[3] The Đetinja River, as the Matijaševića reka, originates from the southeastern slopes of the Tara mountain, in western Serbia, near the field of Pusto polje.

First, it runs through the small Kremna depression, between the Tara and Zlatibor mountains, following the northern border of Mt.

The reservoir was supposed to solve the chronic water problems of the fast-growing town of Užice and its industry (in 1961–91, the city population grew by 266%, from 20,060 to 53,310).

From the south, Đetinja receives the right tributary of Sušica, coming from the central parts of Zlatibor, and enters the Užice valley.

Several hot springs are also located in the gorge, which is also known for its wildlife, including some of the rare and endemic plant species.

It hasn't been explored as much as the Staparska Gradina was, but the remnants of the large, above-ground and regularly shaped stone plates.

[11] The path now starts at the Užice city beach and curves through the natural environment for 5 km (3.1 mi) to Staparska Banja.

[15] In Užice, Đetinja runs near the remnants of an early mediaeval fortress of Užički Grad located on a steep hill surrounded by deep river canyon-like gorge.

A possible modernization of the feature, which would include the bridge which would connect the fortress with the Zlatibor road, cable car, museum, hotel, etc., was also considered by the city administration.

[16] When Ottoman traveler Evliya Çelebi visited the area in 1664, he described the fortress "being on the high cliff, like the town of Tokat", adding that "you can't approach it with a military charge as it is under the peak of the abysmal hill on one side, while on the three sides it is surrounded by the river Đetinja, wavy and loud."

He also noted that at the time there were over 100 watermills on the river, and six bridges in the Užice area, three wooden and three made of stone.

[18] In 1628, the Kasapčić Bridge was built in to connect Užice's neighborhood of Megdan with the leather tanning facilities on the right side of the river.

Poet Cari Çelebi wrote a poem dedicate to Mehmed-beg Kasapčić, and the rhymes were engraved on the table which was placed on the bridge.

The lake covers 2.5 ha (6.2 acres) and flooded or replaced old swimming locations along the river: Lekin Vir, Kod Debele Vrbe, Kod Četvrte Stene, Plavi Jadran, Pod Bukom, Žuljin Vir, Jaz, Dragova and Fikarova Plaža.

In the upstream Užice's neighborhood of Turica wastewater was poured directly into the river, polluting the water, so occasionally the swimming is forbidden.

[20] The Đetinja continues through the highly industrialized Užice's suburb of Sevojno and the villages of Gorjani and Potpeće.

Since the proximity of the confluences of Đetinja, Skrapež and Golijska Moravica, some sources consider all three rivers to be direct headstreams of the Zapadna Morava.

[21] Built only 4 years after Niagara, it was constructed by physicist Đorđe Stanojević [sr], a friend of Tesla, and avid advocate of replacement of the gas light with the electric one.

It became operational on Saint Elijah’s Day, 2 August 1900, and is still occasionally in use, using the original Siemens engines from 1900 which were repaired in 2000.

[21][23] It was an enterprise of a group of Užice's industrialist, which decided to introduce the electricity in order to bust the production and lower the costs.

[24][25] By October 2018 it was evident that the exterior of the building was changed during the reconstruction and there are plans to add another turbine which will "keep the hydro plant constantly in the system of Elektroprivreda Srbije (EPS)".

The EPS had no necessary permits, the museum remained closed for visitors, while the main visual feature of the plant, a small overspill waterfall which symbolically marked the end of the gorge, was extinguished.

[27][28] The other power plant on Đetinja is “Turica”, operational since 1 January 1929, but the large hydroelectrical potential of the river is not being used enough.

Three zones of protection were established, covering some 13,000 ha (32,000 acres), with an aim to keep the land in the lake's watershed nonpolluted.

The protected area spreads over the territories of the villages Vrutci, Bioska and Kremna, in the Town of Užice, and Tripkova and Šljivovica, in the Čajetina Municipality.

In the hilly areas, the emphasis is on fruits: raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, and especially the brandy-varieties of plums (crvena ranka, various Čačak varieties).

Lowlands are selected for the vegetables and grains, including reintroduction of some old varieties: buckwheat, spelt, corn osmak, small white beans, potato mesečar, garlic, onion, cabbage Serbian melez, and medicinal herbs.

Husbandry will include Alpine goat, Sjenica's pramenka sheep, pig Moravka and Naked Neck chicken.