gets Dinarid direction, from Marindol to
Metlika it flows towards north, and then towards east. Deep river-bed and
small flood areas are characteristics of the Klopa . But when it
rains very heavily, the water starts to erupt from underground and floods
cultivable areas. This only lasts some hours.
The Kolpa
walley between Bosljiva loka and Kuželj:

Middle year flow of the Kolpa near Metlika is 75m3 /s. Average month flow is the biggest in November and the smallest in August. In the most watery month there is on average three times more water than usually. The smallest flows of the Kolpa are usually in periods of long summer draught in the end of August, September or even in the beginning of October.The Lahinja biggest flows are in March and the lowest in July and August. First summer decrease of the Lahinja is very distinctive and is a consequence of hot and dry summer and hydrologic characteristics of low Bela krajina's Karst, which hardly keeps underground supplies of water. High summer temperatures of water are characteristics of Bela krajina rivers. Kolpa's temperature in summer rises even above 25o C.The Lahinja flows in very narrow river-bed, that is why it isn't as hot as the Kolpa.
Part of park "Lahinja" and Lower Bilpa:

