Trchkan waterfall, 23-meter-high mountain waterfall in Northern Armenia
Trchkan is a waterfall on the Chichkan River at the border of Armenia's Shirak and Lori provinces, near the village of Mets Parni. The river drops over a ledge at an angle steeper than 90 degrees. Sources give its height as 22.5 or 23.5 metres, making it Armenia's highest and most voluminous plunging waterfall, with an average flow of about 1.5 tonnes of water per second.
The waterfall gained protected status in 2008 and received further environmental recognition in 2011 after locals prevented the construction of a hydropower station. This protection safeguarded the site for future generations.
The name Trchkan comes from Armenian and means "jumping," inspired by the sight of trout leaping over the cascading water.
Trchkan lies in the administrative area of Mets Parni village in Lori Province, about 10 km northwest of Shirakamut, near the Shirak-Lori border. The site is reached on foot; the waterfall drops over 90 degrees into a narrow gorge. The area has been a specially protected zone since 2011, so stay on existing paths.
The waterfall is fed mainly by snowmelt (42%) and groundwater (35%), with March to June producing 62% of its annual flow. Locals call it Chran, and it is also known as Chichkan waterfall or Trchkan Jur. Its height is given as 23.5 m in Armenian sources and 22.5 m in Russian ones.
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