Numerous tributaries of the Kuban River form a river network with a total length of 9482 kilometers. Starting at Mount Elbrus and flowing through the territory of the Karachay-Cherkess Republic, the Stavropol and Krasnodar Territories, this river carries its waters to the Sea of Azov.
Main tributaries
A total of about 14 thousand large and small rivers flow into the Kuban. The left-bank tributaries, of which there are the largest number, flow mainly from the slopes of the mountains of the Western Caucasus. The most significant of them are the Belaya River, Laba, Urup and Pshish.
The right tributaries of the Kuban River are less numerous and small. Among them, it is worth noting such rivers as Dzheguta, Mara and Gorky.
Laba
This is a large tributary of the Kuban formed by the confluence of the rivers Bolshaya and Malaya Laba. They start from the north side of the Main Range of the Greater Caucasus. The Laba River, together with these sources, has a total length of 347 km and a basin area of 12, 500 km². Its width closer to the mouth is almost 200 m. It flows into the Kuban near the aul Khatukai, located in the Krasnogvardeisky district of Adygea.
In the upper reaches, like all other main tributaries of the Kuban River, this stormy mountain river quickly carries its waters through deep gorges and narrow canyons. Then, on a flat site, where many tributaries flow into Laba, the river becomes calm. Mixed river nutrition - rain, snow and glacial. In late December, as a rule, Laba freezes, freeing itself from ice only by March.
The river is very popular among tourists. Guided tours, fishing and rafting are organized in these unique places.
White
This is the next largest left tributary of the Kuban River, considered the largest waterway in the region. The length of the Belaya River is 273 km. Its ancient name "Shkhaguashche" translated from Adyghe sounds like "goddess of the mountains." The legend says that later the river began to be called "Bela", gradually the name began to sound like "White".
Of the three and a half thousand tributaries flowing into this river, Kisha, Dakh and Psheha are considered the most serious. The source of the Belaya River is on the Fishta Glaciers. For many tens of kilometers, the river flows through narrow and deep gorges. During the period of snowmelt and heavy rains, it turns into a high-water mountain stream, attracting fans of extreme alloys.
In the middle reaches of the Belaya River there are many picturesque canyons, which are famous for almost all the main tributaries of the Kuban River. The channel in these places narrows to five and even to three meters, flowing between steep cliffs and accompanied by waterfalls and cascades. Not far from the village of Kamennomostsky is the most famous Hadzhokh canyon, which attracts many tourists. Behind the Hadzhokh gorge begins the valley of ammonites - another attraction of the Belaya River.
Urup
The left tributary of the Kuban River (Urup River), flowing in the area of the city of Armavir, has a length of 231 km. It originates from the slopes of the mountain of the same name, from an altitude of 3232 m above sea level. In the upper reaches it is separated from the Laba River by a sharp ridge. Like other tributaries of the Kuban River, Urup in the upper reaches is a typical mountain river, narrow and deep, with steep slopes. Gradually passing into the plain, in the lower reaches it carries its waters in a gentle valley calmly and majestically. The width of the river at this place is up to 3 km. Nutrition dominates the rain. In the summer in the flood, when snow melts on the peaks of the Peredovy Ridge, as well as a lot of rainfall in the form of heavy rains, the highest water level in the river is observed. By winter, Urup is quite shallow, in some places you can wade the river.
The valley of this river is highly fertile, which became the reason for its dense settlement. Along it there are a large number of villages and villages (Mednogorsky, Urup, Convenient, Otradnaya, Voskresenskoye, Peredovaya, Sovetskaya, Veskorbny, etc.).
The tributaries of the Urup River are not rich. Of the most significant, it should be noted Big and Small Tegen, Jeltmes. For about 60 km from the mouth, the tributaries are completely absent.
Pshish
Not far from the village Altubinal of the Krasnodar Territory, another of the Kuban tributaries with the unusual name Pshish originates. Then the river follows the Absheron, Belorechensky and Teuchezhsky districts and flows into the Krasnodar reservoir. More than 50 tributaries, both right and left, have Pshish. The largest of them are Gunayka, Kura, Hadazhka, Tsitsa, Tsetse, Filtuk, Big and Small Pshish.
In the upper reaches, the river holds a path between mountain ranges consisting of clay and calcareous rocks. Then it descends to the foothills of the Greater Caucasus, flowing through the forest-steppe territory. Its entire length is 270 km.
Pshish has similar flow patterns with other tributaries of the Kuban. In the upper reaches alternate rifts and deep reaches, the speed of the water flow is quite high. In the lower part, the valley expands and the course becomes more calm and temperate.
The food is mixed. Along with snow and rain, feeding the river with groundwater is of great importance. A lot of underground keys are knocked out in its channel.
Rich fish reserves, the possibility of rafting on the river and favorable conditions for recreation attract a huge number of tourists to these places.
