The Oka River. Plants and animals of the Volga Basin

Oka is the fourth in the rating of the rivers of Eastern Europe. It amazes with its large size and is deservedly considered a wonderful place where you can relax. On its shores is a reserve. There you can meet rare representatives of flora and fauna, the life of which is provided by the river Oka. Plants and animals with which she is rich, Surprise with its magnificence and diversity. 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 times is the fact that such species of fish as white fish, sturgeon, beluga, which used to live in the Oka, now practically do not occur. The most common are gusters, ruff, perch, crucian carp, bream and others. But every day because of problems with the regular discharge of waste into the river, the number of fish species is steadily declining.

The history of the name of the river

The name Oka supposedly originated from the Finnish word joku, which means "river". It's amazing, but this name has deep enough roots that go back to ancient times. Although in the Proto-Slavonic language, the "eye" sounds exactly the same as today, one can assume that the pioneers of the river were the peoples who spoke in completely different languages and lived before our era. Although it is impossible to assert this completely confidently. For example, on the western side of the river were the lands of Lithuanians. In their language, akis means the same thing as in the Russian "eye" or "eye". But with other Baltic people their word aka means "well".

Characteristics of the river

In order to reassure the nature of such a water flow as the Oka River, plants and animals that need protection, two dams were erected: one in Moscow and one in the Ryazan Region.

The river freezes in early December and "sleeps" until April. After the melting of ice, a very rapid flood begins. The water level can reach 13 m, and the current speed - up to 3 m / s. In the spring, the river is in this state for about 2 months. The peak of the flood reaches the middle of April, at which point it is possible to observe its escape from the coasts to a distance of up to 5 km. In the summer, the water level in the pool comes back to normal, soothing the stormy current. This is due to the characteristics of the surrounding climate.

Animals of the Oka River

The fauna of the Oka is represented by all kinds of fish that live in the Volga basin. Since ancient times, this river was rich in bream, which can not be denied even now. The most common representatives of the aquatic world are bream and roach. Anglers can also meet syntha, asp, minnow, sterlet, ruff, pike perch, perch and other species that are full of the Oka River. Plants and animals that grow and inhabit a reserve built on one of the shores of the water stream attract many people. It is good, when it is possible to look at rabbits, elks, beavers, birds, and also admire the beauty of alder, bird cherry or angelica.

The vegetable world of the Oka River

At the moment, the Oka River, whose plants shine with a special variety, is the boundary between two natural zones. Earlier on the right bank was a dense deciduous forest, but by today it has not been preserved, only here and there you can find small remnants of birch forests and oak forests. In the area where the river adjoins the slopes, you can meet a fairly large number of plants, such as pike, sedge, kaluzhnitsa, alder. And from the woods - sedge, willow, firs and pines. The richest part of the floodplain is central. Thanks to the humus of the soil, a lot of cereals (bluegrass, foxtail, fescue) grow here, as well as sorrel, clover, cornflower and others.

More attention of tourists is attracted by the river Oka. Plants and animals here are represented by many species that will never leave indifferent both the inhabitants of the nearest cities and visitors.