Reservoirs of Russia: list, description, economic significance

Reservoirs - reservoirs created by human hands with the help of dams in the river valley, which serve to collect and retain water masses. More than 1,200 such structures have been built in our country. These data take into account only the large reservoirs of Russia.

Characteristics of reservoirs

The structures exist in two varieties. The first include lake reservoirs, which differ in the way they accumulate water. The flow in them is created exclusively by the wind. Reservoirs on the rivers belong to the second group. They have an elongated shape and a constant flow. The main parameters of reservoirs: volume, surface area and level fluctuations throughout the year.

The organization of a new reservoir entails a change in the appearance of the river valley and its hydro-regime in the zone of backwater. The greatest influence is created by the dam on the adjacent part of the reservoir. However, it is possible to see changes at a distance of many kilometers.

All the reservoirs of Russia underwent a procedure for preparing for flooding. Forests falling into the designated zone of flooding are removed, freeing the shores. Residents of villages within the boundaries of the future reservoir are relocated, and the buildings themselves are dismantled. A lot of work is carried out by hydrobiologists and ichthyologists who are preparing for the restoration of fish populations.

The largest reservoirs of the country are the Bratsk, Krasnoyarsk and Kuibyshev.

The role of reservoirs

The organization of the reservoir entails a number of negative consequences. Reduction of the flood leads to the disappearance of spawning grounds in fish. Gulf meadows do not receive useful substances, which causes vegetation to suffer. The river slows down, which leads to increased formation of silty sediments.

The largest reservoirs of Russia are such on a world scale. The peak of construction occurred in the period from 1950 to 2000. They were bred for the following purposes.

• Receiving electricity. The cheapest way to work out.
• Irrigation of fields and creation of places of rest in the area with water shortage.
• Breeding fish.
• Water intake for the needs of the city.
• Shipping. With their help, the plain rivers become suitable for the movement of ships.
• In some areas, the timber was simplified.
• Fighting floods in the Far Eastern region.

The territory of the Russian Federation is strewn with grandiose buildings unevenly. In the European part of them an order of magnitude greater than in the Asian. In the basin of the Volga alone there are 13.

Gorkovskoye

Gorky reservoir was chosen by lovers of fishing. Its lower tail is located in the Nizhny Novgorod region. In the area of the dam its width reaches 12 km, and depth - 22 m. The hydro-regime and composition of the reservoir are ideal for fish populations. In places of flooded peat deposits in winter, there are overseas phenomena. In the vicinity of the hydroelectric power station there is practically no flow. Significant for the aquatic fauna are waves and wind currents.

In winter, the water level drops by 2 m. Shallow water drains, causing frost, freezing of the soil. Coastal plants suffer from this. In the spring period, the reservoir is filled with melted water. The level at this time fluctuates within 40 cm, but this is enough to disturb the spawning of fish, which need water vegetation.

In November, ice starts. In winter, a crust of thickness up to a meter is formed. By hydro-mode the Gorky reservoir is similar to a lake with a weak current. In the mid-fifties, huge areas of fertile lands that were in the flood plain left under water. There was an outbreak of growth in the numbers of many aquatic animals that received new spawning grounds and fodder places. After several years, the populations of fish and other organisms began to decline.

Argazinsky

The Argazin Reservoir is the largest reservoir in the Chelyabinsk Region. Its length is 22 km, and the width exceeds 11 km. The deepest point is at the level of 18 m. Transparency of the water depends on the weather conditions and is 3-8 m. The lake reservoir has over 45 skeletons, among which there is a natural monument with broad-leaved groves.

Argazi is located in the spurs of the Ilmen Mountains. The reservoir was created in 1942 by installing a dam on the river. Miass. It retains 980 million m ^{3 of} water at a height of only 1.5 m. A large number of juvenile fish, primarily whitefish and burbot, are released into the reservoir. Periodically catch trophy fish of fish weighing over 10 kg.

Argazinskoe reservoir - a source of water for Chelyabinsk. On its shores, festivals are organized and the residents of the city spend their leisure time.

Volkhovsky

The Volkhov Reservoir was created in 1926 in the Leningrad Region. Its width is 400 m, and the surface area is 2 km ² . It was built for the Volkhov hydroelectric power station. The catchment is carried out from an area of over 80 thousand km ² . The reservoir has a gateway for passage of vessels with one camera. The project was created by the Leningradhydroproject. The shores of the pond are rich in vegetation and are used by townspeople for recreation.

Boguchanskoye

Boguchanskoye reservoir began to fill in the fall of 1987 after the closure of the temporary canals in the dam, along which the river was running. The project level of 208 m was reached in 2015. It is a reservoir in the Irkutsk region on the river. Angara. The main goal of the construction is the generation of electrical energy. At the site, the flow is regulated depending on the season, trying to keep the level drops within 1 m.

The mouths of many tributaries have turned into huge bays. Some of them have a length of more than 10 km. Ledostav lasts 7 months, which does not apply to the lower reaches of the hydroelectric power station. In this area, the polynya will be preserved for tens of kilometers. When organizing the reservoir for flooding, many peat bogs fell. This fact affected the chemical composition of the water. The construction of the reservoir affected the species composition of fish and catches. Rheophilic fish migrated, their catches reduced by 10 times.

Fraternal

The brotherly reservoir is located in the Irkutsk region on the river. Angara. Its length is 570 km, and width - 25 km. This reservoir leads the largest reservoirs of Russia. Its outlines have a bizarre shape. Most of the tributaries became deeper, which allowed the vessels to enter them. Karst processes intensified in the vicinity of the reservoir, funnels and landslides began to appear.

Not all reservoirs of Russia have such a strong impact on the coast. The banks are breaking down due to strong level changes. It reaches 6-10 m. The reservoir has a large fishing, navigable and timber-floating importance. On its banks there are always a lot of tourists and fishermen.

Krasnoyarsk

Krasnoyarsk reservoir for its dimensions was called the fresh sea. Its surface area is 2 thousand km ² . The average depth reaches 40 m. Filling with water lasted three years after the construction of the dam. It is one of the largest reservoirs in the world. With the help of it, the water level in the Yenisei is controlled. On this river ships go and is carried out rafting.

Not all reservoirs of Russia are so rich in pike as Krasnoyarsk. The number of small fish here is small, because for it there is not enough fodder base. She suffered as a result of the formation of the reservoir.

The construction of dams entails many consequences for nature and man. A person benefits from this in the face of cheap electricity, transport arteries and large water supplies. There is a gradual change in the species composition of fish. Ichthyofauna becomes less valuable, but more numerous. Large reservoirs can change the surrounding microclimate, making it softer.