What is a reservoir: main categories and characteristics

More than a hundred large objects have been built on the territory of Russia - water clusters created artificially by means of dams. In this article we will consider in detail what is the reservoir, its main characteristics, the role of influence on the ecology.

Reservoir - what is it?

What is a reservoir? It is a water object, a component of the landscape artificially created by man. The hydrological river regime is regulated in accordance with the necessary requirements. The use of accumulated water in the reservoir is determined by economic needs.

The role of artificial reservoirs

Russia occupies vast areas of the continent of Eurasia. Its territory stretches from the shores of the Arctic Ocean to the southern steppes and deserts. Not everywhere there is an abundance of rivers and lakes, fully satisfying the needs of man. The national economy requires large expenditures of fresh water. Artificial reservoirs have long been used for household needs and irrigation of crops. The most ancient man-made reservoir is the Egyptian Sadd-el-Kafar, built before our era. Since the beginning of the 20th century, the construction of such reservoirs has become widespread. Now on the planet more than 60 thousand artificially created reservoirs. The largest reservoirs in the world are Nasser in Egypt on the Nile River, Volta in Ghana, in Russia Kuibyshev on the Volga and Bratskoye on the Angara.

Appointment

The total area of all the world's reservoirs created by man in the whole history is more than 400 thousand square kilometers. Most of the reservoirs are located in Europe, Asia and North America. What is a reservoir for people other than large water supplies used for basic household and economic needs? Operation of artificial reservoirs allows more reasonable use of water resources - accumulated water masses are used for irrigation of soil, water supply to the population and industry, hydropower and transport routes. Also used to prevent floods.

Often, reservoirs are favorite places for recreation and fishing. However, despite the positive economic effect, the construction of dams often causes negative consequences that affect the ecology of adjacent territories.

Categories of artificial reservoirs

Reservoirs can be subdivided on several grounds:

• structure;
• Location in the river basin;
• Method of filling;
• Degree of regulation of water level;
• Geographical location.

According to the character of the bed the reservoirs are divided into:

1. Valley - part of the river valley, blocked by a dam, is a bed. The direction of the bottom slope from the top to the dam is the main feature determining this reservoir. The depth increases to the dam. There can be channel and flood plain valleys.
2. Hollow - located in isolated from the sea with the help of dams lowlands.

By place in the river basin:

1. Horse.
2. The grassroots.
3. Cascade - stepped system on the river bed.

For water content:

1. Self-contained.
2. Zaprudnye.

By the nature of water level regulation:

1. Long-term - the bed can be filled in for several years.
2. Daily - the level is regulated continuously.
3. Seasonal - the discharge of water occurs at a certain time of the year. Seasonal wastewater is used for the purpose of artificial irrigation of agricultural land in the spring-summer period and to reduce the possible danger of flooding.

Winter level drops are dangerous for the plant and animal world created by the dam of the reservoir. In the event that seasonal runoff occurs at the reservoir in winter, ice sheets deposited on the dried bottom are pressed down by a large number of fish.

By geographical location:

1. Plain - a wide reservoir, the height of the water level is not more than 30 meters.
2. Mountainous - the magnitude of the increase in the level can reach more than 300 meters.
3. Foothill - water level indicators are within 100 meters.
4. Primorskoye - pressure a few meters, is built in the sea bays.

What is a reservoir for a fisherman and a tourist?

The change in the river bed has a negative effect on fish spawning. Due to changes in the forage reserve and places of population accumulation, the species composition gradually becomes poorer. Valuable breeds disappear. However, fishing in the reservoir is often successful.

Large reservoirs are characterized by their own microclimate. Often large fresh reservoirs are called the sea. On the open water mirror, waves arise which, due to the lack of natural obstacles in the form of islands, are of great height. Not only residents of the surrounding coast prefer to rest at the reservoir, picturesque landscapes and rich fauna attract many tourists and travelers.

Influence on the surrounding nature

The construction of reservoirs can adversely affect the natural environment of the surrounding area. The most serious negative consequences of the construction of large reservoirs - flooding of land, rising groundwater table, swamping coastal zones. The total area of territories that have gone under water is about 240 thousand square kilometers. Siltation of reservoirs is a process of formation of large deposits at the bottom, leading to a decrease in the water level. It is also assumed that the additional load in the form of a mass of accumulated water volumes can lead to an increase in the level of seismicity.

The construction of reservoirs entails many diverse consequences. In the process of creating and operating dams, you should carefully plan the construction and take into account environmental forecasts.