Rječina je najznačajniji vodotok Hrvatskog primorja duljine 18,7 km. Izvor je krško vrelo smješteno u podnožju planina Gorskog kotara koji drenira podzemnu vodu iz prostranog krškog zaleđa i već se punih 100 godina koristi u vodoopskrbi. U srednjem dijelu toka rijeke nalazi se brana i akumulacija pa se vode Rječine koriste i za proizvodnju električne energije. Ušće Rječine nalazi se u samom centru Rijeke i stoljećima se koristilo kao pristanište za brodove. Vodotok Rječine je izrazito bujičnih značajki s velikim oscilacijama protoka pa su se periodično događale poplave koje su uzrokovale značajne štete duž korita, a posebice na ušću gdje se već od antičkih vremena nalazilo naselje.. Pouzdaniji podatci o poplavama sežu od 18. stoljeća, a većina ih se nalazi u Državnom arhivu u Rijeci. Autori su u ovom radu  sistematizirali i kronološkim redom prikazali sve značajne katastrofalne događaje uz tok Rječine. Isto tako su prikazani i građevinski radovi u cilju zaštite od poplava, od premještanja dijela korita na ušću pa sve do regulacije korita u srednjem dijelu toka. Izvršeni radovi su bili toliko uspješni da od završetka istih 1908. godine više nije bilo poplava u središtu Rijeke. Međutim, novija istraživanja su pokazala da opasnost nije posve uklonjena. Naime, dio doline između akumulacije Valići i ulaska u kanjon je područje s najizraženijim hazardom od pojava nestabilnosti u širem području Rijeke. Stoga se zbog niza nepovoljnih okolnosti može dogoditi zatrpavanje korita Rječine, rušenje prirodne brane i propagacija vodnog vala sve do ušća..; The Rječina (length 18.7 km) is the most important watercourse in the Croatian Littoral area. Its source, located at the foot of the Gorski Kotar mountains, is a karst spring which drains groundwater from a spacious karst hinterland and has been used in water supply for a hundred years. In the central section of the watercours, there are a dam and a reservoir, so the Rječina water is utilized for power generation as well. Its river mouth is located in the very center of the town Rijeka, and has been used for ship docking for centuries. The Rječina watercourse has markedly torrential characteristics, with large discharge fluctuations, which has periodically caused flooding and significant damages along the river bed, particularly in the river mouth area, where a settlement has been located since antiquity.. More reliable flood data originates from the 18 century onwards, and is mostly kept at the State Archives in Rijeka. The authors of the paper presented all significant catastrophic events related to the Rječina in a systematic, chronological manner. The same approach was applied to the presentation of the civil works carried out for purposes of flood protection, from the relocation of a river bed segment at the river mouth to the river bed regulation in the central section of the watercourse. The performed works were so successful that there has been no more flooding in Rijeka’s center after their completion in 1908. However, recent investigations show that the danger has not been fully averted. Namely, the valley part from the reservoir Valići to the canyon start is characterized by the most significant hazard from instability occurrence in the greater Rijeka area, where a series of unfavourable circumstances could cause backfilling of the Rječina river bed, a break in the natural dam and a water wave propagation all the way down to the river mouth.