Rivers of the lake of the sea of ​​Crimea. Description of the main lakes of the Crimea. What is the deepest and greatest

Crimean peninsula called a small piece of heaven on earth and "the world in miniature". The nature of Crimea abounds mountain ranges, high waterfalls, karst caves, lakes, endless steppes, and, of course, sea ​​beaches. The unique combination of diverse landscapes is what makes the beauty of the Crimean nature so attractive for tourists.

Mountains of Crimea: from Kara-Tau to Ai-Petri

In the Crimean South, you can relax not only on the sea coast. It is here, in the southern and southeastern parts of the peninsula, that the majestic Crimean Mountains rise. The mountains of Crimea are divided into three ridges:

• the outer ridge, which extends from the Kara-Tau upland and ends with the city of Stary Krym;
• the inner ridge, originating from the Sapun Mountain near Sevastopol and also ending with the Old Crimea;
• the main ridge, the second name of which is " southern ridge". This ridge stretches in the western part, from Balaklava to Feodosia and ends with Cape St. Elijah.

The southern ridge is the most ancient part of the Crimean peninsula. Its surface is a wavy plateau covered with alpine meadows, which is called yayla. Yayla is translated from Crimean Tatar as "summer pasture". All yailas of the Main Ridge, and these are: Baydarskaya, Ai-Petrinskaya, Yalta, Gurzufskaya, Nikitskaya and Babugan-yailas, are connected with each other and converge into a closed peak.

Yayla is the main source fresh water on the peninsula. In the spring and summer, this real miracle of nature is covered with a beautiful flower carpet.

Thanks to the mountain ranges on the Southern Coast of Crimea (South Coast, Crimean Tat: Yalı Boyu), a unique subtropical climate has formed, protected from harsh northern winds. , covering the foothills, have long been a favorite place for walking. And the peaks of the mountains provide an opportunity for nature lovers of the Crimea to make exciting hiking, horse riding and cycling tours.

Crimean rivers

The nature of Crimea is replete with water streams. There are 250 rivers on the peninsula, but only 120 of them have a length of more than 10 kilometers. The most long river Crimea - the river Salgir (Crimean Tat. Salgir), its channel stretches for 232 kilometers. Salgir originates from springs at an altitude of 700 meters, near the southern slope of Mount Kol-Bair, which is part of the Main Ridge Crimean mountains, and flows into the Sivash Bay of the Azov Sea.

A characteristic feature of most Crimean rivers is their shallowness and almost complete drying up in the summer. Back in Soviet times, the channels of the Salgir, Biyuk-Karasu and Kuchuk-Karasu, all the Indoles and Bulganaks were regulated, blocked by dams, ponds and backwaters were created on them.

Almost all the sources of the Crimean rivers are located in the mountains, and the food comes from snow and rainwater. An additional recharge is ground karst moisture, making the water of mountain rivers suitable for drinking. It is noteworthy that most of the mountain rivers, which in summer can be crossed with barely wet feet, during the flood period form turbulent streams that uproot trees and turn stones. During heavy rains in the mountains, the rivers turn into mud-stone streams - mudflows that carry great danger for human life.

Lakes of Crimea

There are more than 300 reservoirs on the peninsula, most of which are salty. Almost all reservoirs are located along the coast, except for small ones. fresh lakes, which are located in main ridge Crimean mountains. By geographical location Crimean lakes can be divided into 7 groups:

• Kerch, which includes lakes marine origin on Black Sea coast and on the territory of the Kerch Strait;
• Perekopskaya, with lakes of irregular oblong shape (Krasnoe, Staroe, Yangul, Pusurman, Aigulskoe, etc.). The isolation of these lakes from the sea has caused an increased salt content, significantly exceeding the oceanic one;
• Tarkhankutskaya, formed by flooding sea ​​water estuaries and their separation from the sea by sand embankments. Their water is almost identical in composition to the water in the Black Sea, except for the freshwater Ak-Mechet Lake, the water level in which is much higher than sea level;
• Chersonese, located in the South-West. A characteristic feature of these lakes is their formation by small mouths separated from the sea by natural mounds. This small lakes, the largest among them are Kazachye, Kamyshovoye and Krugloye, which are fed by sea waters;
• Evpatoria - all reservoirs of marine origin with a high salt content. One of the most famous reservoirs is Lake Saki, the bottom of which is covered with healing mud. West of the lake Sasyk, there is a small Mainak lake, which also gained fame due to its therapeutic mud;
• Genicheska is lakes Arabat Spit and Eastern Sivash. Most of the lakes are classified as curative due to their unique mud springs;
• Lakes on the Crimean yayla are small reservoirs that tend to dry out in summer. Only Egiz-gol, Karatu-gol and Big gol are permanent;

Crimean plants

The nature of Crimea is diverse and amazing. There are 2,500 species of plants growing on the peninsula. The flora of Crimea is rich in endemics - 250 species of flowers and herbs are found only on the Crimean peninsula.

A clear change of Crimean landscapes is observed from north to south. The north can rightfully be considered a steppe kingdom, most of whose territory is reserved for arable land, with the exception of salt marshes, solonetzes, gullies, ravines and rocky plains unsuitable for agriculture. In the steppe zone, fescue, wheatgrass, feather grass, steppe thin-legged, irises, tulips, goose onions, stoneflies are common. Forest-steppes are replaced by steppes in the foothills, where juniper, wild rose, hornbeam, fluffy oak, pear tree grow.

Toward the south, the forest-steppe turns into oak forests, which, in turn, are replaced by beech and . On the tops of the Crimean mountains, in yayla, Crimean endemics grow. And on the sea coast, mainly imported plants are common, which are the main asset National parks which are over 200 years old. Exotic representatives of the Crimean flora grow and are protected in the Foros, Livadia, Alupka, Gurzuf, Nikitsky botanical gardens.

Crimean animals

The fauna of the Crimea is conditionally divided into steppe, mountain and marine. So, typical representatives of the Crimean steppe fauna are rodents, which include mice, hamsters and ground squirrels. Small mammals such as foxes, ferrets, weasels and hares live here in abundance. There are 230 species of birds in the steppe zone of Crimea, including herons, swans and cranes. On the Swan Islands there is an ornithological branch of the oldest Crimean reserve, which is of international importance.

Amphibians in the steppe are represented by such animals as the yellow-bellied lizard, the Crimean lizard and the poisonous steppe viper. In the forests it is observed a large number of forest birds: finches, goldfinches, titmouse, starlings. Deer, roe deer, foxes, wild boars, squirrels, martens and badgers are also found in the Crimean mountain forests. But the last Crimean wolf people exterminated 60 years ago.

Among marine life Crimean coast jellyfish, dolphins, clams, crabs and seahorses can be distinguished. The main fish species are flounder, sea bass, herring, mullet, goby and red mullet (common mullet).

The rich nature of the Crimea is the result of a synthesis of many geological phenomena that determined the uniqueness and uniqueness this region. Thanks to unique landscapes The peninsula has won recognition from tourists around the world. Everyone will find in Crimean nature a piece to his liking and once having been here, he will not be able to remain indifferent to the Crimean beauties.

The rivers of Crimea are not among the world leaders. Basically, they are not long, not wide, shallow, and in the summer heat they completely or partially dry up. Most of them feed on the water of melting snows and springs in the mountains: due to the instability of such “sources”, it is not easy to determine the exact length. But without fresh water there is no life, and the Crimean rivers - what they are - provide for the existence of rich nature and the entire population - both local and numerous visitors.

Salgir is the leader of the length

Although there are problems with measuring the length of rivers in Crimea, Salgir is unequivocally recognized as the leader. According to various sources, its length is estimated from 204 to 232 km, but in any case, this is the largest figure on the peninsula.

Salgir feeds on karst waters, rains, melting snow cover and springs. It is full-flowing in the cold season, and in summer it gets very shallow, flows through - the river embankment is a popular walking area. The river also fills the reservoirs, provides the capital of Crimea with drinking.

The pool is home to many famous Crimean caves: , . They are interesting as geological monuments, in many of them archaeologists discovered, including very ancient ones (of the Mousterian era).

Fishermen here catch perch, roach and even trout, but only in the warm season. Salgir freezes badly, that is, winter fishing on it is dangerous. Although there are also such amateurs who select good places for fishing.

Chatyrlyk is a joint creation of nature and man

Due to the lack of fresh water, many large rivers of the Crimea have undergone significant human interference in their course. Chatyrlyk, the second longest in Taurida (106 km), is often artificially straightened along its perimeter, and also blocked by dams in order to withstand the required level.

The result was an irrigation system and artificial fish breeding facilities, but part of the Chatyrlyk channel turned into a dry river. It was deprived of a significant tributary - the Vorontsovka - by turning its flow in a different direction. It starts at and flows into .

Chatyrlyk is unique in its geological history: if mountain rivers in the Crimea in spring or after rains they overflow strongly, and then quickly become shallow, then it is surrounded by a network of beams (the result of soil erosion). They "take the blow" of melt water and at the same time retain dampness. As a result, the reservoir has more or less the same fullness throughout the year.

Alma - a confusing route for a tourist

Geographers often disagree about the length of some great Crimean rivers. The reason is that their source can be difficult to determine - often it is hidden underground. The historically important Alma Peninsula has also become a bone of contention.

Officially, it occupies the third position in the ranking of the longest rivers in Crimea (87.8 km), but some sources claim that it is even longer than Chatyrlyk. The rivers Savlyk-Su, Sary-Su and Babuganka, whose confluence forms the Alma, pass along very winding routes, partly overland, partly under it. In some places they completely dry up, so it is sometimes difficult to find out their true length.

The middle and lower reaches run through the area where horticulture is especially developed. "Alma" in Tatar means "apple" - there really are a lot of these fruits here. Previously, there were more gardens: they were negatively affected by an attempt to replace traditional Crimean varieties with “advanced” European ones.

On Alma good fishing, but fishermen need to skillfully choose a place for her, where they can catch the desired species. There are roach, chub, carp, pike, barbel and even trout, but not all together, but depending on the river section. The most favorable for fishing are the upper reaches and the middle.

Biyuk-Karasu - a river born from the earth

Crimean rivers often have a confusing name that has a confusing meaning. So, "Biyuk-Karasu" should be translated as "black big water' or 'water born of the earth'.

She also has another, less respectful, name - Karasevka, which is also typical for the Crimea. It is not very long (86 km), but full-flowing, the sources are partially hidden in karst cavities, hence the name.

Its flows are enough for two reservoirs - and. It flows in the region and flows into the Salgir. Human activity has led to some shallowing of the river, but it is still important for irrigation and rich in fish.

Kuchuk-Karasu - a haven for gardeners in the Crimea

"Breathes in the back of the head" Biyuk-Karasu Malaya or Dry Karasevka - Kuchuk-Karasu (77.6 km). A story similar to Alma's happened to her. In its valley, fruit trees were also traditionally bred, but newfangled innovations almost ruined the work of gardeners. Now the gardens here are gradually being revived.

Rivers flowing in diverse areas have long attracted people. So, Biyuk-Karasu flows through mountains, hills and plains, and archaeologists have found traces of sites and burial mounds of the Neolithic, Eneolithic, and Bronze Ages. In the Middle Ages, the area was owned by the Genoese. Armenians who fled from Turkish persecution also settled here, the ruins of their temple were discovered.

In the picturesque river paradise, a fascinating a tourist route for inspection. The river abounds with "youth baths" with very cold but clean water. Fishermen are also found here, albeit a little. Basically, chub, perch, crucian carp and gudgeon are caught here, pike is rarely caught. Mushrooms - champignons grow in the adjacent woods.

Rivers on the map of Crimea

Open map

At first glance, it seems that the hydrographic network of Crimea is quite extensive - 1657 permanent and temporary watercourses, including about 150 rivers. However, the Crimean rivers bear little resemblance to the flat ones. These are small mountain rivers that are more like streams. In summer they dry up almost completely. During the rainless period, the channel is littered with boulders of various sizes and shapes; among them it is not always possible to notice a thin stream of water. But as soon as heavy rains pass in the mountains, the rivers instantly overflow their banks and rapidly rush down, capturing large stones and uprooted trees in the stream. Tourists should always keep this in mind when choosing a place to stay for the night.

The main water arteries of Crimea are the rivers Salgir, Alma and Kacha. Salgir is formed from the confluence of the Angara and Kizil-Koba rivers: the first originates on the northern slope of Chatyr-Dag, and the second at famous caves of the same name. Salgir, together with its tributary Biyuk-Karasu, is the largest water system Crimea. The average annual flow of the Salgir near Simferopol is 55 million cubic meters. m. True, to the north of Simferopol, the flow decreases sharply, and in its lower reaches, which falls on the steppe part, Salgir often dries up. The Salgir flows into the Sivash.

Quite large reservoirs have been built on Salgir and Biyuk-Karasu: Simferopol, Ayan, Taigan and Belogorsk, which play an important role in the water supply of the cities of Simferopol and Belogorsk, as well as in land irrigation.

The source of the second largest river of Crimea - Alma - in the picturesque Central Basin (Crimean nature reserve), among centuries-old beech and oak forests. It is formed from the confluence of the small rivers Sary-Su, Savlykh-Su and Babugash. The average annual flow of Alma is 38 million cubic meters. m. V upstream, within the boundaries of the reserve, many tributaries flow into the Alma: Bodrak, Kosa (Kosse), Mavlya, Piskur, Dry Alma, etc. At the exit from the Central Basin, the Alma is regulated by a series of ponds in which rainbow trout are bred. In addition, two reservoirs have been created on this river - Alma and Partizanskoye. Alma flows into the Black Sea.

The Kacha River differs little from the Alma in size and water content. Its average long-term flow is 58 million cubic meters. m. It originates high in the mountains, on the northern slope of Babugan, under the canopy of centuries-old beech forests. In its upper reaches, the Kacha forms one cascade of small waterfalls after another, its banks are steep, rocky, dotted with half-decayed beeches, which sometimes create entire traffic jams. The river seems to be tightly clamped here both from the sides and from the top. But at s. Mulberry she goes into a wide valley with magnificent orchards. In general, the Kachinskaya Valley, if you look at it from above, from the Chuchelsky Pass or from the foot of the Roman-Kosh, is one of the most picturesque sights. mountain Crimea. This is an endless sea of ​​​​greenery, playing in the sun with various tones and shades; and oval crowns of beeches create the illusion of stopped waves. Only Mount Basman with its naked peak seems the only island in this endless green haze.

Most major tributaries Kachi, flowing into it mainly in the upper reaches, are Marta, Donga, Kaspana, Style. The Kacha flows into the Black Sea. Like Alma, she is overregulated.

On the basis of reservoirs in the Crimea, there are several irrigation systems, of which the largest are Salgirskaya, Alma and Taiganskaya. The lack of water for irrigation purposes is compensated by the North Crimean Canal. More than 200 thousand hectares of land are now irrigated with its waters.

The rivers of the southern coast of Crimea are shallow. These are Derekoika, Avupda, Ulu-Uzen, Uchap-Su. But they have importance in water supply resort towns and sat down.

Crimea is rich in salt lakes. They are located in its flat part along the sea coast. In most cases, these are shallow lakes (up to a meter deep), which dry out greatly in summer. Based on their location, they are usually combined into five groups: Evpatoria, Tarkhankut, Perekop, Chongaro-Arabat and Kerch.

The Evpatoria group includes the largest lake of the peninsula Sasyk-Sivash, as well as Saki, Moinak. There are 14 lakes in total.

Sasyk-Sivash lake is located between Saki and Evpatoria, its area is 7100 hectares. It was formed from sea ​​bay and is now separated from the sea by a narrow embankment. Salt is mined in it, and brines serve as raw materials for the Saki chemical plant in the production of bromine and magnesium chloride.
Lake Saki (area 1085 ha) is known for its healing mud, on the use of which the well-known Saki resort in the country is based.

Of the lakes of the Tarkhankut group, the largest is Donuzlav. It stretches for 27 km from the sea deep into the mainland and arose as a result of the flooding of the mouth sections of the gullies by the sea.

The Perekop group of salt lakes stretches along the sea coast in a chain. Their complete isolation from the sea caused not only the reduced salinity of the brine, but also affected its chemical composition. In the lakes of the Perekop group, there is no magnesium sulfate, which is so characteristic of the Evpatoria group of lakes, but there is calcium chloride. The largest lake of this group is Staroe, or Tuzla. It is located south of Perekop, the area is 1145 hectares. From here comes the raw material for the Perekop bromine plant.

The Chongaro-Arabat group includes lakes located on the Arabat Spit. The largest lake here is Genicheskoe (about 1000 hectares, which is located in the northern part of the Arabat Spit and administratively belongs to the Kherson region).

The Kerch group is made up of quite large lakes adjacent to sea ​​coasts. In particular, the Aktash and Chokrak lakes adjoin the Sea of ​​Azov, and the Tobechik and Uzunlar lakes adjoin the Black Sea. The area of ​​these lakes ranges from 2 to 4 hectares.

The water bodies of Crimea are useful place recreation for children and adults. Find out the location, see the description and photos of the reservoirs of Crimea.

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The city of Armyansk in the east borders on the famous salt lake Sivash, which is also called the Rotten Sea. Its area is about 2500 sq. km, and the length is more than 110 km. Sivash is a bay, very winding, with the formation small islands and peninsulas, of which there are about 60. In 1947, some of these islands were recognized as protected. Geographically, Sivash separates the Crimean peninsula from the mainland. The border between the Kherson region and the Crimea passes through it. The name "Rotten Sea" was given in old times ancient Greek historian and geographer Strabo. The reason for this was the strongly heated summer time water and rotting algae that emitted an unpleasant odor.

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The reservoir is located south of Simferopol. This is one of largest reservoirs Crimea. The length of the reservoir is about 7000m, the width is about 1500m, average depth- 11m, maximum - 32m. It was built in 1954. The main task of the reservoir is to supply water to Simferopol and some settlements district. The reservoir is fed by the Salgir River.

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Not far from Koktebel on the territory extinct volcano Kara Dag, there is amazing and mysterious place- Lake Barakol. You can get there by bus and you need to go towards the village of Kurortnoe. The bus ride takes about half an hour.

The area is a steppe with excellent mountain scenery away and mysterious lake. The place is very picturesque and you can do amazing pictures. Not far from the lake there is a glider place where people often ride thanks to air currents.


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Near the village of Popovka is located salt Lake which has the name Oybur Lake. It is the salt lakes that have natural and, in turn, incredible healing properties that are ready to cure many diseases, disorders and problems in the functioning of individual parts of the body. Not only the water of the salt lake itself has healing properties, but also the salt that is in it. The lake has a round shape, slightly elongated from the southeast to the northwest. All the banks are gentle, but there is a small steep section in the southeast. Salt marshes adjoin the lake in the northwest and east.

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It is on the shores of the Kalamitsky Bay that luxurious beaches Zaozerny. The bay is located between Evpatoria and Lukull capes. Where the Black Sea goes deep into the coast of the Crimean peninsula. From the northern part, the bay is bounded by Evpatoria, and from the south it rests on the Kherson Peninsula. The bay has a depth of about 30 m, the width at the entrance is measured at 41 km, it protrudes into the land for about 13 m.

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Lake Moinaki is one of the salt lakes of the Kalamitsky Bay, located near the village of Zaozernoye. It is an estuary (Moynaksky estuary) with mineralized water of a unique composition. The name of the lake in translation from the Turkic language sounds like a "star". It is believed that the lake appeared two thousand years ago, separated as part of the sea bay. Gradually, the winds covered the sandy embankment separating the lake from the sea. Over time, the water from the newly formed reservoir evaporated, which increased the concentration of salts. Until now, underground springs are beating at the bottom of the lake. It is they who do not allow him to dry out from the very moment of occurrence.

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Along the central highway of the village of Zaozerny - Friendship Alley (Chaika microdistrict) there are more than a dozen estuaries or salt lakes. It is believed that many thousands of years ago they were part of the sea, which explains the salinity of their waters. This group of lakes is famous for its therapeutic mud, which the sanatoriums and health resorts of Zaozerny use for balneological procedures.

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An extended reservoir in Saki, called Mikhailovsky Pond, is freshwater lake, separated by a dam from the therapeutic Saki lake and fed by underground sources. The area of ​​the water basin is 85 hectares, the length is about three kilometers. The forest-steppe zone around the Mikhailovsky pond is a place of rest for city dwellers and tourists. Fishing lovers from all over the Crimea come here - carp, silver carp, roach, crucian carp, carp, grass carp are found in the lake. There is a base on the coast sports club"Dynamo", private hotels and guest houses were built near the pond.

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Near the Primorsky resort is its main attraction - Lake Adzhigol. Its length is up to 1.5 km. This lake was created by nature, its main value is healing mud, whose unique properties are not inferior to mud famous lake Saki. They are rich in iodine, bromine, gold, radium, fluorine, cobalt, uranium and a huge number of microorganisms. The mud of Lake Adzhigol has a characteristic black color, it really works and meets environmental standards. At the advent medicinal properties mud for centuries influenced spring, underground and sea ​​waters, as well as a volcano located nearby.

The most major river Crimea is located in the north of the peninsula in its steppe part - this is Salgir. Its length is more than 230 kilometers, the catchment area is about 4000 km2. A large reservoir has been built on it within the city of Simferopol, with a water volume of 36 million m3. Salgir is the source of many streams.
Alma, Western Bug, Belbek are famous on the western side of Crimea. The Alma is the second longest river after the Salgir. There is a trout farm on it, the Partizanskoye reservoir was built. During floods, it acquires a stormy mountainous character.

South coast The peninsula is characterized by the rivers Uchan-Su, Derekoika, Avunda. The beginning of their sources is located at a considerable height above sea level, so they have a large drop in the channel. Their course is quite fast. A feature of the rivers of the south of Crimea is the lack of water due to their shallowness and high demand for water during the resort period.