Nature did not deprive the vast territory of the Russian Federation of water resources. The state owns significant reserves of fresh water. And, if you do not take into account the rest of the water bodies, only rivers are recorded over 130 thousand in length from 10 km and more. The Irtysh River is the most powerful Siberian stream, whose waters swiftly rush from the south to the north, it is second only to the Lena River in its length.
The Pearl of Siberia
Even in antiquity, this turbulent river attracted tribes of Scythians, ancestors of Hungarians and Bulgarians to its banks. The Turkic peoples, noting the wayward nature of the beauty, called her Irtysh, which means "shrew." And the river fully justified its name, repeatedly changing its channel and destroying the banks, which for the most part consist of loose soil rocks. As a result of this long process, the Irtysh mountains were formed, reaching a height of 30-40 meters.
The Irtysh is one of the places of honor among the full-flowing rivers of the planet and at the same time, of course, it leads as the longest tributary. It is interesting that, falling into the Ob River, the Irtysh at the same time exceeds its length (4,248 km). Their very meeting presents a rather interesting picture: it is the Ob that approaches the Irtysh and takes the direction of its course. This raises a lot of controversy, which one is more important. Together they form a single water system with a length of 5,410 km, the second in Asia after the Yangtze River.
Geographical characteristics of the Irtysh
The main tributary of the Ob flows through three large states - China, Kazakhstan and Russia. Its long and thorny path originates in the glaciers of the mountain system of the Mongolian Altai, between China and Mongolia. On the eastern slope of the ridge, located in the Dzungaria, and is the source of the Irtysh River. The river runs through China for about 525 km and, under the name Black Irtysh, falls into Kazakhstan, in the flowing lake Zaysan. At this point, it is greatly enhanced, fueled by the waters of other tributaries.
On the territory of Kazakhstan, a full-flowing Siberian beauty is blocked by a number of dams, which only testifies to her power and potential. Here the length of the Irtysh River is 1,835 km. In the north-west of the state, where the borders with the Omsk region pass, it already appears as a plain river and continues its path, rushing farther north. Then, having overcome taiga regions and having traveled 2,010 km, the river is reunited with the Ob to flow together to the Arctic Ocean.
Irtysh River Basin
The Siberian pearl basin is characterized by a wide variety of physical and geographical conditions. Its river area is 1 643 thousand km 2 , which exceeds the area of the Volga basin and allows you to compete with such rivers of the world as the Mississippi, Amazon and Nile. The upper part of the Irtysh river basin is located in the Altai mountains and has a fairly developed river network. But a significant part of it falls on the steppe and forest-steppe zones, and only in the lower reaches the river passes into the forest strip. In the Russian territory of the basin (44%), the river runs in a wide valley, sometimes up to 35 km.
The climate of the Irtysh basin is mainly characterized by long winters and relatively warm summers. The food of the river is carried out in its mountainous part mainly by meltwater, and on the plain - by snow food, but the groundwater plays a significant role. Excessive moisture and a feature of the relief of the river determines the distribution of closed lakes and increased bogging in some places.
Tributaries
The Irtysh River is very rich in tributaries: more than 120 large and small rivers flow into it. The most significant of them are slightly more than 20: these are Kurchum, Kalzhir, Bukhtarma, Narym, Ulba, Usolka, Kamyshlovka, Ishim, Vagai, Tobol, Konda and others. It should be noted that the main part of the tributaries falls on the upper and lower reaches of the Irtysh. In the middle course, the river is very meager in its tributaries; the steppe rivulets cannot reach it in any way (either dry up on its way, or flow into lakes). The only exception is the Usolka River in the Pavlodar region, which feeds on groundwater. In addition, the Irtysh waters feed two more channels: in Kazakhstan - the Irtysh-Karaganda and in China - the Irtysh-Karamay.
With so many tributaries, it is quite expected that the river should be quite full-flowing, but this is not at all the case. In China, water from the Irtysh is diverted, which is already significantly affecting the water level in the river. Dams with hydroelectric power stations were also built : Bukhtarminskaya, Shulbinskaya, Ust-Kamenogorsk and others.
Economic use of a water body
The Irtysh River is a major transport route in western Siberia, which connects the distant regions of the north with the south of Russia. Its waterways are of great economic importance for the Sverdlovsk, Tyumen, Omsk regions and the whole of East Kazakhstan. They pass through territories with a very rare network of railways and highways, which is explained by difficult climatic conditions and great swampiness. And, along with this, the river basin has significant natural resources: timber, metals, building materials, fuel. Construction work is underway for the industrial development of new deposits. Also, in the lands adjacent to the river, agriculture is actively conducted and developed. All this determines the growing role of the Irtysh in the economic development of the regions.
Flora and fauna
The Irtysh River Valley is rich in floodplain, motley grasses and cereal meadows, pine forests, hayfields. There are many trees and shrubs, medicinal and wild herbs. Dense forests of deciduous and coniferous trees are stretched for many kilometers. Alder, pine, birch, juniper, viburnum, mountain ash, bird cherry and much more are growing.
The generous Irtysh basin attracts tourists and fishermen from everywhere. A wide variety of fish does not leave anyone indifferent, providing a very interesting fishing. Here lives: sturgeon, sterlet, rotan, ruff, bream, nelma, carp, muksun, pike perch, roach, perch, burbot and others. It should be noted that fish species such as trout, silver carp, ripus, were bred artificially. Unfortunately, in recent years, the fish population in the river has declined quite sharply. The main reasons include developed poaching and heavy pollution of the Irtysh.
Environmental problems
Recently, the situation of the Irtysh River in Russia, and not only, is estimated by ecologists not just as very polluted, but as close to an environmental disaster. Salts of heavy metals, chemicals, petroleum products, nitrates, pesticides regularly fall into its waters. There are cattle cemeteries near the river basin and sewage discharge from livestock farms. A high level of microbiological contamination has been recorded, which leads to mass death of fish. Irtysh pollution significantly exceeds all permissible norms and indicators.
The main sources of river pollution are: petrochemical industry, housing and communal services enterprises, electric power industry, and agriculture. Experts predict that one of the possible consequences of the Irtysh ecological disaster will be climate change.
Interesting Facts
- In ancient times, the Irtysh river valley reached 200 km, today it is 35 km.
- Paradoxically, the Irtysh is still among the cleanest and least mineralized rivers on the planet.
- In the river valley there are many ancient mounds, during the excavation of which gold and precious items are discovered.
- The channel of the Irtysh often changes course, its width sometimes reaches 700 meters, and in the northern regions it reaches 1000 meters.
- From the source to the mouth of the Irtysh there are 12 large cities.
- The name of the river in the upper reaches - Black Irtysh - was not given in the meaning of color, but in the meaning of the earth - the river begins from a spring.