The proletarian reservoir is one of the largest reservoirs in the south of Russia. It appeared in the late 30s of the 20th century, and is located in the Rostov region, Stavropol Territory and Kalmykia. The reservoir was created on the West Manych River, which previously was a network of lakes. Now this large reservoir is used for shipping, and is also very popular among fishermen.
Where is the proletarian reservoir
Now this reservoir is quite large - its area is about 800 square kilometers, and its length is more than 200 km. This is the second largest body of water in the Rostov region after Tsimlyansk reservoir. It was created on the West Manych River, a tributary of the Don. It flows through the territory of three regions between the Sea of Azov and the Caspian Sea.
The Proletarsky reservoir begins in the Rostov region from the mouth of the Sredny Yegorlyk river. Here it is located in two areas. The largest settlement on its shores is the city of Proletarsk, which gave the name to the reservoir. In the middle, widest part, merging with Manych-Gudilo Lake , the reservoir passes through the Stavropol Territory. And it ends on the territory of the Republic of Kalmykia. Here it is the largest body of water.
History of the reservoir
Until the middle of the 20th century, the Western Manych River was a chain of lakes or estuaries connected by narrow channels. Shipping on it was impossible. Therefore, in the 30s, hydro construction began. Its initial goal was to connect the Sea of Azov and the Caspian Sea with a shipping canal. A temporary dam was set up near the Baraniki farm. The filling of the reservoir began to occur due to the discharge of the Bolshoi Yegorlyk river.
But soon the dam was liquidated, and the resulting reservoir connected to the large Manych-Gudilo lake. So it turned out the Proletarian reservoir. But the water in it was highly mineralized, so hydro construction continued. To desalinate the reservoir, the Nevinnomyssky Canal was laid, through which fresh water of the Kuban River began to flow into it.
In the 50s, the Proletarian reservoir was divided by a dam into two parts. This was done in order to preserve fresh water for agricultural needs. Now the reservoir is two unequal reservoirs. The western compartment is a freshwater stretch 1-3 km wide with a peculiar flora and fauna. The eastern compartment is more extensive, it is located on the territory of the former salt lake Manych-Gudilo.
Reservoir description
Now the Proletarian reservoir is one of three artificial reservoirs on the Manych River. Starting from Ust-Manychsky and ending with Veselovsky, these three reservoirs make the Manych River navigable.
The Proletarian reservoir is fed by the waters of several rivers: the Kuban, Egorlyk and Manych. Seasonal fluctuations in the water level in it are determined by the largest of them - Kuban. The maximum volume of the reservoir is observed in April after the melting of snow and ice. The lowest water level is in November. Around December, ice is placed on the reservoir. The depth of the reservoir is an average of 2.5 meters, in some places - up to 7 m.
Human Resource Use
This reservoir was created in order to provide navigation on the shallow river Manych, as well as for irrigation of fields. Now the automobile and railway bridge are located on the reservoir, shipping is widely developed. Fresh water is actively used in agriculture, and recently the mineralization regime has been violated because of this. At the end of the 20th century, the salinity of the reservoir began to increase, so the reconstruction of the dam began.
Due to changes in water salinity, depletion of phytoplankton and reservoir fauna occurred. This affected the fish that lives in the pond. Due to the worsening conditions of its habitat, the number of populations decreased and the diversity of species decreased. Now, only 26 fish species are found in the freshwater part of the reservoir, and only 13 in the area of Manych-Gudilo Lake.
Many birds live on the shores of this reservoir. Many rare species nest and even winter here:
- mute swan;
- grey goose;
- pink pelican;
- bustard;
- thirst
- black-throated eel ;
- flamingo;
- Demoiselle Crane.
Because of this, part of the Proletarian reservoir in the area of Lake Manych-Gudilo is included in the Black Lands biosphere reserve. The Rostov reserve was formed on the west coast , and the state reserve in the Stavropol Territory.
Fishing on the Proletarian Reservoir
Almost three dozen species of fish live in this pond. Therefore, it is so popular among fishermen. Mostly fish is distributed between dams. In the central part of the Proletarian reservoir, due to its high salinity, it is almost absent. But in fresh waters, the following types are common:
- needle fish;
- bersh;
- zander;
- perch;
- rudd;
- pike;
- pelengas;
- gobies.
To catch this and some other types of fish, not only local fishermen come here. Guests from neighboring areas also like to relax and fish on the reservoir. True, the tourist infrastructure is not developed here, so the fishermen have to stop on the shore of the reservoir in a tent. Come here at any time of the year. Especially popular is the freshwater western section of the reservoir. Pure water allows you to engage not only in fishing, but also scuba diving.