Kuzbass, as you know, is the unofficial name of the Kemerovo region. This subject of the Russian Federation is part of the Siberian Federal District and is the most densely populated region in the Asian part of the country. In our article we will talk in detail about the main rivers of Kuzbass. In addition, you will find out what is uniquely the largest lake in the Kemerovo region.
Rivers and lakes of Kuzbass: hydrography of the region
The hydrographic network of the Kemerovo region is quite dense and branched, but it is developed unevenly. It is represented by a large number of watercourses of various lengths, as well as lakes, swamps and reservoirs of artificial origin. All Kuzbass rivers belong to the Ob basin, the catchment area of which is the first in Russia by area.
In total, about 32 thousand watercourses flow through the region. Their total length exceeds 245, 000 kilometers. The largest rivers of Kuzbass have a clear geographic orientation: they flow in a direction from south to north (see map below).
There are 850 lakes within the Kemerovo region. Floodplain reservoirs prevail in the region, formed in river valleys as a result of river changes in its channels. Most of these lakes are located in the floodplains of Ini and Kiya. The largest reservoirs of Kuzbass: Big and Small Berchikul, Shumilka, Mokhovoe. In the mountains of the Kuznetsk Alatau there are also 65 alpine lakes of glacial origin.
The main rivers of Kuzbass:
- Tom;
- Frost;
- Cue;
- Yaya;
- Mrassu;
- Condom
- Chumysh;
- Sary-Chumysh;
- Level
Tom
Tom is the largest river Kuzbass in length and catchment area, the right tributary of the Ob. The total length of the watercourse is 827 km, within the Kemerovo region - 596 km. In its upper reaches, Tom is a typical mountain river with rocky shores, numerous rapids and rifts. Finding himself in the Kuznetsk Basin, the Tommy channel calms down, and in the lower reaches the river turns into a full-fledged plain water stream, after which it smoothly and slowly carries its waters to the mother Ob.
River food is mixed. About 40% of all water received falls to rainfall, 35% to melt snow, and another 25% to groundwater. Ledostav on Tomi is formed in early November and lasts until mid-April. Spring flood lasts from April to June and is characterized by significant fluctuations in the water level in the channel (up to 6-8 meters).
In total, at least 120 tributaries flow into Tom. The largest of them are Condom and Mrassu. Within the Kuzbass River, a number of cities are located: Mezhdurechensk, Novokuznetsk, Krapivinsky, Yurga, as well as the regional center of Kemerovo. Water from Tomi is consumed by 37 enterprises of the region for their needs.
Cue
Kiya is one of the main tributaries of Chulym. It begins in the Kemerovo region, the source of the river is located on the eastern slopes of the Kuznetsk Alatau. In the lower reaches, Kiya flows through the territory of the neighboring Tomsk region. According to one version, the hydronym “cue” is of Turkic origin and translates as “rocky cliff”.
On the banks of the river there are indeed picturesque jagged rocks up to 15-20 meters high. Some of them even have their own names: Giant, Lonely, Father and Son.
Cue mixed food - snow and rain. The watercourse freezes in November, and opens in mid-April. Unlike Tomi, there is not a single industrial enterprise or plant on the shores of Kii. Due to this, the ecological state of the river and its banks remains satisfactory.
Ina
Inya is one of the right tributaries of the Ob. The source of the river is located on the Taradanovsky Uval, in the central part of Kuzbass. Further, Inya crosses the industrial and agricultural regions of the Kemerovo region. Within the region on its shores there are two cities (Leninsk-Kuznetsk, Polysaevo), three towns (Gramoteino, Promyshlennaya, Inskoy), as well as many rural settlements and summer cottages. The total length of the river is 663 km, of which 433 km fall on the territory of Kuzbass. Within the boundaries of the region, the Ini runoff is regulated by the Belovsky reservoir.
Condom
Kondoma is the largest watercourse among those that completely flow within the Kemerovo region. The river originates in the south of Kuzbass, on the slopes of the Biyskaya Mane ridge. Translated from the Shor language, the hydronym "condom" means "meandering". The river bed is really complicated by a large number of meanders, especially in the upper and middle reaches. The total length of Kondoma is 392 kilometers.
