Within Satara limits there are two river systems, the Bhima system in a small part of the north and north-east and the Krishna system throughout the rest of the district. Of the Bhima system there are two branches the Nira and the Man. A narrow belt beyond the Mahadev hills drains north into the Nira which flows east into the Bhima and the north-east corner of the district beyond the Mahimangad-Panhala spur drains south-east along the Man which afterwards flows east and north-east to join the Bhima. The total area of the Bhima system, including part of Wai and the whole of Phaltan and Man, is probably about 1100 miles. Excluding about 400 miles of the Phaltan state, this leaves for the Krishna system 4000 miles or about five-sixths of the district. The drainage system of the Krishna includes, besides the drainage of the central stream the drainage of six feeders from the right side the Kudali, Yenna, Urmodi, Tarli, Koyna, and Varna, and of two from the left side the Vasna and the Yerla.
Krishna.
The Krishna is one of the three great rivers of Southern India. Like the Godavari and Kaveri it flows across almost the entire breadth of the peninsula from west to east and falls into the Bay of Bengal. In sanctity the Krishna is surpassed both by the Godavari and by the Kaveri. In length it is less than the Godavari, but its drainage area, including the drainage of its two great tributaries the Bhima and Tungbhadra, is larger than that of either the Godavari or of the Kaveri. Its length is about 800 miles and its drainage area is about 94,500 square miles. Of its 800 miles about 150 lie within Satara limits. The Krishna rises on the eastern brow of the Mahableshvar plateau four miles west of the village of Jor in the extreme west of Wai. The source of the river is about 4500 feet above the sea in 18° 1' north latitude and 73° 41' east longitude. On the pleateau of the Mahabaleshvar hill near the source of the river stands an ancient temple of Mahadev. Inside of the temple is a small reservoir into which a stream pours out of a stone cow-mouth. This is the traditional source of the river which Hindus lovingly call Krishnabai the Lady Krishna. Numbers of pilgrims crowd to the spot which is embowered in trees and flowering shrubs. From its source the Krishna runs east for about fifteen miles till it reaches the town of Wai. From Wai the course of the river is south. About ten miles from Wai it receives the Kudali from the right about two miles south of Panchvad in South Wai. After meeting the Kudali, the river continues to run south through the Satara sub-division by Nimb and Varuth, and after fifteen miles receives the Yenna on the right near Mahuli about three miles east of Satara. As the meeting of the Krishna and Yenna, Mahuli is sacred. A fair is held five times in the year, once in Kartik October-November, in Chaitra March-April, and in Ashad June -July, and twice in Shravan July - August. After meeting the Yenna the Krishna curves to the south-east and separates Satara from Koregaon for about ten miles till it 'reaches the border of Karad. In Koregaon, after a course of forty miles, about a mile east of Mangalpur, the Krishna receives the Vasna from the left, and after a course of about fifty-five miles in the extreme south of the Satara sub-division, about two miles south-west of Vanegaon, it receives the Urmodi from the right. In Karad the river runs nearly south. It receives from the right two tributaries, the Tarli near Umbraj after a course of about sixty-five miles and the Koyna near Karad after a course of about seventy-five miles. From Karad the Krishna runs south-east by Valva and Bhilavdi in Tasgaon. About six miles south of Bhilavdi it receives the Yerla on the left after a course of 120 miles, and about three miles south of Sangli in the extreme south of the district, it receives the Varna on the right after a course of 135 miles. After its meeting with the Varna the Krishna continues to run south-east towards Belgaum. Within Satara limits the Krishna is unfit for navigation. The channel is too rocky and the stream too rapid to allow even of small native craft. The banks are twenty to thirty feet high, and generally sloping earthy and broken. The river bed, though in parts rocky, as a rule is sandy. In Wai and Satara in the northwest, except that melons are grown in its bed, the water of the Krishna is little used for irrigation, except here and there by bhudkis or pits sunk on deep river banks. In Karad, Valva, and Tasgaon in the south, crops of sugarcane, groundnut, chillies, and wheat are raised by watering the soil from recently made canals. Daring the fair season the Krishna is everywhere easily forded, but during the rains there is a considerable body of water, and ferries are worked at Mahuli three miles east of Satara, at Dhamner in the south of Korgaon, at Umbraj, Karad, and Karve in Karad, at Bahe and Boregaon in Valva, and at Bhilavdi in Tasgaon. Within Satara limits the Krishna is bridged at Bhuinj on the Poona-Belgaum road, at Wai on the Poona-FitzGerald road, and at Vaduth on the old Poona road.
Kudali.
The Kudali, a small feeder of the Krishna in the north, rises near Kedamb in Javli, and after a south-easterly course of about sixteen miles through Javli and Wai, flanked by the Vairatgad range on the left or north and the Hatgegad-Arle range on the right or south, joins the Krishna from the right about two miles south of Panchvad in Wai.
Yenna.
The Vena or Yenna, one of the Krishna's chief feeders, rises on the Mahabaleshvar plateau and falls into the Yenna valley below the Lingmalla bungalow and plantation, on the east point of the Mahabaleshvar hills about three miles east of Malcolmpeth. It passes along the valley between the Hatgegad-Arle range on the left or north and the Satara range on the right or south, and, after a south-easterly course of about forty miles through Javli and Satara, it flows into the Krishna at Mahuli about three miles east of Satara. In the hot season the stream stops and the water stands in pools. It is crossed by no ferries, Besides a foot bridge at Medha in Javli, it has four road bridges, one on the Poona-Belgaum road at Varya three miles north of Satara, two on the Satara-Malcolmpeth road at Kanhera eight miles and at Kelghar twenty miles north-west of Satara, and one on the old Poona road at Vadha-Kheda three miles north-east of Satara.
Urmodi.
The Urmodi, a small feeder of the Krishna, rises near Kas in Javli., It passes south-east along a valley flanked by the Satara range on the left or north and the Kalvali-Sonapur range on the right or south. After a south-easterly course of about twenty miles, mostly through Satara, it falls into the Krishna about two miles south-west of Vanegaon in the extreme south of the Satara sub-division. The banks of the Urmodi are high and steep. The flow of water ceases in the hot season. There is no ferry, and only one bridge on the Poona-Kolhapur mail-road at Latna nine miles south of Satara.
Tarli.
The Tarli, a small feeder of the Krishna, rises in the north-west of Patan about ten miles above the village of Tarli. It flows south-east along a valley flanked by the Kalvali-Sonapur range on the left or north-east and the Jalu-Vasantgad range on the right or south-west. After a south-easterly course of about twenty-two miles through Patan and Karad, it joins the Krishna from the right at Umbraj in Karad.
Koyna.
The Koyna, the largest of the Satara feeders of the Krishna, rises on the west side of the Mahabaleshvar plateau near Elphinstone Point in 17° 58' north latitude and 73° 43' east longitude Of its course of eighty miles within Satara limits, during the first forty it runs nearly south, and during the next forty it runs nearly east. During its forty miles to the south the Koyna flows along a beautiful valley with the main line of the Sahyadris on the right and on the left the Bamnoli-Gheradategad branch of the Sahyadris which runs parallel to the main line at an equal height. In Javli the river passes by Bamnoli and Tambi and receives the Solshi from the left about three miles north of Bamnoli and the Kandati from the right about two miles south of Bamnoli. At Helvak in Patan, after a course of forty miles, the river suddenly turns east, and, after a further course of forty miles, by the town of Patan where it receives the Kera from the north, it falls into the Krishna at Karad. In the first forty miles the Koyna is seldom more than 100 feet broad; but in the last forty miles the bed is 300 to 500 feet across. Especially in the first forty miles the banks are broken and muddy and the bed is of gravel. In the hot months the stream often ceases, but the water stands in deep pools through the dryest years. During the rains it fills from bank to bank, and small ferry boats work across it at Sangvad and Yerad in Patan.
Varna.
The Varna in the south, separating Satara and Kolhapur, rises close to the western crest of the Sahyadris in the extreme northwest of Valva. It runs south-east for about eighty miles by Charan, Bilasi, and Dhudhgaon in Valva, and falls into the Krishna about three miles south of Sangli. Its banks are steep and broken, and, in the southern twenty miles, it overflows its banks every rains.
Vasna.
The Vasna, a small feeder of the Krishna, rises in the Mahadev range near Solshi in the north of Koregaon. It flows south along a valley flanked by the Chandan-Vandan range on the right or west and by the Vardhangad-Machindragad range on the left or east. It runs south for about twenty miles, and, from the left, falls into the Krishna about a mile east of Mangalpur in Koregaon.
Yerla.
The Yerla, the largest of the left-hand or northern feeders of the Krishna, rises in Solaknath hill in the extreme north of Khatav. It flows along a valley flanked by the Yardhangad-Machindragad range on the right or west, and by the Mahimangad-Panhala range on the left or east. It runs south for about seventy-five miles through Khatav, Khanapur, Tasgaon, and the lands of Sangli. In Khatav it passes by Lalgun, Khatav, Vaduj, and Nimsod, in Khanapur by Danleshvar and Bhalvani, in Tasgaon by Turchi and Nagaon, and in Sangli by Nandre. At Dhalnleshvar in Khanpur it receives the Nandani from the right a stream about 300 feet wide. After a south-westerly course of about seventy-five miles the Yerla falls into the Krishna within Sangli limits about six miles south of Bhilavdi. At its meeting with the Krishna, the Yerla is about 600 feet broad. Its bed is sandy, and its banks are sloping earthy and muddy. The stream holds water throughout the year and crops of sugarcane, groundnut, wheat, potatoes, and onions are raised by bhudkis or wells sunk near the banks.
Nira.
Of the Bhima system of rivers the two chief Satara representatives are the Nira in the north and the Man in the north-east The Nira, which separates Satara from Poona in the north, rises on the Sahyadri range within the lands of the Pant Sachiv of Bhor. Of a total length of 130 miles, about sixty miles lie on the borders of Poona to the north and of Satara and Phaltan to the south. From its source in Bhor the river runs east to the north of the subdivision of Wai and the state of Phaltan. After leaving Phaltan, it runs north of Malsiras in Sholapur and falls into the Bhima about five miles east of Tambve in the extreme north-east of Malsiras. Within the limits of the Bhor state the Nira is bridged on the Poona-Kolhapur mail road at Sirval in the north of Wai.
Manganga.
The Manganga, a tributary of the Bhima, rises in the Tita hill in the north-east of Man. Of a total length of about 100 miles, about forty lie in Man within Satara limits. In Man the river runs south-east by Malvadi, Andhli, Dahivadi, and Mhasvad. Beyond Satara limits the Manganga continues to run south-east through Atpadi, and from Atpadi it turns north-east through Sangola and Pandharpur in Sholapur, and falls into the Bhima at Sarkoli about ten miles south-east of Pandharpur. During the rains within the Man sub-division the water of the Manganga runs two to six feet deep. In the fair season it is about two feet deep in some places and almost dry in others. The bed is sandy and the banks earthy and sloping. In some parts near the river banks crops of sugarcane, groundnut, wheat, sweet potatoes, and onions are raised by pats or fair-weather channels.
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