Venta

a river in the Lithuanian SSR and the Latvian SSR, flowing into the Baltic Sea. Length, 346 km; area of basin, 11,800 sq km. The Venta rises from Lake Vėnė in the Žemaičiu Upland, where it flows in a narrow deep valley; in its middle course it flows through a plain, with rapids occurring in places. In its lower course, it is a calm deep river. The high-water level is reached in the spring (a rise of from 2.5 to 7 m), and there are considerable summer and autumn flash floods brought on by rain. The average year-round discharge is 95.5 eu m per sec. The amount of ice cover fluctuates. The river is navigable up to Piltene. The city and seaport of Ventspils is located at the mouth.