In the list of "Rivers of Russia" Taz is one of the key places. This water stream in its capacity is in third place after such West Siberian giants as the Irtysh and Ob. Therefore, more attention should be paid to the Taz River. In this article we will talk about this important waterway of Russia. We will highlight its geography, climate, hydrology. And what significance does the Taz have in the country's economic activity, in particular in navigation? We will talk about this. Why is the river such a strange name? To begin with, it is not authentic. The peoples of the Yamal-Nenets Autonomous Okrug refer to the Tasu Yam or Tasuyava river. This name is translated plainly and without much poetry. “Tasu” means “lower, ” and “Yam” (or “Java”) means “large river.” Russians living in this region call the water stream Taz. Officially, this name became its name.
Where is the Taz River
Water flow covers the whole territory of Western Siberia. Its length is one thousand four hundred kilometers. And the basin area of the Basin is about one hundred and fifty thousand square kilometers. The river belongs to the Kara Sea basin. It flows through the Tazovsky and Krasnoselkupsky districts of the Yamalo-Nenets district. Taz is born from two nameless streams flowing from a bog in an area called Siberian Uval. Its height is insignificant - only one hundred thirty-nine meters above sea level. Thus, taking into account the length of the stream, the Taz is a flat river in all its sections. Its total slope is only 0.099 m per kilometer. Slowly and majestically the river carries its waters to the Kara Sea. And it flows, branching into the sleeves, in the Taz Bay. Together with her, the sea replenishes another large river, called Pur.
Climate
A long water stream crosses three natural zones: taiga, forest-tundra and palearctic. In the Siberian Uvaly, where the Taz River is born, dense spruce-larch forests predominate. The trees there reach a height of fourteen meters. As the river moves north, the vegetation acquires the features of the northern taiga. The banks are covered with larch-birch forests. Sometimes parts of the taiga are very boggy. Such places are called ryam. In the middle reaches of the Taz, the northern taiga gives way to a narrow strip of forest tundra. It is represented by shrubs and dwarf trees. The lower course, up to the mouth, passes in the tundra zone. In the south of this climate zone, shrubs and woodlands are still found. The following is a subzone of mosses and lichens. And finally, in the very north begins the Palaearctic tundra. Here, if plants are found, then they spread on the ground or have a pillow shape.
Hydrology
Taking into account the harsh climate of the area in which the Taz flows, this river feeds mainly on melting snow. From sources, it receives only 27 percent of its water, and therefore floods in the river occur in spring. In the upper reaches of the Taz, on the Siberian Uvaly, this fertile time begins in the second half of April, and at the mouth only at the end of May. The deepest month is June. By September, the level in the river begins to fall. Freeze-up starts in October. A river is opened gradually: first in the upper reaches, and then at the mouth. This happens in May-June. The basin flows along the flat terrain, so the riverbed is winding, often meandering, the banks are swampy. In the upper reaches, the width of the water surface reaches eighty meters. In the middle course, this parameter increases to four hundred meters, and at the mouth reaches a kilometer. This wide river majestically and slowly carries its waters to the sea. The flow rate does not exceed half a meter per second. As for the depth, it averages two meters in the upper reaches and 12 meters near the mouth.
Tributaries
The basin flows through an area full of streams, lakes, channels, swamps and rivers. Throughout, numerous tributaries flow into the Siberian giant. To begin with, the Taz River itself is born from the confluence of two streams. They flow from the Tyniltu and Kulytu lakes in Siberian Uvaly. On the right side, the rivers Bolshaya Shirta, Russkaya, Khetyl-Ky, Parusovaya, Pyakalyu-Ky, Pechalki and Khudosey flow into the Taz. The most significant left tributaries are the Ratta, Karalka, Pokolka, Tolka, Chaselka, Vatylka and Bolshaya Totidedeottakha. The mouth of the Taz River consists of several branches that flow into the Kara Sea Bay. The first significant tributary (Ratta) flows into the main waterway over nine hundred and seventy kilometers. And the last (Thinner) replenishes the Taz for 412 kilometers to the mouth. There are many lakes in the river basin. The largest of them are Ypkalto, Anato, Kypasylkylporyltu, Halilto, Choncharragato, Verkhniy Chertovo, Numto and Chaselskoye.
Economic Activities and Taz
The river is navigable in the lower and middle reaches. The navigation section is almost eight hundred kilometers. When the river is freed from ice, ships ply from the village of Tolka to the mouth. This is mainly freight transportation of industrial equipment and building materials. In addition, natural gas deposits have been found and are being actively developed in the river basin. Industrial centers are Ust-Chaselsky, South Russian, Tazovsky and Zapolyarny villages. On the banks of the river are located about ten settlements. The largest of them are Krasnoselkup and Tazovsky. But the population density in these parts is low. Indigenous peoples live mainly in villages: Ratta, Kikkiakki, Tolka, Pechalki, Tibeysale, Ghazale. Krasnoselkup has an airfield.
