The Salgir River is the main artery of the Crimea

The Salgir River in the Crimea is considered one of the most important waterways of the peninsula. In its length, the watercourse takes the first place. The riverbed crosses the capital of the Crimea - the city of Simferopol. Let's get acquainted with this water flow.

Hydronym

The word "salgir" for a long time was associated not with this flow, but with all the channels, both temporary and permanent. For example, these are the rivers that flow in such settlements as Yalta, Alushta and others. The Crimeans also appropriated this name to the riverbeds, which after long rainfall filled with water.

Decipher the word "salgir" as the hydronym of this river can be in two ways. The first is the Turkic dialect "salgyr" and "salgur". It is worth noting that this version is used even in several local directories. The second option is the translation from the Circassian language of the lexeme "sal" means "inflow", and "gir" - the origin or source of water.

The river has many names - Salgir (main), Salgir-Baba, Salgir-father.

Value of the river

Territorially the Salgir River is located in the center of the peninsula. Its capital is located on the banks of the watercourse. For Simferopol, the value of Salgir can not be underestimated. Local residents remember those times when the river was very clean. Some of the names of city streets and the central avenue testify to its importance. Also for a long time a rather popular socio-political publication was published, which was called "Salgir".

Location

At the junction of the two watercourses of Kyzylkobinka and Angara, which are located on the Crimean Peninsula, at an altitude of more than 390 meters above the Black Sea level, the Salgir River begins. Near Simferopol there is a large reservoir. The length of the stream is about 230 km. It consists of more than 450 sources. The total area is almost 4 thousand square meters. Km (3,750 sq. Km - according to one data, 4010 sq. Km - according to others). But where does the river Salgir flow into? It refers to the basin of the Azov Sea. It flows into the Gulf of Sivash, which separates the mainland from the peninsula.

The river covers the slopes of the Crimean mountains - Demerdzhi, Chatyr-Dag, Karabi-yaila. It flows along the route Simferopol - Alushta. The largest source is Ayan, near the village of Zarechnoye (near the reservoir). It is almost all the underground waters of the Chatyr-Dag massif. The river joins Maly Salgir. The river flows across the whole peninsula to the Sivash Bay and is flooded with another large tributary called Biyuk, although earlier, on the contrary, the latter was considered the main channel.

The course of the Salgir River near the source is swift, as it passes through the mountainous terrain, but by the middle it becomes much calmer.

Animal world

Not so long ago, Salgir refers to the high-water currents. However, at present, in the summer season, the river bed often dries up. And only in the season of heavy rains it is filled with water, and the watercourse becomes full. Naturally, this feature affected the fauna of these places. Professor N. A. Golovkinsky at the forum of geologists in 1895 expressed such an opinion about the animal world of the water stream: "In the 18th century, the Salgir River was so abundant that it had such kinds of fish as sea trout, shmaya and goby." Now here it is possible to observe only unpretentious representatives. This perch, roach, crucian carp, but trout has become a very rare guest.

sights

The main attraction and feature of the river is the size. The exact place where this river begins and ends is not known. There are several versions about the exponent. One is 232 km, the other 204 km.

A very interesting and mysterious is also the cave of Kyzyl-Koba, about which mystical legends go. The nature here is unique: there is a mountain stream with a rapid current, in another place - a fast waterfall, in the third - an even, calm and peaceful river. Tourists will have something to see.

Picturesque landscapes of the coastline and the river Salgir itself are displayed in many pictures, postcards, and also described in poems and poems of famous authors. The peoples living in these places came up with a lot of legends and legends, trying to explain certain events taking place with this watercourse.

Salgir as a source of water

Salgir irrigation system, which includes the watercourse Salgir, provides drinking water to the main city of Crimea - Simferopol. Also, the river, or rather its water, is used for the needs of CHP. Crimean agricultural enterprises widely use the resources of Salgir for irrigation of lands.

Existing problems

The Salgir River is currently experiencing not the best of its times. The ecological situation here is not the best. The coastline is very polluted, everywhere there is a lot of garbage, a weighty share of which appears because of the irresponsibility of vacationers.

In addition, the constant scorching sun greatly affects the water artery of the Crimea - it dries up, and only when precipitation falls (mainly in autumn), the watercourse replenishes its reserves.

The Salgir River is a place for tourism. Here you can connect several types of recreation from swimming to the top of the mountains of the beautiful Crimea. Local residents often arrange picnics and set tent camps on weekends. Also on the bank of the river you can find many monuments of architecture, memorials, museums, thematic libraries, picturesque landscapes and, of course, stroll in the beautiful park, breathing clean and useful air.