Çayağzı (Riva) Basin sustainable agricultural potential

Çayağzı (Riva) Basin has a water collection area of approximately 853 km2. Located on the Kocaeli Plateau, the basin is one of the most important water basins in Istanbul. Çayağzı stream, which drains the basin, originates from the Kocaeli lands in the southeast and flows to the Black Sea near Çayağzı village in the north. There are Kervansaray and Oruçoğlu ponds for agricultural irrigation in the midle central part of the basin. In the areas where agriculture is done, wheat, barley, oats and corn are grown as field crops. In the areas where agriculture is done within the basin, field crops are cultivated with a maximum of 47.4%. Most oats are grown with 64.5% in field crops. The ratio of alfalfa, sainfoin, maize (sıljlık) and vetch field crops from the fodder crops is 0.1%. In fruit growing, hazelnuts are grown up to 93%. Cabbage is grown by 19.9% in vegetables. Livestock and livestock breeding and beekeeping are carried out as livestock activities. It has been concluded that the existing dry agricultural areas for sustainable agricultural activities in the basin should be brought into irrigated agriculture together with land consolidation.