The inexhaustible wealth of the Russian land. Some experts are sure that having gone down to the river, real gold can be washed without any problems. In a sense, this is true.
Hundreds of rivers cross the territory of Russia, most of which many are not even familiar with. One of them is the river Vacha. It is almost unknown among the people, but its contribution to the economy of the state is priceless.
Vacha is a river in which gold mining began in 1862 and continues to this day. This is an important object of folk art and the country's economy.
Location
The river begins in the Bodaibo district (Irkutsk region). There are no settlements nearby, only wild taiga and the richest places with minerals. The surroundings of the Vachi Valley are numerous swamps, which is why these lands are unsuitable for living and settlement.
The river flows through the north-eastern territory of the Irkutsk region. This is the left tributary of the Zhui River (part of the Lena basin). Vacha flows through the gold-bearing region, and one section of its valley is called the Golden Channel.
Settlements of this area:
- the base village of Vacha (near the placer);
- Kropotkin village (6 km);
- Bodaibo city (at a distance of 140 km).
Characteristics of the Vachi River
The length of Vachi is 95 kilometers, and the basin area is 2200 square meters. km
The width of the river bed to a greater extent varies between 7-10 meters, and in some areas reaches up to 60 meters. At the confluence with the Zhuya River, the channel expands to 90 meters.
Tributaries
The Vacha River, together with its tributaries, is a source of drinking water for local communities. Thanks to these reservoirs, water is supplied to enterprises, municipal institutions and gold mines.
River tributaries:
- Alta Tarbak 11 km long - left tributary;
- Dzhegdakar is a 36 km right tributary. The merger is rich in deposits of gold and other minerals;
- Aunakit 194 km long is the right tributary. It flows in a gold mine;
- 36 km Ugahan river - left tributary;
- Nygri is the left tributary. Nearby is the village of Kropotkin;
- Baker - right tributary;
- Sisinsk is a right tributary.
The history of the industry in the region
Where the Vacha River is located, most of the local population is engaged in the gold mining industry. The forestry and construction industries are also developed here.
In the second half of the 20th century, about 100 kg of gold was mined in the valley of the Elovy brook, which is the first tributary of the Vachi. Further, the prospectors of such artels as Vitim, Lena, Taiga, and others took part in the development of placers bearing gold. The development of the Vacha site began in 1999, and in 2002 the extraction of this precious metal in it amounted to 75 kg In the future, it is planned to open and develop other deposits.
City Bodaibo
The city is located near the source of the Vachi River. It is a modern gold mining center in the area. From here, the extracted resource is exported year-round. Near the gold mining sites is the Bodaibo - Maracan highway. A small section of the railway runs right from Taksimo Station to Bodaibo Station.
Aviation, the AN-26 aircraft, is involved in supplying prospectors with equipment, food and spare parts. Today, a total of up to 1, 500 tons of gold is mined throughout the district.
