The Dnieper is one of the five largest rivers in Europe and is the main waterway of Ukraine. The length of the water stream is 2,285 km. It flows through the territory of the Russian Federation, the Belarusian state, and most of it is located within Ukraine. The total catchment area of the Dnieper is more than 500 thousand square meters. km
The Dnieper originates in the swamp of the Okovsky forest massif, in the south of the Valdai Upland (territorially - Smolensk region). It carries its waters to the Black Sea, to the Dnieper-Bug estuary. On the territory of Ukraine, the flow becomes high-water, since it is here that the largest tributaries of the Dnieper are located. The mouth is considered to be Zaporozhye. Closer to the northern region, the channel is divided into two branches that wash the rocky island of Khortitsa. The valley in this place has a width of about 4 km, but then it increases to 20 km.
Despite the fact that the Dnieper is one of the largest rivers in Europe, it cannot boast of a large number of tributaries. They are distributed unevenly. The tributaries of the Dnieper River are concentrated in the upper reaches in the largest amount. The total number of all rivers flowing into the main water stream of Ukraine is more than 15,000.
Berezina River
Berezina is the longest river in Belarus, the largest right tributary of the Dnieper. The length of the stream is 613 km. The source is the Berezinsky Reserve, the course is southern. It flows into the Dnieper near the village of Beregovaya Sloboda, Gomel region.
The catchment area of the river is almost 25,000 square meters. km
The large right tributaries of the Dnieper River are full of water. They are the main source of nutrition for the main artery. Berezina has a wide bed, its width varies from 100 to 300 m, in a separate section the river is navigable (500 km). Steep shores prevail, sometimes reaching a height of 15 m. The right slopes are much higher than the left. From December to March, Berezina is covered with a layer of ice. The upper reaches of the river are swampy; this is a very good place for the population of some animal species, in particular, bison and bears. Also, many bird species nest in the region. A sufficient amount of fish is found in the river - pike, perch, zander, catfish, bream, crucian carp. Thanks to this, Berezina is a favorite place for fishing.
Pripyat River
Another right tributary of the Dnieper is the Pripyat River. Its length is 775 km. The river flows through the territory of Belarus and Ukraine. The catchment area is 114 square meters. km The source of the river is the area near the village. Horn Smolyars (Volyn region). The width of the channel increases from source to mouth. At the beginning of the course, it is 40 m, and by the approach to the Dnieper it expands to 4 km (the river flows directly into the Kiev reservoir). It is covered with ice from December to March, then there is a long ice drift - almost two months. It has a mixed type of food.
In the place where the river flows near the town of Pripyat, it was artificially dried, and the waters were transferred to the bypass channel. However, according to the results of various studies, it was found that the river waters carry dangerous radionuclides, and therefore rest and fishing here is undesirable.
Teterev River
Grouse - the right tributary of the Dnieper, flowing into the Kiev reservoir. The length of the river is 365 km, the catchment area is more than 15,000 square meters. km The river begins its life with. Socks of the Zhytomyr region, completely flowing through the territory of Ukraine. In the upper sections, the water flow is represented by rocks that go to the surface and create rapids. The average width of the river is 20-40 m, the maximum is 90 m. The banks here are high, sometimes overgrown with forest. A hydroelectric station was built on the Teterev River.
Irpin River
Irpen is a right tributary of the Dnieper. Its length is 162 km, the catchment is more than 3,000 square meters. km The source is near with. Yarovichi (Zhytomyr region). In the upper reaches, the river is narrow - only 4-5 m, closer to the mouth of the Irpen, it expands to 25 m. This watercourse is very rich in different types of fish. This place is suitable for fishing. In the 60s, many floodgates-regulators were built on the river, thanks to which it was possible to cope with the swampiness of this region. The river’s food is mixed, mainly snow.
Desna River
Desna is the largest left tributary of the main river of Ukraine with a length of 1,130 km. The catchment area is 88 thousand square meters. km The source of the river is the peat bog Golubev Mokh (Smolensk Upland). In the upper reaches, the watercourse runs along the flat terrain and has low, marshy shores. Desna ice is covered from December to March. The riverbed is winding, sometimes reaches a width of 450 m. The average depth is 3-4 m, the maximum - 17 m.
Desna accepts more than 30 large tributaries. There are no artificial dams and canals along the entire length of the river, so in spring it spills heavily. This feature contributes to the spawning of fish, which is found in large numbers here. Also, due to the spills along the Desna, a large number of lakes are found.
Vorskla River
Vorskla is the left tributary of the Dnieper, which has a length of 464 km. The source of the river is the western slope of the Central Russian Upland (the territory of the Belgorod Region). The catchment area is more than 14 thousand square meters. km The width of the river in some areas reaches 10 km. The Vorskla shores are uneven: the right one is steep, the left one is gentle, often marshy. The riverbed is winding, and the depth is 2-4 m. The bottom is sandy, often on the shore you can find open sections of beaches. Mixed food. The river is covered with ice in December, opened in March. Sluices and dams were built throughout the water flow.
The wildlife here is also rich. There are hares, foxes, wild boars, roe deer and many species of birds. Of the fish found in Vorskla: cyprinids, common carp, bream, pike, perch, etc. Along the coast there are mixed forests.
Sula River
Another left tributary of the Dnieper is the Sula River. Its length is 363 km. The catchment area is 18,500 square meters. km The river begins to move on the Central Russian Upland (Sumy region). It flows in a westerly direction; when it flows into the Dnieper, it forms a branched delta. The floodplain of the river is swamped by peat bogs. It has a winding channel with stretches throughout. The width of the channel is from 15 to 75 m. The bottom has a silt character, and the banks are high, sometimes steep. Mixed type of nutrition prevails, water is rich in minerals and iodine. Part of the river is navigable. But the main value of Sula is its use for water supply and irrigation. In these places rich flora and fauna.
Samara River
Samara is the left tributary of the Dnieper 320 km long. The source of the river is in the Donetsk region, in the western part of the Donetsk ridge. It flows directly into the Dnieper reservoir. The catchment area is more than 22,000 square meters. km The riverbed is meandering, the average width is 40-80 m, the maximum is 300 m. The river is of mixed type, ice is unstable in winter. In certain seasons, water can completely freeze.
In Samara, the ichthyofauna is represented by a large number of species: crucian carp, pike, perch, bulls, pike perch, etc. Dams are built on the river’s drain, which are used for household purposes.
Trubezh River
Trubezh is the left tributary of the Dnieper with a length of 113 km. The catchment is nearly 5,000 square meters. km The source of the river passes at s. Petrovsky Chernihiv region. Trubezh flows into the Kanev reservoir. Water supply is snow. The width of the river valley is up to 5 km, the river has deep sections - up to 10 m. Trubezh freezes at the end of November, the ice drift begins in March. On this river is located Pereyaslav-Khmelnitsky - a large Ukrainian city, which is famous for its ancient architecture.