Kamchatka river in history. Water resources of Kamchatka. Fish spawning on the Kamchatka River

The Kamchatka River is the largest waterway of the peninsula bearing the same name. Itelmen name - Uykoal, can be translated as "Big River". It flows into the Pacific Ocean and has a length of 758 km. Its source is in the mountains, from where the water flows down in a stream, forming Ozernaya Kamchatka. Having merged with the Right River, it becomes a single stream with it. Flowing in the mountainous part of its path, Kamchatka forms many rapids and rifts, here its course is quite stormy and noisy.

The mouth of the Kamchatka River on the peninsula

In the middle section, it becomes flat, with a more phlegmatic character. This section is the longest. However, here the channel is not distinguished by calm predictability, in some places it is very winding. A single stream is divided into arms, covering wider spaces. Approaching the ocean, the river goes around the Klyuchevskoy massif, flows to the east, crosses the Kumroch ridge and becomes delta-shaped at the very mouth, dividing into many channels. They are separated by spits, mostly composed of sand and pebbles.

Flowing into the Pacific Ocean, Kamchatka forms a channel connecting it with Lake Nerpichye, the largest on the peninsula. The river has islands all along its path. There are a large number of them, but they are not large in size, mostly sandy and have no vegetation, except for grass and in some places willow. On the flat territory, the river flows for more than 30 km through the Bolshye Shcheki gorge, forming steep rocky banks of breathtaking beauty. Such a landscape arises due to the fact that the river intersects with the spurs of the Kamchatka Range.

The Kamchatka basin includes more than seven thousand small rivers. It is in these tributaries that spawning of fish, mainly salmon, takes place. The largest tributaries are Elovka, Shchapina, Kozyrevka. The river is fed from groundwater, precipitation, snow. Snow and underground (sedimentary) nutrition is approximately 35% (each), about 28% of water comes from glaciers. In winter, Kamchatka freezes over, freezing begins in November, and ice drifts in May.

The nature of the river and the processes occurring in it are greatly influenced by the seismic activity of the region and volcanism. When eruptions occur, glaciers melt and mudflows rush down into the river. The strongest mudflow that has existed in the last 100 years was the mudflow that arose after the eruption of the Nameless volcano in 1956. Streams of mud and stones spread far along one of the tributaries of Kamchatka.

Fish spawning on the Kamchatka River

Kamchatka flows in both mountainous and flat areas; its course is accompanied by coniferous and floodplain forests and shrubs. Of the conifers, Ayan spruce and larch are mainly common. Poplar, alder, willow, etc. grow in the upper and close to it middle reaches of the river, in addition to conifers. The lower course is more swampy, here shrubs and grasses predominate along the banks.

The area around the river is rich in fauna. There are many birds, among which you can see gulls, cormorants, partridges and other species. Moose, deer, wolves, muskrats and other animals live in coastal forests. The owner of these places is the Kamchatka bear. During spawning near the tributaries of Kamchatka, the number of bears increases many times.

The main treasure of the river is its fish stocks. Salmon and other fish spawn here. This significant event takes place at the end of summer, attracting many bears to the shores. Freshwater valuable fish live here permanently. Some of them, for example, silver carp or Amur carp, were specially introduced into these waters and took root, give birth and are the object of fishing. Lamprey, sterlet, Pacific herring, char, Kamchatka grayling, flounder, etc. live in the river basin.

Fishing occurs both on an industrial scale and individually. Amateur fishermen specially come to Kamchatka to fish here with pleasure, which you will not find in such abundance in other places. In late June - early July, the most favorable period for catching chinook salmon. Sockeye salmon is perfectly caught at the turn of July and August. Throughout August, there is chum salmon, and from the end of August almost until November - coho salmon.

Pond use

In addition to fishing, people actively use the river for other purposes. As the largest water artery of the peninsula, closer to the mouth it is used in navigation: the depth reaches 5 m, so the conditions are favorable for this. The river is also of great importance in the tourism sector. In addition to the beauties that people come to admire, it makes it possible to make tourist water trips. The beginning of the route is Ust-Kamchatsk or the village of Klyuchi.

Since ancient times, people settled around the river. Archaeologists find traces of ancient settlements. Russian Cossacks who arrived here in the 17th century reported that in the valley of the Kamchatka River there are many yurts, which were the dwellings of local peoples. The Cossacks themselves built wooden prisons, almost all of them then grew into cities and towns. The fact that people settled in these places is largely due to the fertility of the soil, which makes it possible to engage in agriculture.

The Kamchatka River, sometimes fast in its course, sometimes majestically calm, full of fish, surrounded by unique landscapes, is one of the decorations of the peninsula, which also has practical significance.

Our routes along the Kamchatka River

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The largest river in the region. Its length is more than 750 km, the Itelmen name is Uykoal, which means “Big River”. Kamchatka has two sources: the left one, originating in the Sredinny Range (Ozernaya Kamchatka River), and the right one in the Eastern Range (Right Kamchatka River). Merging within the Ganal tundra, they give rise to the Kamchatka River itself. It flows to the north, but in the area of ​​the village of Klyuchi it turns sharply to the east and flows into the Kamchatka Bay, forming a wide mouth, the fairway of which is constantly changing.

Kamchatka is the only river of the region that has a navigable value. Currently, Kamchatka is used for navigation for 200 km. from the mouth. In the lower course, the depths on the stretches during low water reach 5-6 m, on the rifts about 2 m.

The Kamchatka basin occupies the Central Kamchatka depression, between the Sredinny ridge in the west and the Valagin ridge in the east. The large size of the river determines that more than 80% of its length falls on a flat channel. In the upper reaches, the channel is mountainous and semi-mountainous, with numerous branchings typical of Kamchatka rivers.

Within the flat channel there are several special and extremely intriguing areas. This is the famous Bolshiye Shcheki gorge, in which the river flows for 35 km and has almost sheer rocky shores, which any “untwisted” canyon in North America can envy. Their development here is associated with the river crossing the spurs of the Kamchatka Range. The river also very picturesquely crosses the spurs, where, already being a large flat river, it forms two large rapids - Krekurlinsky and Pingrinsky.

The Kamchatka River has the largest fish resources. All types of salmon fish come to spawn: pink salmon (Oncorhynchus gorbuscha), chum salmon (Oncorhynchus keta), sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka), coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch), chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha), kunja (Salvelinus leucomaenis). A wide variety of residential forms of fish: char (Salvelinus), mykizha (Parasalmo mykiss), Dolly Varden (Salvelinus malma), grayling (Thymallus arcticus pallasi), cyprinids, even sturgeons are found.

A huge number of tributaries flow into Kamchatka. The largest of them, Shchapina,. Kamchatka and its numerous tributaries carry a large amount of alluvial material.

The Kamchatka River is not only the most powerful water artery, but also the history of the region. Its valley has been densely populated since ancient times. The well-known archaeologist N. N. Dikov, working in the valley, discovered ancient settlements. The greatest habitation of this river valley was also noted by Russian explorers. V. Atlasov in his “tales” reported: “And how they sailed along Kamchatka - there are many foreigners on both sides of the river, great settlements.” The Cossacks sent for reconnaissance reported that from the mouth to the sea in a section of 150 km there were 160 prisons, and in each of them 150-200 people lived in one or two yurts. According to the most conservative estimate, about 25 thousand people lived in the Kamchatka valley.

Used sources:

Data collected and processed by Batalov D.

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Kamchatka is characterized by a dense hydrographic network. More than 6 thousand large and small rivers flow on its territory, but only a few of them have a length of more than 200 km and only 7 - over 300 km. The largest river of the peninsula is Kamchatka, with a length of more than 750 km.

Many rivers along their entire length have a stormy character with rapids and waterfalls. The largest of them: Kamchatka and Bolshaya - are navigable only in the lower estuarine part, where sandy spits fenced off from the ocean form estuaries.

Volcanic regions are characterized by "dry" rivers, in which water appears only for a short time during the snowmelt period. Many rivers have long been chosen by lovers of water travel. The most popular are short-term rafting with fishing on the rivers: Kamchatka, Zhupanova, Bystraya (Malkinskaya), Kol, Karymchina, Left Avacha, Opala, Pymta, Elovka, Tigil ...

Other rivers: Right and Left Avacha, Fast (Essovskaya), Left Shchapina, Nalycheva are of sport interest for experienced tourists.

The lakes of the peninsula are numerous and diverse in their origin. On the lowlands and in the estuarine floodplains of some rivers, small swampy, often overgrown lakes are scattered. One of them is Lake Nalychevo.

Higher, lakes are common, lying in depressions of a hilly relief formed by terminal moraines during the glaciation of Kamchatka. The largest of them are Lake Nachikinskoe and Dvuhyurtochnoe.

The formation of many lakes is associated with volcanic activity. Some of them are located in depressions during the subsidence of individual sections of the earth's surface above devastated magma chambers or at the bottom of explosive funnels, such as lakes Kurilskoe and Karymskoe; lakes in volcanic craters: Ksudach, Khangar, Uzon; deep tectonic depressions, such as Lake Azhabachye.

The largest lake in Kamchatka, Kronotskoye, was formed in the river valley, blocked by powerful lava flows of the Krasheninnikov volcano.

A large amount of precipitation, the presence of permafrost, snow melting in the mountains for a long time, low evaporation, and mountainous terrain are the reason for the development of an exceptionally dense hydro network within the Kamchatka Territory.

There are 140,100 rivers and streams in Kamchatka, but only 105 of them are longer than 100 km. Despite the insignificant depth, the rivers are exceptionally full-flowing.

The Kamchatka River (758 km long) and the Penzhina River (713 km) stand out sharply in size. Most Kamchatka rivers flow in a latitudinal direction, which is due to the meridional character of the main watersheds: the Sredinny and Vostochny ranges.

The Kamchatka rivers are mountainous in their upper reaches and calm in the plains. When flowing into the sea, many of them usually wash up spits, and at the mouths - underwater shafts, bars.

Within the mountains, the rivers flow in relatively narrow V-shaped valleys with steep slopes and have a fast, often rapids flow. The bottom and slopes of the valleys are composed of coarse clastic material (boulders, pebbles, gravel). As the rivers approach the plains, the size of the material composing the valleys and river beds decreases; The flow of rivers slows down and becomes calmer.

In general terms, coastal lowlands are a combination of flat wetlands, concentrated mainly near the coast, undulating, hilly interfluve areas and wide river valleys. Within the hilly-ridged plains, the riverbeds branch into channels and branches, and on the coastal lowlands they form many bends and old rivers.

Mountain rivers are distributed exclusively within mountainous regions. Basically, they correspond to the upper sections of the rivers, however, this regularity is violated on large rivers. Often, when crossing the spurs of the ridges, the rivers in the middle and even the lower reaches acquire a mountainous character of the flow due to the large slopes of the valley.

Rivers within mountainous regions with maximum elevation differences have rapids-waterfall channels. They are characterized by the alternation of rapids and waterfalls with segments of stagnant zones. Such rivers are distinguished, as a rule, by their small size, flowing along the bottom of the ravines with steep slopes. The length of such sections ranges from a few percent of the entire length of the river (if the river flows downstream into the foothills and onto the plain) to 100% (small rivers and streams flowing throughout their entire length within mountainous regions).

With the gradual leveling of the relief, rapids and waterfalls disappear, but the nature of the current remains turbulent. In addition, as tributaries flow in, the size and flow of rivers (i.e., the amount of water flowing through the cross section of the river in a certain period of time) increase. For such rivers, the most characteristic is a rectilinear form of the channel with separate single islands and forced bends (bends of the river channel). The formation of such bends is due to the fact that the river flow tends to go around the rocky ledges, composed of strong, indestructible rocks, and thereby acquires a sinuous shape.

In some areas, mountain rivers form large erosion pits, the depth of which is tens of times greater than the average depth of the river. Such pits are good hiding places for fish, since the current speeds in them are sharply reduced.

On the large rivers of Kamchatka, one can also observe areas with a rapid flow of the stream. Narrow valleys with steep slopes, high flow velocities (> 1 m/s) may be due to the constriction of rivers by spurs of mountain ranges. On rivers that generally do not differ in deep and gentle channels, there are constantly areas with a significant slope, leading to a sharp increase in flow rates, which, due to the shallow depth and rockiness of the channels, makes the flow turbulent. Such rivers, as a rule, flow in a single channel and only a few islands divide the flow into branches. The islands here are high, they are clusters of large pebbles, overgrown with birch and alder bushes. Above and below the islands, open pebble banks form.

The most beautiful banks of mountain rivers attract attention. When approaching close to the ridges, they take the form of high rocky ledges. Mosses and lichens growing on them give the rocks a red-brown or green color.

During the transition from mountainous conditions to plains, the steepness of river valleys and the speed of the current sharply decrease. For these reasons, the flow power becomes insufficient to move river sediments (boulders, pebbles). This material is deposited directly in the river channel, forming a kind of islands, called cores. As a result, a bizarre and very dynamic pattern is formed from many ducts separated by islands. These types of channels are most common in the lower reaches of small rivers.

Another distinctive feature of these rivers is the presence of a large amount of driftwood (logs and branches of various sizes) in the channel, which is associated with the rivers entering the forest area. During periods of spring snowmelt, as well as after heavy rains, the water level in the rivers and the speed of the current increase, the flow of water intensively erodes the banks. As a result, a huge amount of woody material enters the river and is deposited downstream on the shallows - near the islands or coastal spits. That is why the largest creases (clusters of branches, writhing, as well as whole tree trunks) lead to the breaking of the river into channels, some of which have a direction opposite to the main course of the river.

Thermal springs "Vilyuchinsky" consist of two groups of springs with water temperature from 40 ° to 60 ° C, located in the picturesque valley of the Vilyucha River among small-leaved forests and shrubs; the springs are decorated with travertine domes and dense colonies of thermophilic algae with specific biological communities; the slopes of the river valley are convenient for skiing; and just above the springs, the river forms a beautiful waterfall 40 m high.

The Nalychevo thermal springs, the largest thermal carbonic springs in Kamchatka, are discharged in the interfluve between the Goryachaya and Zheltaya rivers over an area of ​​more than 2 km 2 . At the foot of Mount Kruglaya, deposits of springs formed a huge travertine shield with an area of ​​more than 50,000 km 2 with a dome composed of carbonate and ferruginous-arsenic sediments (the dome was called the "cauldron"). Along its periphery, many hot springs emerge, forming a stream. The dome is surrounded by thermal swamps.

In the Goryachaya floodplain, for 2.5 km, the outlets of thermae are concentrated in the form of short hot streams flowing into a cold river, as well as in the form of small lakes, puddles and swamps. In these streams and lakes, extensive colonies of thermophilic algae have grown, forming multi-colored dense mats - pillows. The same sources are located on the Zheltaya River, 600 m from the mouth.

Talovye hot springs are located 6 km from Nalychevskie on the left side of the Porozhistaya valley. The exits are traced for 1 km, their temperature is 31-38°C, the total visible flow rate is 6 l/sec. Installed hidden unloading in alluvium. The main outlets of the springs - the so-called "Talovy boiler" - are located in a clearing in a dense birch forest. Here, at the foot of the hill, two bright orange travertine cones 45 m in diameter and 13 m high have formed. Warm streams flow down the surface of the travertines. The space between the domes and at the foot is swampy.

The water of the Talovye hot springs belongs to the same hydrochemical type as the Nalychevo springs, but the content of sulfate and bicarbonate in it is somewhat higher. In addition, arsenic deposits are more abundant in travertines from melted springs. Finally, unlike the water of the Nalychevo springs, the water of the Talovyh springs is pleasant to the taste.

Local history thermal springs come out along the banks of the Talovaya River 2 km upstream of its confluence with the Shaibnaya River. The distance to the Nalychevo springs is 8 km. Outcrops of thermal waters in the form of individual griffins and weak seeps can be traced in the swampy floodplain of the river for 100 m. with more mineralization. Local lore baths do not deposit travertines; their gas composition contains more nitrogen.

Verkhne-Zhirovsky steam jets and springs are located in the upper reaches of the Zhirovaya River, on its left bank. The area where sources and steam jets exit is a hard-to-reach gorge with very steep sides several hundred meters high. Thermal springs and steam jets are scattered over a large area. Almost all of them are located on steep slopes or in steeply falling gullies. Three areas are distinguished, in which, as in the areas of the Severo-Mutnovsky thermal baths, there are steam jets, and mud boilers, and heated areas with a boiling point, and down the slope, at the water's edge in the Zhirovaya River, there are springs with a temperature of 60-72 °C. The chemical composition of steam condensate is sulfate-calcium-sodium with a low total mineralization of 0.2-0.5 g/l.

Many amazing things can be seen in these magnificent regions of Russia rich in various natural phenomena. This wonderful corner of the earth is called Kamchatka. A wide variety of landscapes, vegetation and the most amazing animals are concentrated here.

And about where the Kamchatka River is located, what are its features and what natural wonders it is rich in, you can find out in this article.

Location of the Kamchatka Peninsula, description

The peninsula is washed by the Sea of ​​Okhotsk from the west, the Bering Sea and the Pacific Ocean from the east.

Kamchatka is located on the border of the Eurasian continent and one of the largest oceans on the planet. All this affects the formation of a diverse relief of the territory, climate and the distribution of the world of animals and vegetation. In this unique place, like in no other corner of Russia, the most amazing and striking natural phenomena are concentrated.

There are ancient volcanoes (active and extinct), mineral hot and cold springs, water basins of glacial, tectonic and volcanic origin that are rare throughout the world. Among all such magnificence, the beautiful Kamchatka (river) also flows here.

Description of the river: geographical location

Kamchatka is the largest river located on the peninsula of the same name. And it flows into the Bering Sea of ​​the Pacific Ocean through the Kamchatka Bay. The total length of the river is 758 kilometers, and its basin extends over a vast territory of 55.9 thousand km².

Kamchatka is a river, diverse in the relief of its channel. The course of the upper reaches has a faster mountainous character, in its channel there are a large number of riffles and rapids. In the central one, it flows into the Central Kamchatka lowland and changes the nature of its flow to a calmer one. Here the channel is quite winding and in some places it diverges into branches.

In the lower course, the river bends around Klyuchevskaya Sopka (massif) and turns east, where in the lower reaches it intersects with the Kumroch ridge.

At the very mouth of the river, a delta is formed, which consists of numerous channels. At the confluence of Kamchatka into the sea, it is connected by the Lake Channel with the largest lake on the island, Nerpichy Lake.

Throughout the course of the river there are many islands. For the most part, they are low, sandy, almost bare or slightly overgrown with tall grass or small willows.

The Kamchatka River is amazing and interesting. A description of all its unique natural attractions in one article is simply impossible.

Tributaries, source, settlements

The river has several tributaries, both right and left. Among them are the largest: Kensol, Zhulanka, Andrianovka and Kozyrevka - left; Urts, Kitilgina - right.

There is a settlement with the port of Ust-Kamchatsk. Also on the banks of the river are the small villages of Klyuchi and Milkovo.

Where is the source of the river? Kamchatka has two sources in total: the left one (Ozernaya Kamchatka), starting at the Sredinny Ridge; right (Right Kamchatka), located in the eastern ridge. They meet in the area of ​​the Ganal tundra and together form the beginning of a magnificent river.

Flora of Kamchatka

The vegetation of the entire peninsula was influenced by a number of factors, such as the geographical location of the territory, mountainous terrain (mainly), the impact of a humid climate due to the proximity of the ocean, the history of landscape formation, the strong impact of volcanism, etc.

Coniferous forests (larch and spruce) are widespread in the central part. Also birches and aspens grow here interspersed with them.

In Kamchatka, floodplain forests are the richest and most diverse in terms of vegetation. In them you can find hairy alder, willow, chosenia, etc.

Kamchatka is a river, the coastal part of which is replete with a wide variety of vegetation. The banks of the upper and middle reaches of the river are an excellent forest, represented by poplar, fir, larch, interspersed with willow, alder, hawthorn, and other vegetation. The lower coastal part of the river is already more swampy and covered with grass, small willow and horsetail.

Fauna river

Kamchatka is a river rich in rare and valuable fish species. This is a spawning ground for many of the most magnificent breeds, including chum salmon, pink salmon and chinook (salmon). It takes place at the end of summer. In Lake Nerpichye and at the mouth of the Kamchatka River, seals and beluga whales come from the ocean.

Both amateur and industrial fishing is carried out in these places.

aquatic flora

The main vegetation of the bottom of the river and the sea are commercial algae of several species. Due to the sufficient amount of stocks, they are not specialized in fishing.

Birds and animals

The fauna of not only the territory of the river under consideration, but also of the entire Kamchatka Territory is exceptionally diverse.

Among the birds, of which there are a huge number (about two hundred and twenty species), there are gulls, cormorants, puffins, Pacific guillemots, guillemots, etc. You can also meet crows, magpies, wagtails, nutcrackers, partridges, etc.

The fauna of the coastal part consists of: ermine, Kamchatka sable, otter, muskrat, white hare, elk, northern deer, lynx, fox, snow sheep, wolverine, weasel and many others. etc. Of the largest forest animals in the forest zone, the famous Kamchatka brown bear can be noted.

Finally

In addition to all its natural magnificent landscapes, the territory of the Kamchatka River is also distinguished by the fact that the climate of its valley is the best on the entire peninsula and is the most suitable for agriculture, especially in the areas between the villages of Ushakovskoye and Kirganovskoye.

In terms of the speed of the current, this Kamchatka is popular among numerous tourists and is widely used by them for making trips, both water and foot coastal. There is something to see and remember forever.

Beautiful and magnificent Kamchatka. And to know more about her, you must see her.

Itelmens (one of the indigenous peoples of Kamchatka) used to call the river "Uikoal", which means "Big River".

More than six thousand large and small rivers flow through the territory of the [Kamchatka] region, but only a few of them have a length of more than 200 km, and only 7 - over 300.

The largest rivers

The insignificant length of the Kamchatka rivers is explained by the close location of the main river watersheds from the sea coast.

There are two main ridges on the peninsula - Sredinny and Vostochny, which stretch in the meridional direction. From the outer (western) slope of the Sredinny Range, the rivers flow into the Sea of ​​Okhotsk, from the outer slope of the East - into the Pacific Ocean. And those that arise on the inner slopes of these ridges flow into the central valley, along the bottom of which flows the largest river of the peninsula - Kamchatka.

The rivers of our region, although shorter, are more full-flowing than the rivers of the European part of the USSR: from each square kilometer of the catchment area, they receive 15-25 liters of water per second - almost twice as much as European ones.

River types. According to the nature of the flow of the river, the regions are divided into several groups. The most common are mountainous ones, the sources of which lie near the main watersheds. They are the largest on the peninsula and are formed from melting snow. However, they get most of their food from groundwater. Some of these rivers flow throughout the mountains, the other part - only in the upper reaches.

In the mountainous regions, the rivers flow in narrow valleys with steep slopes. As a rule, they have a fast rapid current, and when they enter the plains, they are calm: they break into numerous channels and branches, strongly meander (wind through), forming many oxbow lakes. Near the sea, the flow of rivers is slowed down by tidal waters. Their mouths often turn into long estuaries, which is especially characteristic of the western coast. When they flow into the sea, they usually form "cats" and "spits", bars are observed in the mouths (bars are shallows created by a tidal sea wave, making it difficult for ships to enter the mouths).

The upper reaches of Kamchatka, Avacha, Bystraya, Tigil, Penzhina and others are very characteristic of mountain rivers. The lowland rivers include Kamchatka, Penzhina and others in their middle and lower reaches.

The third group is dry rivers. They cut through the slopes and carry their waters to the receiving basins only in summer, during the melting of snow. During the rest of the year, water seeps into loose volcanic rocks and rivers disappear from the surface of the earth. Elizovskaya and Khalaktyrskaya can serve as an example.

River feeding- mixed. Most of it is groundwater and water obtained from the melting of snow in the mountains and valleys. The role of groundwater nutrition increases in dry years, and snow, on the contrary, in high-water years. Rain feeding is essential for the rivers of the west coast, where its share in some years can be 20-30 percent. There are rain floods here in autumn, sometimes exceeding spring floods in height.

Freezing and opening. Due to the abundant ground supply, the freeze-up is unstable on many rivers, there are large non-freezing areas and polynyas. In winter, ice often appears only along the banks, places with a fast current and the middle of the river are usually free of ice. Freeze-up begins in November or even in December, and only in the north of the region a little earlier. In the north and northwest, where climatic conditions are more severe, medium and small rivers freeze to the bottom on riffles, forming icing.

The opening of the rivers occurs in April - early May, in the north of the peninsula - a little later (in the middle and end of May). The opening is accompanied by spring ice drift, which is especially typical for the rivers of the northwestern region.

Water content. Its main indicator for rivers is the flow of water. It increases downstream as the basin grows. Thus, the average annual water flow in the upper reaches of the Kamchatka River is 91 cubic meters per second, in the lower reaches ten times more. Water content also depends on precipitation and the nature of the underlying surface. For example, the Penzhina River has a catchment area much larger than the Kamchatka River, but its average annual discharge is smaller.

Kamchatka river flows through the lowlands located between the Sredinny and Vostochny ridges. Having cut through the Kumroch ridge - a section called "Cheks" - with a narrow valley, it flows into the Kamchatka Bay of the Pacific Ocean.

In the upper reaches, the river has a mountainous character. Fast, greenish-muddy waters are rapidly rushing from the Ganalsky and Sredinny ridges. Swift streams rush between the stone banks, tear off the stones and carry them far downstream. Stones piled up in the channel itself form rifts and rapids.

Below the village of Pushchino, the current becomes smooth. The river becomes flat and begins to meander strongly. Its width near the village of Milkovo is 100–150 meters.

The further down, the wider and fuller it is. The wide floodplain, along which the river has laid its winding course with many branches, oxbow lakes, is covered with a green carpet of meadows interspersed with fields and forests. In many places the forest comes close to the river and forms a dense wall of green hedges. In the lower reaches, the Kamchatka River expands to 500–600 meters, and its depths range from 1 to 6 meters. Numerous rifts make the fairway of the river unstable. After big floods, it changes its position. This greatly complicates navigation.

The river freezes in November, and opens in late April - early May. Among the numerous tributaries, the largest are the Elovka, Tolbachik, Shchapina.

The settlements of Milkovo, Dolinovka, Shchapino, Kozyrevsk, Klyuchi, Ust-Kamchatsk and others are located along the banks of the river.

Kamchatka is the most important transport route of the peninsula. Passenger trams, boats, barges run along it. Shipping is carried out almost to Milkovo. Wood is rafted in large quantities. Salmon fish enter the river and its tributaries for spawning.

The mighty northern beauty river is an interesting tourist route for summer hikes.

Lakes of Kamchatka

There are more than 100,000 Kamchatka lakes, but the area of ​​their water surface is only 2 percent of the entire area of ​​the region. Only four lakes have an area of ​​​​more than 50 square kilometers, and two - more than 100.

The lakes are varied and attractive. Often they represent a unique and amazing panorama.

Not far from the village of Semlyachiki there are remains of the old. Its top was demolished by a colossal volcanic explosion, and at an altitude of more than 500 meters a huge caldera (bowl) with an area of ​​​​about 100 square kilometers was formed. There are a lot of springs, rivers and small lakes in this area. Many of them are filled with boiling water and are constantly bubbling, testifying to the violent activity of the volcano. In particular, one of them is remarkable - Fumarole. Its area is about 40 hectares. The water in it is always hot. Ducks and swans winter here.

There are many lakes like it. One of the most beautiful is Khangar. A huge stone bowl of the volcano of the same name rises to a height of 2000 meters. Climbing to its top is very difficult. It is even more difficult to go down to the lake along the steep walls of the crater. Doctor of Geological and Mineralogical Sciences A.E. Svyatlovsky, who overcame all these difficulties, traveled around the lake in a rubber inflatable boat and decided to measure the depth. However, the hundred-meter rope did not reach the bottom.

Tectonic processes - the ups and downs of individual sections of the earth's surface - led to the formation of a number of lakes. The tectonic origin of the lake and the Middle near the village of Paratunka and one of the deepest and most beautiful lakes of Kamchatka - Kuril.

The largest lakes

Thanks to invaluable work, the ancient, fanned with poetry, legend of the Alaid volcano has come down to us:

"... The aforementioned mountain (Alaid) used to stand at the declared lake (Kuril); and since it took away the light from all other mountains with its height, they were constantly indignant at Alaid and quarreled with her, so that Alaid was forced to retire from anxiety and to become secluded at sea; however, in memory of her stay on the lake, she left her heart, which in Kuril is Uchichi, also Nukhguni, that is, Navel, and in Russian the Heart-stone is called, which stands in the middle of the Kuril Lake and has a conical shape. Her path was the place where the Ozernaya River flows, which was caused by the occasion of this journey: for as the mountain rose from its place, the water from the lake rushed after it and paved its way to the sea.

Kurile Lake is surrounded by volcanoes. Its banks are steep and steep. Numerous mountain streams and hot springs flow here, and only the Ozernaya River flows out, which freezes for a short time in winter.

Kurile Lake is the deepest on the peninsula (306 meters). Its bottom is below the ocean level.

A similar legend is recorded about the origin of another lake - Kronotsky. It is the largest freshwater lake in the region. By area it exceeds Avacha Bay. The greatest depth is 128 meters. It arose due to the fact that the colossal masses of lava, poured out from the nearest volcano, blocked the valley through which the rapids of the noisy Kronotskaya river runs, and formed a dam. According to legend, the lake was formed because he moved to a new place of residence and on the way carelessly broke the tops of two hills. "Traces" of his feet, filled with water, turned into lakes. In particular, Kharchinskoye and Kurazhechnoye lakes, well-known to the inhabitants of the village of Klyuchi, belong to them.

In the lower reaches of the Kamchatka River lies the largest of the brackish lakes - Nerpichye, the remnant of the bay, which separated from the sea after the slow rise of the coast of the peninsula. Its depth is 12 meters. It consists of two lakes connected with each other, one of them is called Nerpichye, and the other - Kultuchnoe. The sea surf and the river took part in its origin. The name of the lake indicates that a sea animal is found here - a seal (a type of seal). Kultuchnoe comes from the Turkic word kultuk - lagoon.

Lagoon-type lakes are common on the western coast of the peninsula. They are formed at the mouths of almost all major rivers of the West Kamchatka Lowland. Lagoon lakes have an elongated shape.

The most numerous group of lakes are peat ones. Their concentrations can be found in the West Kamchatka Lowland, Parapolsky Dole and the coastal plains of the eastern coast. Such lakes, as a rule, are small, have a rounded shape and steep banks.

The lakes of Kamchatka are located at different heights above sea level and are heterogeneous in their temperature and water regime. They also have different freezing and opening times.

The greatest rise in the water level is observed in summer, when snow melts in the mountains. The height of the level of coastal lakes depends on the tidal sea currents. The largest amplitude of level fluctuations in the lagoons of the western coast reaches 4–5 meters. The lagoons and lakes of the sea coasts freeze in December - later than in the interior of the peninsula, and open in late May - early June, although some of them are cleared of ice only in July

The rivers of Kamchatka have enormous reserves of energy. Their abundance, high water content and mountainous nature create favorable conditions for the construction of hydroelectric power plants, but our rivers are mostly spawning grounds for such valuable fish species as salmon. And spawning grounds must be preserved.

The shallow lakes of Kamchatka, which warm up well, are used for breeding silver carp in them - a tasty and nutritious fish. Amur carp and sterlet are also bred here.

The largest rivers of Kamchatka are reliable transport routes. Goods, materials, equipment, construction timber are transported through Kamchatka, Penzhina and some others.

Published in a collection
"Kamchatka region. Articles and essays on geography"
(Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, - 1966).