A man is one of the few species on the planet that can change the environment for themselves in order to create all the necessary conditions for a comfortable life. True, such an intervention has consequences, and they are not always pleasant. In this case, we consider how people influence the Oka River and the lands that adjoin it.
Some information about the Oka River
Historians have been arguing for a long time about where the name of the river came from. The most common theory is that published by the researcher V.N. Toporov. It says that the name of the river was given by the ancient Lithuanian peoples living on its banks. This is confirmed by the many similar names for lakes and rivers in the territory of modern Latvia.
As for the river itself, it originates in the Oryol region, in a village called Aleksandrovka. Its length is slightly less than 1.5 thousand kilometers, which makes it one of the largest rivers in Russia. Moreover, because of its great depth, shipping thrives on it. By the way, this is also an example of how people influence the Oka River.
The Oka completes its long journey near Nizhny Novgorod, merging into one with the Volga River.
How people influence the Oka River
It has long been a man accustomed to build their homes near water bodies. And if initially it was a "close friendship", because the Slavs revered both the rivers themselves and the gods living in them, then after a while everything changed dramatically. People began to use natural resources for their own benefit, without thinking about the consequences.
A vivid example of how people influence the Oka River is land reclamation. Its essence lies in the fact that people began to create channels for supplying fields and meadows with additional river water. And it would seem that there could be bad in this idea, if not for one “but”. After all, if you give more water in one place, then, naturally, it will become less in another. Therefore, due to manipulations with the water balance during the existence of the Soviet Union, many natural areas have undergone strong changes.
Another example of how people influence the Oka River in Russia is tourism. After all, everyone loves to go with friends to the pond, and even bring along meat for barbecue and soft drinks. And again - what's wrong? But not everyone takes garbage with them, some throw it in the river or leave it on the shore. And if we take into account the fact that there are hundreds of such dishonest citizens in the country, then we can imagine what kind of disaster this threatens the environment.
In addition, many factories and enterprises have now been built near the river. Wastewater, industrial waste and chemical waste are sometimes dumped directly into the Oka, which adversely affects the cleanliness of the river, as well as the animals living in it.
A negative effect can be attributed to fishing on an industrial scale. Due to the exorbitant catch of fish, its population is rapidly falling every year, which over time can lead to the complete extinction of some species.
