Reservoirs - reservoirs created by human hands with the help of dams in the river valley, which serve to collect and retain water masses. In our country, more than 1200 such structures have been built. These data take into account only large reservoirs in Russia.
Reservoir Characteristics
There are two types of structures. The first includes lake reservoirs that differ in the way water is accumulated. The flow in them is created exclusively by the wind. Reservoirs on the rivers belong to the second group. They have an elongated shape and a constant course. The main parameters of the reservoirs: volume, surface area and level fluctuations throughout the year.
The organization of a new reservoir entails a change in the appearance of the river valley and its hydraulic regime in the backwater zone. The created dam has the greatest influence on the adjacent part of the reservoir. However, it is possible to see the changes at a distance of many kilometers.
All reservoirs in Russia have passed the preparation for flooding. Forests falling into the designated flooding zone are cleared, freeing the shores. Residents of villages within the boundaries of the future reservoir are resettled, and the buildings themselves are dismantled. A lot of work is carried out by hydrobiologists and ichthyologists who are preparing for the restoration of fish populations.
The largest reservoirs in the country: Bratsk, Krasnoyarsk and Kuibyshev.
The role of reservoirs
The organization of the reservoir entails a number of negative consequences. The decrease in high water leads to the disappearance of spawning grounds in fish. Waterlogged meadows do not receive nutrients, which is why vegetation suffers. The river slows down, leading to increased formation of silty deposits.
The largest reservoirs of Russia are such on a global scale. The peak of construction occurred in the period from 1950 to 2000. They were built for the following purposes.
- Receipt of electricity. The cheapest way to work out.
- Irrigation of fields and the creation of recreational areas in areas with water scarcity.
- Fish farming.
- Water intake for the needs of the city.
- Shipping. With their help, flat rivers become suitable for the movement of ships.
- Timber rafting has been simplified in some areas.
- Flood control in the Far Eastern region.
The territory of the Russian Federation is strewn with grandiose structures unevenly. In the European part there are an order of magnitude more than in the Asian part. In the basin of the Volga alone, there are 13 of them.
Gorkovsky
Gorky reservoir was chosen by fishing enthusiasts. Its lower pool is located in the Nizhny Novgorod region. In the area of the dam, its width reaches 12 km and its depth is 22 m. The hydro mode and the composition of the reservoir are ideal for fish populations. In the places of flooded peat deposits in winter time, overcast phenomena occur. In the area of the hydroelectric power station, there is practically no current. Significant for water fauna are waves and wind currents.
In winter, the water level drops by 2 m. Shallow water is drained, causing freezing, freezing of the soil. Coastal plants suffer from this. In the spring, the reservoir is filled due to melt water. The level at this time fluctuates within 40 cm, but this is enough to violate the spawning of fish that need aquatic vegetation.
In November, freezing begins. In winter, a crust up to a meter thick is formed. According to the hydro mode, the Gorky reservoir is similar to a lake with a weak current. In the mid-50s, huge areas of fertile land in the floodplain went under water. There was an outbreak of growth in the number of many aquatic animals that received new spawning grounds and forage places. After a few years, populations of fish and other organisms began to decline.
Argazino
Argazinskoe reservoir is the largest body of water in the Chelyabinsk region. Its length is 22 km and its width exceeds 11 km. The deepest point is at the level of 18 m. The transparency of the water depends on weather conditions and is 3-8 m. The lake reservoir has over 45 skeletons, among which there is a natural monument with broad-leaved groves.
Argazi is located in the spurs of the Ilmen mountains. The reservoir was created in 1942 by installing a dam on the river. Miass It holds 980 million m 3 of water at a height of only 1.5 m. A large number of juvenile fish, primarily whitefish and burbot, are released into the reservoir. Periodically captured trophy fish weighing over 10 kg.
Argazinskoe reservoir is a source of water for Chelyabinsk. On its shores festivals are organized and residents spend their leisure time.
Volkhovskoe
The Volkhov reservoir was created in 1926 in the Leningrad Region. Its width is 400 m and its surface area is 2 km 2. Built for Volkhov hydroelectric station. The catchment is carried out from an area of over 80 thousand km 2. The reservoir has a gateway for passage of vessels with a single chamber. The project was created by Lenhydroproject. The shores of the reservoir are rich in vegetation and are used by citizens for recreation.
Boguchansk
The Boguchanskoe reservoir began to fill in the fall of 1987 after the closure of temporary canals in the dam along which the river ran. The design level of 208 m was reached in 2015. There is a reservoir in the Irkutsk region on the river. Hangar. The main purpose of construction is the generation of electrical energy. At the facility, the flow is regulated depending on the season, trying to keep the level differences within 1 m.
The mouths of many tributaries turned into huge bays. Some of them are over 10 km long. Freezing lasts 7 months, which does not apply to the downstream of the hydroelectric power station. In this area, wormwood will remain for tens of kilometers. During the organization of the reservoir, many peatlands fell under flooding. This fact affected the chemical composition of water. The construction of the reservoir affected the species composition of fish and catches. Reophilic fish migrated, their catches decreased by 10 times.
Brotherly
The fraternal reservoir is located in the Irkutsk region on the river. Hangar. Its length is 570 km and its width is 25 km. This reservoir is headed by the largest reservoirs in Russia. Its outlines have a bizarre shape. Most of the tributaries became deeper, which allowed vessels to enter them. In the vicinity of the reservoir, karst processes intensified, craters and landslides began to appear.
Not all Russian reservoirs have such a strong impact on the coast. Shores are destroyed due to strong level changes. It reaches 6-10 m. The reservoir has a large fishing, shipping and rafting value. There are always many tourists and fishermen on its shores.
