Oka is the fourth largest river in Eastern Europe. It is striking in its large size and is rightly considered a great place to relax. On its banks is a reserve. There you can meet rare representatives of flora and fauna, whose life is ensured by the Oka River. Plants and animals with which it is rich, surprise with its magnificence and variety. The water artery is considered one of the best places for fishing, and beautiful cornfields delight the eye of every tourist. However, a serious problem in recent years is the fact that fish species such as whitefish, sturgeon, and beluga, which used to live in the Oka, are now practically not found. The most common are considered to be husters, ruffs, perch, crucian carp, bream and others. But every day, due to problems with the regular release of waste into the river, the number of fish species is steadily declining.
History of the name of the river
The name Oka is supposedly derived from the Finnish word joku, which means river. Amazingly, this name has rather deep roots dating back to ancient centuries. Although in the Proto-Slavic language the “eye” sounds exactly the same as today, it can be assumed that the discoverers of the river were peoples who spoke completely different languages and lived before our era. Although it is completely impossible to assert this. For example, on the western side, the lands of Lithuanians adjoined the river. In their language, akis means the same as in Russian “eye” or “eye”. But for other Baltic people their word aka means "well".
River characteristic
In order to calm the temper of such a water stream as the Oka River, whose plants and animals need protection, two dams were erected: one in the Moscow and the other in the Ryazan region.
The river freezes in early December and “sleeps” until April. After the ice melts, a very rapid flood begins. The water level can reach 13 m, and the flow velocity - up to 3 m / s. In the spring season, the river is in this state for about 2 months. The peak of the flood occurs in mid-April, at that very moment you can observe its exit from the coast to a distance of 5 km. In the summer, the water level in the pool returns to normal, calming the rapid flow. This is due to the characteristic features of the surrounding climate.
Animals of the Oka River
The fauna of the Oka is represented by all species of fish that live in the Volga basin. Since ancient times, this river was rich in bream, which cannot be denied even now. The most common representatives of the water world are silver bream and roach. Fishermen can also meet Sintz, Asp, Minnow, sterlet, ruff, pikeperch, perch and other species with which the Oka River is full. Plants and animals growing and living in the reserve, built on one of the banks of the water stream, attract many people. It is good when there is an opportunity to look at hares, elks, beavers, birds, and also admire the beauty of alder, bird cherry or angelica.
Flora of the Oka River
At the moment, the Oka River, whose plants shine with a special variety, is the border between two natural zones. Earlier on the right bank there was a dense deciduous forest, but by today it has not been preserved, only in some places you can find small remains of birch forests and oak forests. In the area where the river adjoins the slopes, you can find a fairly large number of plants, such as pike, sedge, kaluzhnitsa, alder. And from the woods - sedge, willow, spruce and pine. The richest floodplain area is central. Thanks to the humus of the soil, many cereal crops grow here (bluegrass, foxtail, fescue), as well as sorrel, clover, cornflower and others.
The Oka River attracts more tourists' attention. Plants and animals are represented by many species that will never leave indifferent both residents of nearby cities and visitors.