Ulyanovsk Region is a subject of the Russian Federation located in its European part. Located in the middle Volga region. The largest European river Volga divides it unevenly into two parts. Administratively, the Ulyanovsk region is listed as part of the Volga Federal District. The regional center is the city of Ulyanovsk.
The geographical position of the region
The area covers an area of 37, 000 square kilometers. This is the 37th indicator among other regions of Russia. Three quarters of the territory is occupied by the hilly Pre-Volga region, the rest lies on the low-lying Volga region. The Ulyanovsk region is separated by the Kuibyshev reservoir created in the mid-fifties of the XX century.
The region is separated from the seas washing the borders of Russia. The distance from the Caspian Sea is 830 km.
The climate is temperate continental. On its territory there are three natural zones, namely: in the Surskiy north-western region there is the European taiga (Kuvaiskaya); the main part of the region is a hilly forest-steppe; in the south and southeast - the steppes.
The geographical location of the Ulyanovsk region, its territorial climate, the presence of the Volga navigable river, as well as other environmental conditions are very favorable for the population and their economic activities. According to 2017, the number is more than one million two hundred thousand people.
All rivers of the Ulyanovsk region are the catchment of the Caspian Sea and the lower Volga basin.
Relief, water features of the region
The relief of the Ulyanovsk region began its history 25 million years ago, when its territory began to rise above sea level. Currently, average heights on the surface are about 180 m. The highest height is 353 m.
The water resources of the region are significant, there are 2033 rivers and streams, the total length of which is more than 10, 000 km.
In the region there are 1223 lakes, 230 ponds, about 800 springs. Almost the entire river flow, the volume of which is more than 240 cubic kilometers, goes to the Volga.
The largest river in the Ulyanovsk region is the Volga. Other relatively large rivers are the Sura, Big Cheremshan, Small Cheremshan, Main, Sviyaga. They are tributaries of the main waterway of the European part of Russia - the Volga.
The rivers of the Ulyanovsk region in the bulk (more than 75%) have a length of up to 5 km. Mixed food, the following phases of water supply are characteristic: flood in spring; low water in summer and winter; Autumn and summer rain floods.
The flood of rivers of the Ulyanovsk region lasts almost a month. The volume of runoff in this period is approximately 30 - 90% of the annual. Low water Ulyanovsk rivers (low water) is observed from May to June. At this time, they are fed mainly by groundwater. Their abundance directly depends on a variety of tectonic and hydrological factors and is characterized by unevenness.
Ice on the rivers and lakes of the Ulyanovsk region is set at different times. In the southern regions, it is fixed by the end of November. In the northern parts, this is the beginning of November. Rivers open mostly in early April. Spring ice drift is short, about 5 days.
There are significant reserves of groundwater in the region. As well as healing, mineral. The underground rivers of the Ulyanovsk region (Ulyanovsk region) are especially distinguished in this regard, from which mineral water sold under the Volzhanka brand (Undory village) is extracted to the surface.
Volga river
Included in the region of Tatarstan. It flows in the Ulyanovsk region for almost 150 km. At the beginning of the path, on the right bank, are the Undorovskie mountains. A little lower stream is the regional city - Ulyanovsk. The Ulyanovsk bridge stretches across the Volga at this place, connecting the left and right parts of the regional center, located on both banks. After this bridge, the river expands sharply and reaches more than 2.5 km wide downstream.
After that, to the very borders of the Ulyanovsk region, the Volga River is accompanied by the picturesque Kremen, Senchileev and Sviyazh mountains.
Sura River
This is the right tributary of the Volga. It is considered one of the most picturesque rivers of the Volga region. She is very well known in the history of the region. Here at different times lived the ancient Kama and Mordovian tribes, which gave it a modern name, formed from "rau" (river) and Mordovian "shur".
This water artery flows in almost all areas of the Volga Upland; its total length is 841 km. It starts at the village of Surskiy Peaks of the Ulyanovsk Region, at an altitude of 301 m.
Sviyaga River
It flows from the eastern slope of the Volga Upland. In the Kuzovatovsky district of the Ulyanovsk region, three sources give it a start. It flows parallel to the Volga. The length of Sviyaga is 375 km. It features a winding channel. Its width is from 4 to 35 meters. It is a shallow water artery, from 0.3 m to 1.5 m, in pits up to 5 m. It flows into the Kuibyshev reservoir.
Main river
The river is also considered very beautiful. In the places of contact of the Ulyanovsk region with Tatarstan on its shores there are many archaeological sites of ancient Bulgaria. The length of the Maine is 62 km. Flowing through the region, it flows into the Kuibyshev reservoir near the village of Staraya Mayna.
Big Cheremshan River
It passes through the territory of three constituent entities of the Russian Federation (Tatarstan, Samara and Ulyanovsk regions). Length - 336 km. This is the left tributary of the Volga. She ends her journey in the Kuibyshev reservoir. The food of the Big Cheremshan is exceptionally snowy. The historical estuary is flooded by the Kuibyshev reservoir.
Small Cheremshan River
The influx of the Great Cheremshan. Its length is 213 km, of which 192 km are in Tatarstan. According to a joint decision, Small Cheremshan in Tatarstan and the Ulyanovsk region is declared as a regional natural monument.
Lakes and swamps areas
Ulyanovsk region is rich in lakes. Their origin is diverse, mainly karst, artificial, floodplain and suffi-karst reservoirs. The largest are Lakes Kryazh and Beloe (Belolebyazhye).
The latter is the largest regional lake, covering an area of more than two square kilometers. It is located in the upper reaches of the Gushcha River, which, in turn, is the left tributary of the Sviyaga River.
It has the Ulyanovsk region with swamps and wetlands. They occupy about 0.3% of the territory, which is 107 square kilometers.
The area of swamps, wetlands, lakes and reservoirs of artificial origin is variable. It seriously depends on the natural conditions, which include - water regime, waterlogging, climate change, as well as anthropogenic factors (watering, flow regulation, drainage, etc.).
Water resources
One of the main indicators of the state of water in the Ulyanovsk region is its salinity. The average for most rivers is between 150 and 500 mg per liter.
Water sources of the region have the third and fourth class of pollution, which indicates their low quality.
Water protection experts noted that the most significant excess of phenol are in the rivers Sviyaga, Sura, Bolshoy Cheremshan, Volga. In almost all rivers, the excess of parameters for the content of organochlorine compounds and oil products was recorded.
A particularly unfavorable situation has developed in the Kuibyshev reservoir. Since its inception, the sludge layer has accumulated a significant amount of harmful substances. Moreover, the state of water and a change in the water regime in the Volga caused the replacement of valuable fish species with low-value ones. And the fish itself has become a source of carcinogens.
