Surveys of the Crimean rivers. What is the longest river in Crimea? Rivers, lakes, reservoirs of Crimea
Crimea or the Crimean peninsula is located in the northern part of the Black Sea, from the northeast it is washed by the Sea of Azov. On its territory there are more than 150 rivers and streams. Depending on the terrain, the rivers are divided into mountainous and flat, for the most part they are small and weak. Depending on the deposit, the rivers are divided into northern, western and southern. Most of them dry up in hot weather, but fill up quickly during the rainy season.The largest river of 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.
The southern coast of 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.
The Crimean peninsula is called a small piece of paradise 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 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 oldest part 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 south coast Crimea (South Coast, Crimean Tat: Yalı Boyu) formed a unique subtropical climate, 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 longest river in Crimea is the Salgir River (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 Sea of Azov.
A characteristic feature of most Crimean rivers is their shallow water 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 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 the flooding of the mouths with sea water 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.
Crimean water is mostly in the sea. The rivers of the peninsula are small, and the lakes of Crimea are often located close to the coast, and often they are with a high degree of salinity. But among them there are priceless from a medical point of view, unusual in origin and simply beautiful.
Estuaries of Crimea - pieces of the sea
Most of the lakes in Tauris are concentrated near the seashore. As a rule, they are endorheic and salty, belong to the firth type. This term means that the reservoir arose as a result of fencing off a small bay with an isthmus from the sea.
These lakes do not communicate with the world ocean at all or have a narrow connecting channel. The water in them is usually very "marine". There are estuaries formed naturally, but often a person had a hand in their appearance, building dams for passage or protection from waves. The isthmuses separating them are often small.
Salt lakes of Crimea are important medical centers. Mineral mud helps to get rid of skin and gynecological diseases, treat problems with the musculoskeletal system. Healing sludge is mined on an industrial scale for deliveries to hospitals and.
Most famous beneficial features contents of the bottom of Tobechik, Chokrak, Moinaki, Saki. Sometimes tourists try to use the mud on their own, although this requires some caution - doctors consider such amateur activity to be dangerous. Mud therapy implies exact observance of time, and there are many contraindications to it.
Known in the Crimea and Donuzlav, which was once the territory of a secret military facility. And Koyashskoye Lake is inhabited by algae, which acquire a reddish tint in the heat. Consequently, in the summer it attracts holiday-goers with a bright pink color.
Freshwater reservoirs of the plains - sources of coolness
Fresh lakes much less in Crimea. Some of them are extensions of the beds of rivers and streams. So, Raven near Sudak is formed by the river of the same name, and Yusupovskoye is formed by Sary-Uzen. Some have artificial nature- formed as a result of flooding construction pits or quarries with water from springs. These are Mangup or Ai-Efim, which is not far from. Due to the significant influx of spring water, many freshwater lakes remain cold even in the summer heat.
Some of them are located in intermountain gorges, the other - at a considerable height. Once upon a time, attempts were made to create man-made lakes on the yayla - they were called goli.
But not all natural pits were filled, and from somewhere the life-giving moisture then completely left, leaving empty funnels.
The most beautiful Crimean lakes are a little less popular with vacationers than the sea. But pleasure is not always cheap. Sometimes a visit is paid in itself, for example, Kastel, Vasilyevsky, Turquoise. Often you will need to pay not for rest, but additional features– a place for a tent, firewood supply, boat rental.
You also have to pay for, fork out either for the right to fish in general, or for the opportunity to catch fish over the established minimum. The origin of the requirement is clear - the lakes were stocked with fish, the density of the scaly population has to be maintained by the efforts of specialists. But you can swim and sunbathe on the banks of most reservoirs without additional costs. The Martian Lake, near Bakhchisaray, is especially suitable for swimming.
Lakes among mountain rocks
Mountain lakes in the Crimea are often located not in the mountains, but in the foothills. Often they are found in tracts between ridges and in river valleys.
Above all are artificial goli, but such as Castel, Raven or Panagia also have a height of several hundred meters. The Emerald Lake is also beautiful near (at the rock of Shaan-Kaya).
They are usually quite cold, feeding mountain rivers, and those, in turn, with melted snow, rain and underground sources. Therefore, it is necessary to bathe with caution - only the surface layer turns out to be warm.
But the lakes in the mountains are amazingly picturesque. Photos from their shores are regularly used by tourists to show off their trip, and by advertisers for professional purposes. Many are laid standard tourist routes. Among them there are paid and free, and this indicator is not constant.
Record holders of Taurida and unusual places
There is nothing comparable in scale to Lake Victoria or the Caspian Sea in Crimea. But there are record holders. The deepest is Donuzlav - up to 27 m, large sea steamers. A largest area near Sasyk-Sivash - 75.3 sq. km, it is called a deposit of valuable therapeutic mud.
Please note that the data given is maximum. In the summer heat, the mass of lake sights of the Crimea becomes very shallow and decreases in size, and some dry up completely.
Unusual and truly unique Crimea are underground lakes. They are, for example, in caves or, formed in karst cavities by springs and rivulets flowing / flowing underground. Their visit requires some preparation and is undesirable alone.
Lakes on the map of Crimea
Crimean lakes are not known for their noisy fame, but this does not diminish their romantic beauty. They are sought after for the sake of improving health, for silence and unity with mother nature, which is so lacking in the bustle big city! In conclusion, we offer an interesting video clip about the most beautiful lake Happy viewing and see you soon!