Don always fascinated a man - wide and powerful, with many tributaries. A huge number of poems and poems are devoted to him, like the Yenisei. Although there are no questions about which river is longer - the Don or the Yenisei, it is impossible to compare them - each is beautiful in its own way and each has its own place in Russian literature.
In addition to this name, Don has others. In ancient Greece, it was called Tanais or Hirgis. The ancient Kipchaks nicknamed Don - Ten. The word "don" itself means "many channels" or "river with a changing channel."
Where does the Don River flow from and where does it flow
It used to be that Don originates in Lake Ivan, but as it turned out, there is no flow from this reservoir into the river. The real source of the Don is located in Novomoskovsk, there is even installed the architectural composition "Source of the Don". But due to the proximity of the flowing river to the Shat reservoir, many believe that it is the source, but this is not so.
The river is inferior in terms of catchment area only to the Volga, Danube, Kama and Dnieper, although the length of the Don is relatively short - 1870 km. The power and beauty of Don is sung in many literary works, like the Yenisei. The question arises: which river is longer - Don or Yenisei? The correct answer is Yenisei. But it is impossible to compare these two rivers, each is unique and leaves a lasting impression.
What sea does the river Don flow into? In the Azov. The river bed in Rostov-on-Don forms a wide delta with an area of 540 square kilometers. Many ducts depart from it: Bolshaya Kuteryma, Dead Donets, Bolshaya Kalancha, etc.
Below we consider in more detail where the Don River flows into. The diagram shows how many rivers flow into it.
River Valley Character
The Don is a flat river with a wide flood plain, it does not have high rapids and flows slowly. The longitudinal profile is smooth, with an average slope of 0.1 ppm. The width of the Don in the lower reaches reaches 15 km.
The right bank of the river has a steep slope. The left bank is low and gentle. At the bottom of the river you can find clusters of alluvium. A channel with many shallow sand rifts.
Water regime of the Don River
The river has a sufficiently large catchment area, but its water content is relatively small. This is due to the fact that the Don flows through the steppe and forest-steppe zone. The main role for the river is played by snow food, which accounts for almost 70%, rain and ground - is small. Like most rivers in this zone, the Don has a high spring flood, during the rest of the year it has a low low-water period.
Throughout the river, the water level ranges from 8 m to 13 m.
The average annual flow rate at Don is 2 l / s / km² (900m³ / s).
In November and December, Don freezes. Freezing lasts from 30 days in the lower reaches to 140 days in the upper.
A characteristic feature of the river is that the flood occurs in the form of two waves. The first wave is “cold”. Meltwater from the lower reaches fall into the channel of the river. The second wave is “warm” and it carries water from the upper part of the river.
The use of the river in human activities
The Don River plays an important role in the economy of the country. To understand why this river is so remarkable, it is enough to remember where the Don River flows into. For almost 1600 km from the mouth, the river is navigable. The city of Liski is located at a distance of 1355 km from the confluence of the Don into the Sea of Azov, on this way you can constantly meet ships.
In 1952, the Volga-Don Canal was built. It was dug near the town of Kalach, since in this place the bend of the Don River approaches the Volga at a minimum distance of 80 km. The canal was ready already 4 years after the start of construction, not a single similar object in the world was put into operation so quickly. The length of the Volga-Don canal was 101 km and made it possible to access several seas: the Baltic, Black, Azov, White and Caspian.
Near Voronezh is Novovoronezh NPP, commissioned in 1967. Rostov NPP was built in 2001, and it is located near the city of the same name.
On the Don was built a reservoir - Tsimlyansk. There is also the Tsimlyansk hydroelectric station. In addition, the waters of this hydrological facility are used for irrigation of agricultural land in the Volgograd and Rostov regions.
Flora and fauna of the Don River
Floodplain swamps, meadows, dense mixed forests are located along the Don River. Where does it start, where does it flow, and what can be seen along the banks of the river? Throughout its length, you can find many representatives of the flora: sedge, reed, saber, willow, willow, birch, buckthorn, alder, etc. Representatives of the fauna are very diverse in their species composition. Amphibians: frogs and newts. Reptiles: red-eared and swamp turtle, common, viper. Mammals: ferret, beaver, mink, otter, bats, muskrat. Birds: heron, warbler, stork, raven, sandpiper, duck.
About 70 species of fish are found throughout the Don River. Some are endangered due to human activities. The most common: bream, rudd, crucian carp, bleak, pike, burbot. Rarely encountered: catfish, sturgeon, beluga, sterlet.
It is worth noting that recently strict control has been established over endangered fish species. For catching rare species, fines are imposed on violators. In addition, fish are grown in nurseries, which are subsequently released into the wild.
