The Indigirka River and seven of its remarkable places. Indigirka — Free Wind Travel Club Where is Indigirka on the map
The Indigirka River is located in Yakutia, part of the East Siberian Sea.
History reference
The river got its name from the generic Even name Indigir, which means people of the Indi clan. Development began by the Cossacks in the first half of the 17th century.
Source
The mouth of the river is formed by two reservoirs, these are Tuora-Yuryakh and Taryn-Yuryakh, which originate in the Halkan Mountains. It flows down the territory of Yakutia, and near the Allaikhovsky district of the republic flows into the sea.
Characteristics
The Indigirka River is divided into:
- Upper mountain area (640km)
- Lower Plain (1,086 kmZ).
Indigirka river photo
The banks of the river are mountain highlands, ridges, chains, and then abruptly give way to depressions and lowlands. The basin was formed on the site of rocks that have long frozen under the influence of low temperatures and climatic conditions. Near the coast there are many alluvial soils.
The length of the Indigirka is more than 1.7 thousand kilometers, with a basin area of 360 thousand square kilometers. The depth ranges from 7.5 to 11 meters. The width is different on the upper and lower sections of the river - from 500 meters to 20 kilometers. There are many rapids, estuaries, and deltas in the basin. The river is separated from the sea by a small shallow bay.
The climate is sharply continental. In winter, the average temperature is -40 degrees, in summer +14 degrees. Summer is short and winter is long. The average flow velocity is 3m/s. Flowing into the East Siberian Sea, it forms a delta, the area of \u200b\u200bwhich is 5,500 square km.
Indigirka on the map
Indigirka on the map photo
River mode
The nutrition of Indigirka is mixed, it is carried out due to snow, rain, and melting ice. High water is typical in spring and summer. In winter, the entire river freezes, since the water temperature drops to minus 50. The river is covered with ice in October, the river opens in late May, early June.
Flora and fauna
The river passes through taiga, tundra, forest tundra and arctic forests. The local ichthyofauna is very rich in fish - 29 species, including:
- Chir;
- Omul;
- Sturgeon;
- Nelma;
- Vendace;
- Keta;
- Pink salmon;
- Muksun.
Cities
On the banks of the river there are a lot of settlements, both large and small, most of which are located in Momsky, Abysky. Allaikhovskiy and Oymyakonskiy districts. The largest cities are Oymyakon, Belaya Gora, Chokurdakh, Khonuu.
river Indigirka. Oymyakon city photo
tributaries
Large tributaries are located in the upper and lower reaches, which are located on the right and left banks. For example, large arms are Nera, Moma, Uyandina, Allaikha, Elgi. Chiya, Arga-Yuryakh, Talbykchan, Taskan, Berelekh are considered much smaller tributaries.
Economic activity
Minerals are mined: coal, gold. Fishing and reindeer husbandry are developed. Indigirka is one of the most significant waterways of the North-East of Russia.
Tourism on the river
Travelers who visit Yakutia go in for fishing and rafting and kayaking in the summer.
Indigirka river photo
- One of the busiest transport routes in the country, along which river transport runs.
- On the river is the village of Oymyakon, which is considered the pole of cold.
- Quite an interesting monument of the 19th century. considered the city of Zashiversk, which became a monument to the entire population, which at the end of the 19th century. died from a smallpox epidemic.
- Scientists explain the origin of the name of the hydronym as the name of the Evenk tribe - Indigir, which had a generic origin. It meant the dog river or people from the Indy family.
beauty of Russia. Indigirka river photo
The Indigirka River is a river in Yakutia. Geographical position The length of the river is 1726 km, the basin area is 360 thousand km 2. The beginning of the Indigirka is taken as the confluence of two rivers - Tuora-Yuryakh and Taryn-Yuryakh, which originate on the northern slopes of the Halkan Range; flows into the East Siberian Sea. The Indigirka basin is located in the area of permafrost, and therefore its rivers are characterized by the formation of giant icings. According to the structure of the valley and channel and the speed of the current, the Indigirka is divided into two sections: the upper mountain (640 km) and the lower plain (1086 km).
After the confluence of the Tuora-Yuryakh and Taryn-Yuryakh rivers, the Indigirka flows northwest along the lowest part of the Oymyakon highlands, turning north, cuts through a series of mountain ranges of the Chersky ridge. The width of the valley here is from 0.5-1 to 20 km, the channel is pebbly, there are many shivers, the speed of the current is 2-3.5 m/s. When crossing the Chemalginsky Range, the Indigirka flows in a deep gorge and forms rapids; flow velocity 4 m/s. This area is unsuitable even for rafting. Above the mouth of the Moma River, where the Indigirka enters the Momo-Selennyakh depression, the lower section begins. The valley of the Indigirka is expanding, the channel is replete with shoals and spits, in some places it breaks into branches. Having rounded the Momsky Range, the Indigirka flows further along the low plain. It is very winding on the Abyi lowland, on the Yano-Indigirka lowland, the Indigirka is characterized by straight long stretches 350-500 m wide. 500 km2). The mouth of the Indigirka is separated from the sea by a shallow bar.
Hiking in the mountains, where there is rarely a person, where you can still meet a bigfoot - a chuchuna.
Route: Moscow - Yakutsk - Ust-Nera - Indigirka River - Khonuu - Yakutsk - Moscow
Route length: 375 km, of which the water part is 345 km, (radial light excursions 30 km)
Hiking duration : 18 days (15 hiking days)
Number of participants: 8
Brief annotation
The Indigirka is a river with a rather fast current. In the middle section, the river breaks through the mountain range. There is a difficult section with powerful shivers and rapids, while all the key places can be bypassed near the shore, enjoying the swing on the waves. With our high water, many obstacles were filled with water, which made it easier to pass. After the Krivun threshold, the river flattens out and flows further without obstacles. There are many robberies in the channel in front of the Khonuu village. The Indigirka is a beautifully landscaped river with very cordial and sociable locals.
Indigirka Lotsiya
Mikhail Mestnikov Travel Company Nord Stream Yakutsk [email protected]
The second route, which is the most interesting for sports rafting, starts from the village of Ust-Nera. In the first section between the villages of Ust-Nera and Chumpu-Kytyl, the river describes large arcs, bypassing hills with rocky shores. The speed of the river is 2.5 m/s, the average slope is 0.5 m/km. The width of the channel is 250 - 400 m. Clamps are rare. The movement of motor boats and small self-propelled barges is possible. The second section is rapids, 90 km long. The main obstacles are powerful shivers formed by large boulders carried by tributaries. Underwater spits are located below the tributaries. In the last section, the river, leaving the mountains, breaks into channels and flows through a wide valley.
There are many islands in the river. Despite the usual rafting conditions, you feel the power of the river, which makes you feel uncomfortable. “The colossal size of the river and the surrounding mountains, the frantic running of the water, the menacing rustling under the boat - all this suppresses. Never, on what rapids of the Angara or the Middle Tunguska did I have such a feeling that I was standing face to face with the inevitable, with fate, ”wrote S. V. Obruchev.
The valley of the Indigirka seems to be squeezed by mountains from all sides. In the west, the high peaks of the Volchap Range rise, in the south of Tas-Kystabyt, the Ust-Nerskaya ridge rises with amazing remnants. The river is calm up to the mouth of the Wolchan.
At the beginning of the second krivun, the Sofronovskiy tributary flows in from the right. It is named in memory of Sofrons Krivoshankins, who died in 1949 at the age of 109. His yurt at the nest was hospitably open to all geologists.
Before the mouth of the Tirekhtyakh (274), on the right bank, there is a road to the village of Zakharepko. Ahead is the massif of Mount Nyur-gun-Tas, against which the river Volchan flows into the bend of the Indigirka (265). It seems that Indigirka rushes into its wide valley. But at a high rocky cliff it suddenly turns. Behind Walchan, for 3 km, the river rages. Wave break is caused by rocky pressure and stones in the channel.
At the mouth of the Kuobakh-Basa River (253) there is the village of Predporozh-py. Here in the Indigirka valley there are cliffs with siltstone outcrops, crumpled into narrow folds. After 8 km, the Indigirka goes around the Baltakhta-Khaya massif, on the right turn at the confluence of the Bergenpyakh (239) the shiver splashes. Another 10 km to an interesting place on the river. "Horseshoe" - an almost closed loop in steep banks. The river rests on a huge steep hill, dotted with a web of cracks. The river, thrown back by the rock, rushes to another hill, but it once again turns back the mighty stream. On sharp turns, the current presses the boat to the shore. Below the village of Argamoy (218), located on a wide terrace of the right bank, there is a meteorological station "Predporozhny". The river calms down for a while, islands appear in the channel.
5 km before the mouth of the Inyali (202), in a sharp turn to the west, the river beats into a rocky hill. Stepa, a real impregnable fortress, is interesting for outcrops of rocks cut by the river. In front of the tributary on the left bank there is a convenient parking lot. A low, grassy terrace stretches to the foot of the mountains. Such steppe areas along the Indigirka cover the valley from the upper reaches of the river to Moma. Their flora has much in common with the flora of the American prairies of the Yukon basin. The steppes are widely used as spring and autumn pastures for cows and horses. In the spring, they are freed from snow earlier, they are visited by hares, moose, bears.
Behind the turn to the west, below Khatye-Yuryakh (187), there is the Selivanovskaya Shivera with shafts up to 1 m. Selivanov with a local guide G. E. Starkov.
Below the Shivera on the high left bank is the village of Chumpu-Kytyl (177). It is connected by air with Ust-Nera and Khonuu. After 10 km on the right bank of the Indigirka, the uninhabited village of Khaptagay-Khaya. The river inexorably brings you closer to the Gorge of the Thresholds. The Taskan (156) flows into the bend, in front of the mouth, on the left bank, cliffs stretch. Finally, the river rushes to the north. The famous gorge begins. High sheer shores expose deep layers of rocks. Inclined and vertical, rising and falling, they speak!' of a titanic struggle in the bowels of the earth. Plumb lines are often lined with "mirrors" - shiny plates. The outcrops show pegmatite veins c. large crystals of quartz, feldspar, muscovite. The surrounding mountains, covered with rubble and devoid of vegetation, are dotted with rocky remnants. Well, it seems that the yellow steppe ones climbed out onto the crest; the animals stretched out and look at the swimmers. The fabulous beauty of the coast also keeps the memory of the tragedy that took place here. In the midst of the field work of the Indigirka expedition on June 30, 1931, during a preliminary inspection of the rapids on a motor boat, the head of the expedition, V. D. Busik, and his assistant, E. D. Kalinin, died. Separate stones exposed in the riverbed at a low water level caused the accident and death.
For the first time the rapids of the Indigirka were crossed by the geologist A.P. Vaskovsky, reports S.V. Obruchev in one of his books. The big gorge is called the Indigirskaya pipe, Ulakhan-Khapchagai, Indigirskiye rapids, Busik rapids. The gorge is cut into the mountains for almost 2 km. The slope of the valley increases to 3 m/km, the speed of the river is up to 4.5 m/s. The stream rushes between the rocky banks. Its width is 150 - 200 m, but the part free for rafting is much smaller. The main obstacles are high shafts (up to 2 m), clamps, foam pits.
A kilometer below the Talypya stream, which flows into the turn on the left, on the river rift (148). It crosses the Indigirka at an angle and ends before the cliff of the right bank. Against the mouth of the left tributary of the Sigiktyah (144), a beautiful stone cape protrudes. Behind him, in a gentle turn of the river, a shiver rumbles.
The first threshold is located at the right Hannakh stream (143) on a straight section of the river, its length is 100 m. It represents a chaotic rush of water. Shafts reach 1 m. Passage on the left side of the channel. From here comes the most rugged part of the gorge. In the gorge of the Mol'dzhogoydokh stream (142), a dazzling icing peeps through a perforated rocky bridge. After 300m, a high rocky cliff begins on the left bank - the cliff of Busik and Kalinin, named in memory of the dead. Behind him, on the right bank, there are meter-long ramparts of the rapid, 70 meters long, which are easy to bypass. The shiver (140) encountered further is overcome in the middle of the channel.
From the right stream Mustakh (134) begins a series of rapids. On the 5.5 km section of the river, four rapids are buzzing. The length of the first three is up to 400 m, the shafts in them reach 1.5 m. The passage is near the left bank. The river here is more than 100 m wide, there is a possibility of maneuvering. In the fourth threshold (130) the shafts are directed towards the right steep bank. There, reinforced by the breaking wave, they reach 2 m or more. The threshold stretches for 600 m. The passage is next to the ramparts, closer to the left bank. Unpredictable chaotic, very high waves endanger small craft. “Where, on what river for tens of kilometers in all 200 meters of its width do such toothy waves two or three meters high walk? The autumn storms of Lake Baikal come to mind,” writes M. Kocherginsky.
It should be said that all the obstacles in the gorge are with a clearly visible rod. You can almost always land on one of the shores. If one coast is rocky, then the opposite is a large-pebble spit, and more often a steep terrace overgrown with shrubs and forests. Almost all shivers can be bypassed, which allows local residents to overcome the gorge in motor boats. When compiling an inventory of the rapids area in the materials of the Indigirka expedition, it was noted that a characteristic feature of the river flow are drops with a large bottom slope and flow disturbance due to high water flow rates but large boulders. In total, 13 such drops, known as rapids, were found. All of them are located in the area where the tributaries meet. And therefore, “these rapids are not such in the true sense of the word, but have the character of shivers in places of former accumulations of boulders,” the report wrote.
The valley of Ytabyt-Yuryakh (126) is not immediately guessed. Closed by mountains, it appears unexpectedly. The left bank of the tributary - a high dry terrace covered with forest, with beautiful lawns - has long been chosen by fishermen. There is a tent, a table. A great place for a day trip, especially since there is great fishing at the mouth of the Ytabyt-Yuryakh. The tributary valley is very beautiful. A pure mountain stream rumbles in the light rounded boulders of a wide channel. Below Ytabyt-Yuryakh, near the right bank, there is a 150 m long rift. The passage is on the right side of the channel. 5 km below it is a kilometer-long rift near the right bank. Here the shore is a brown sheer cliff. The mountain seems to be cut with a blunt knife, which is why the entire cliff is cut with black cracks and grottoes. A small waterfall breaks down from a sheer cliff.
At the mouth of the Ogonnsr stream (115), which flows into a steep bend, there is a rift with shafts up to 1.5 m near the left bank. There is no clamp here. Below in the channel there are rare stones protruding into low water.
A threshold begins at the lower edge of the Apgus-Tas cliff. In the first stage, located at
Passed only part of the gorge - a breakthrough of the Porozhny ridge. Now the high mountains recede from the river, the channel becomes wider. The spurs of the Chibagalakh chain are also involved in creating obstacles on the Indigirka. And the river remains turbulent, in rare places it does not splash with a big wave. In front of the krivun on the left stretches a rocky cliff of a terrace overgrown with forest. It is divided into separate blocks by deep crevices. Pillars rise from the water, impregnable towers above. And between them, it was as if a village was spread out from numerous cells inscribed in these rocky ledges and cracks.
A threshold begins at the lower edge of the Apgus-Tas cliff. In the first stage, located near the left bank, there are main shafts before a sharp turn, where bedrocks obliquely go into the water. The second step goes below the turn, where the right tributary of the Kusllah-Mustah (110) flows into. The main stream is directed to the left bank. The steps are short - about 250 m, the shaft reaches 2 m. Both sections pass closer to the right bank, which, if necessary, is convenient to moor.
The masses of the Empty Range are left behind. Next come the table mountains - flat, covered with forests, terraced down to the river. In August, after the first autumn frosts, amazing canvases seem to be exhibited, in which, over the emerald water of the Indigirka, you see in the dense greenery of larch forests the thrill of yellow birches, the crimson of wild rose and the multicolored polar birch.
At the mouth of Chibagalakh (98) there is a long rift near the left bank. The confluence of the largest rafting section of the left tributary is one of the most beautiful. Good fishing here. The view from the nearby hill Sogo-Khaya (1096 m) is beautiful. The scree slopes of the gray-bluish mountains are beautiful, stretching like a ridge across the Indigirka, completely falling out of the range of the surrounding hills.
5 km below the mouth of Chibagalakh on the right high bank is a hut where fishermen often stop. There is a sandbar on the shore. Behind the cliffs with yellow and blue screes there is a quiet stretch, and before turning left, there is a threshold (96) on a straight section. Shaft up to 1.5 m, passing through the jet. Again, the river strikes with the beauty of its banks. The cliffs of the mountain, cut by three gaps, are dotted with remnants. Beneath them, the black, shadow-covered water seems mysterious.
The river cuts the narrow chain of the Chemalginsky Range calmly, without unnecessary excitement. And here are the mountains behind. Around low forested shores and an unusually huge sky. In the forest approaching the pebbly shore, there are well-trodden paths along the river. Large wooded islands divide the sho into equivalent channels, and the inflowing tributaries are invisible. The wind here makes it hard to sail. It appears more often before dinner and intensifies in the evening.
After the confluence of the river Uchcha (77), where tourists have repeatedly noted the best fishing in the whole rafting, a flat area of rafting begins. The Indigirka entered the Momo-Selenyahek depression. Islands appear. On the right, Tikhon-Yuryakh (45) flows into. River ships rise to its mouth. Along the banks - hayfields.
On the right bank against a long island is the village of Sobo-lokh (28). It's about a kilometer from the river. The long chain of the Momsky ridge is constantly visible ahead. Somewhere on the river there is an erosion of the banks. Bushes and trees are stuck on underwater spits. Moma (0) flows in a wide channel. Its water, like that of other large tributaries, does not mix with the Indigirka for a long time. So two streams flow side by side. The boat pier is 2 km away, the same distance on foot to the village of Khonuu.
Another description of the Indigirskaya Pipe:
Near the mouth of the left tributary, the Taskan River (165 km), the waters of the Indigirka gather in one channel. The speed increases dramatically. The river runs in a huge arc along a steep terrace, and after another 5 km it turns north and squeezes into the gorge of the Porozhnotsepinsky granite massif. The famous Great Gorge (Ulakhan-Khapchagai) begins. This part of the Indigirka is also called the Momskie rapids, the Indigirskaya pipe, the rapids of Busik (in memory of the head of the Narkomvodtrans expedition V. D. Busik, who died here in 1931 during the exploration of the rapids).
The hundred-kilometer gorge, almost 2 km incised into the granite massifs of the Porozhny and Chemalginsky ridges, is extraordinarily spectacular. Sheer cliffs pass in succession - one higher than the other. The rocky obelisks on the crests of the watersheds of the lateral tributaries and the fabulous statues of weathered limestone outcrops are impressive. Loops of multi-colored blocky screes descend to the river. There are many beautiful taiga corners here. The banks of the river are paved with large boulders, but frequent pressures and steep slopes make the gorge passable along the coast only in low water.
During the first 50 km, Indigirka makes its way through the Porozhny Range. The slope increases to 3 m/km, the speed reaches 15-20 km/h. The river rushes from one side of the gorge to the other, washing away the rocky cliffs. On the bends, spits are formed from large rounded boulders. The width of the channel is 150-200 m. Comb-shaped rapids are found in places where bedrocks (granites) come out. They are located, as a rule, near the coast, occupying no more than a third of the width of the channel. The water flow, which has tremendous energy, has cleared its fairway almost along the entire length of the gorge. The depth here is 3-5 m, and in places of narrowing up to 10 m. flow.
The most difficult part of the gorge comes from the mouth of the Sigikhtekh stream (the 175th km of rafting), opposite a beautiful stone cape rises. Behind him, in the turn of the river, a shiver rumbles. The first threshold after 1 km. Its length is 200 m, the ramparts are 1.5 m. On the 178th km of rafting, a high rocky cliff of Busik and Kalinin rises to the left. Immediately behind it is a threshold, which is better to pass along the left bank. Below the noise of the shiver, go through it in the center. From the right stream Mustakh (185th km) begins a series of 4 rapids with a total length of 5.5 km - a passage along the left bank. The most powerful is the last section, where the shafts reach a height of 2 m. At the mouth of the Ytabyt-Yuryakh River (195 km) there is a high terrace covered with forest, excellent fishing. Below is a shiver, after 5 km another one is near the steep right bank.
The Porozhnotsepinskiy massif is only the first link of the Great Gorge. Leaving him, Indigirka is in almost the same frenetic state. High mountains recede somewhat from the river, the channel becomes wider, the speed decreases.
On the left, a rocky cliff, overgrown with terrace forest, stretches for a long time. The dangerous section begins in front of the mouth of the right tributary, the Kuelleh-Mustakh River (km 220), at the lower edge of the steep bank. This is the Krivun threshold. Indigirka makes a 120° left turn. In the channel of the Shiver, bedrock outcrops near the left bank. Across the entire width of the river there is chaos of “standing ramparts”, breakers, plums, water fountains.
For the next 15 km, the Indigirka flows smoothly along the widened part of the gorge. The left steep bank demonstrates an amazing phenomenon - Indigirka "laces". Crumpled sedimentary strata create an indescribable range of colors and shapes. They stretched along the river for many hundreds of meters.
The mouth of the large left tributary of the Indigirka, the Chibagalakh River (km 225), is very interesting. With her powerful blow, she, as it were, pushes back the flow of the Indigirka, forming a 200-meter longitudinal shaft.
Below Chibagalakh, the Indigirka cuts through the Chemalginsky granite massif. The river narrows again, the speed increases. At the 235th km - the threshold. Here the gorge is narrowest and darkest. Particularly grandiose are the rocky cliffs of the left bank at the 240th km of rafting. Rocks in places hang over the water, forming "pockets". The nature of the obstacles is the same as in the Porozhnotsepinskiy section.
A distinctive feature of the Great Gorge is powerful boulder spits, as a rule, below the confluence of tributaries. The spit departs from the shore at an angle of 45° and can block half of the channel, hampering the already turbulent flow. Below the spit is a quiet backwater. There are more right-bank braids.
Having received the Uchcha River (250th km) from the right, Indigirka emerges from the gorge, and in the area of the mouth of the Tikhon-Yuryakh (285th km) it spreads widely in the expanses of the Momo-Selennyakhskaya depression. Channels and islands appear, hayfields and farms along the banks. Before the mouth of the Moma, on the right bank, the village of Sobolokh, and below the mouth - the village of Khondu, the end of the route (320th km). The village is located 3 km from the nearest channel, at the foot of the Yu-mountain. The width of the Indigirka here is 1200 m, there are no obstacles below. Before Khonuu, ships rise into high water, so further rafting is of no sporting interest, although it is interesting in historical, geological and ethnographic terms.
Tour schedule:
Day 7(July 28) – day, free day, photography of the glacier, radial exit along the tributary
The fact that the Indigirka exists somewhere in Yakutia - a distant and little-known river, most of the inhabitants of our country have heard mainly from songs or geography textbooks. But you can tell a lot of interesting and informative about it.
Name
Indeed, the Indigirka is a mysterious and beautiful river, flowing in the middle of virgin nature, untouched by the touch of modern civilization. It got its name, which literally translates as "people of the Indi clan", because of the ancient Even settlement of the Indigir tribe located on its banks. Not only they, of course, found their refuge near the river, some earlier, some later, but Evens, and Yukaghirs, and Yakuts, and even Russians settled here. Well, the first half of the 17th century can be called the time of the beginning of the development of the coast by the Cossacks.
river source
In the northeast of our country, the Indigirka is on a par with the largest rivers. At the same time, it has an independent outlet to the East Siberian Sea. The source of the Indigirka is the confluence of two rivers. One of them flows from the Suntar-Khayat ridge, and the other from the Oymyakon highlands. Indigirka is formed by rivers, one of which is called Taryn-Yuryakh, and the other - Tuora-Yuryakh. Born on the northern slopes of the Halkan Range, both of these streams, having joined, form the Indigirka, which is famous for its sinuosity and does not go beyond the territory of Yakutia.
Mysterious Mouth
Having told about the source, I would like to immediately mention where the river arrives before flowing into the sea. The last space inhabited by people in front of the place where the river in Yakutia ends its journey is called the village of Tyubeliakh. Further, no one lives on the banks of the Indigirka. The reason is that it is simply not possible. Because on the way of the river there is a stone barrier, the length, neither more nor less, about 30 km. Growing up on both sides on the way of the Indigirka, the mountains seem to drive it into a narrow, impassable gorge. It is crowded here, and only thanks to its powerful stream the river makes its way to the sea. The mouth of the Indigirka River is a gloomy and dangerous place called the Indigirka pipe. There are many dangerous rapids here, and not even all local residents risk sailing in these places on their motor boats, and they can only afford it if the water level is favorable. Even rarer here you can meet sports tourists, even with reliable equipment and watercraft, sailing along the river is still very dangerous. But the beauty of the landscapes along these shores is extraordinary, as if this is compensation for a dangerous estuary.
Indigirka (river) and its general characteristics
The beautiful banks of the Indigirka are mountain ranges, highlands, chains, sometimes replaced by depressions and lowlands. The river basin was formed on the site of rocks that had long frozen under the influence of climatic conditions with low temperatures. Near the coast there are many alluvial soils. Conventionally, the flow path can be divided into a mountainous section with a length of 640 km and a flat one, having a length of approximately 1,086 km. Together with the sources, the length of the Indigirka River reaches almost 2000 km. But purely she herself, officially starting from the point of confluence of two sources, has a length of 1,726 km, with an area of \u200b\u200bthe basin, replete with many mouths, rapids and deltas, of 360 thousand square meters. km. Indigirka is separated from the sea by a small and rather shallow bay. The width of the river along its entire length is different and varies from 0.5 km to 20, and the depth - from 7.5 to 11 meters.
Flowing through the territory of Yakutia, the Indigirka receives several other rivers. In the upper reaches, for example, on the right in the river, only one additional stream adjoins - the river. Nera, and on the left - Elgi, Kuidusun and Kuenty. The lower course is enriched at the expense of Moma and Badyarikha on the right and Uyandina, Selennyakh, Berelyokh, Allaikha on the left.
Feeding from precipitation
The climate here is continental. The average temperature in winter reaches -40 degrees, and in summer, which is very short here, +14 degrees. The Indigirka is a winding river, flowing into the East Siberian Sea, it forms a rather wide delta (5.5 thousand sq. Km). The average flow velocity is 3 m/s. The nutrition of the Indigirka River is mixed. In spring, as, indeed, in summer, it is characterized by high water, which occurs due to the melting of ice. The river is mostly fed by rain and snow. In winter, the entire river freezes, as the temperature of its waters reaches minus 50. Basically, from October to May-June, the reservoir is under ice.
Fauna and river navigation
The Indigirka River runs through the tundra, taiga, forest-tundra and arctic forests. Its aquatic fauna is very rich and includes 29 species of useful fish, among which are: sturgeon, chum salmon, omul, nelma, pink salmon, vendace, muksun, whitefish and others. The river described above in Yakutia is the only transport artery in this region. The navigable route runs from the mouth of the river. Momy, in the delta - along the branch-duct of the river. The middle one, the entrance to which from the sea is limited by the estuary depth with downslopes of 0.5-0.6 m. Russian Mouth. For tourists and travelers visiting Yakutia in the summer, the main activities and entertainment on Indigirka are fishing and rafting and kayaking.
Flow
The fall of the Indigirka River is expressed by the number 1,000 m. Its slope is 57.9 cm / km. Near the mouth of the left-sided tributary at 165 km of the Taskan River, the waters of the Indigirka merge into a single channel. The speed of its flow also increases sharply. Running along a huge arc along a steep slope, after 5 km it makes a turn to the north, after which it squeezes into the gorge of the Porozhnotsepinsky rocky granite massif. Then the famous Great Gorge (Ulakhan-Khapchagay) begins. This interval of the Indigirka is also called the Momsky Rapids, or Busik Rapids. This name was given to this place in memory of the head of the expedition from the People's Commissariat for Water Transport V. D. Busik, who died here in 1931 during a preliminary reconnaissance of the rapids.
Creator nature
The hundred-kilometer gorge, gracefully cut almost 2 km into the granite massifs of the picturesque Porozhny and Chemalginsky ridges, looks very impressive. A series of sheer cliffs, growing one after another and competing in height, look extraordinarily beautiful. The rocky obelisks perched on the ridges separating the lateral tributaries and the fabulous sculptures from the weathered limestone outcrops are thoroughly impressive. Multi-colored blocky screes, like trains, descend to the river. And how many beautiful taiga corners open to the eye along the coast, which are paved with large boulders! It is only a pity that frequent clamps and very steep slopes make it possible to pass through the gorge along the coast only at low water levels. Needless to say, Indigirka is a river full of surprises.
Water flow through the gorge
Through the Porozhny ridge, the Indigirka makes its way for the first 50 km. The slope here increases to 3 meters for each subsequent kilometer, due to which the speed reaches 15-20 km / h. Rushing between the sides of the gorge, the Indigirka washes away rocky cliffs. The bends flaunt whole braids of large rounded boulders. The stream bed reaches here up to 150-200 m.
And in those places where solid bedrocks (granite and others) come to the surface, you can find comb-shaped rapids. They are usually located near the coast, not occupying more than 1/3 of the width of the river channel. The water flow, which has great power and energy, has paved its way, clearing the fairway literally along the entire continuing gorge. Indigirka reaches a depth of 3-5 m here, and in the narrowest places it reaches 10 m. Foam pits, two-meter "standing shafts" and other tricks of a turbulent stream are difficult to pass.
mountain range
Another attraction that this river has in Yakutia is the Chersky Range. It is located in the North-East of Siberia. But it is hardly possible to call it a ridge in the usual sense of the word, since it is a whole mountain system extended for 1.5 thousand km. The Chersky Ridge was once formed during the Mesozoic folding, after which it split into separate blocks during the Alpine period. Some of them rose and were called horsts, while others, on the contrary, sank and are called grabens. The highest point of the ridge - Mount Pobeda, has a height of 3,003 meters. In the western part, in the interfluve, which forms the Indigirka (river) together with the Yana, there are many more ridges that are quite impressive in their height.
Conclusion
Summing up, I would like to say that, in addition to their beauties, Indigirka and its shores attract with their minerals. Since ancient times, coal was mined and gold panned here. The locals are engaged in reindeer herding and fishing, and these industries are quite well developed here. In addition, Indigirka is one of the significant water transport arteries of Yakutia. For those who are not attracted to life in large and noisy metropolitan areas and who prefer a promise closer to nature, the cities and settlements on the banks of this river will appeal to them. Primordial landscapes of extraordinary beauty and the purest air give unforgettable moments of unity with nature.