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The Kama River on the physical map. The Kama River is the main tributary of the Volga

The Kama River flows through the European part of Russia and is the left and largest tributary of the Volga. Its length is 1805 km. The pool area is 507 thousand square meters. km. The source of the river is located on the Verkhnekamsk Upland at an altitude of 330 meters above sea level. This is Udmurtia, the village of Kuliga. It is within its territory that springs flow from the ground, which give life to the great Ural river. And your long haul it ends at the Kuibyshev Reservoir on the Volga.

From the source, the water flow moves to the northwest, and after 125 km it turns to the northeast. In this direction it flows to the village of Loino, Verkhnekamsk district, Kirov region. This is about 200 km. And after this, the river makes a sharp turn to the south and carries its waters across the territory of the Perm Territory. At first, the water flow does not make an impression. It is narrow and winding. It overflows and becomes a high-water river after the confluence of the Pilva River, which carries its waters from the Komi Republic and has a length of 214 km.

Downstream the Vishera River flows into the Kama. This, like the Pilva, is a left tributary. It originates on the border of Komi and Sverdlovsk region. The length of its waterway is 415 km. At the mouth of the Vishera it spills up to 900 meters wide and makes the mighty Ural river even more full-flowing. Further, the left bank becomes elevated and steep, while the right bank remains low.

Kama River

Reservoirs

There are 3 large reservoirs on the river. The first one is Kamskoye. It originates from the confluence of the Urolka River. This is a small river stream 140 km long. It is a right tributary. The dam of the Kama Hydroelectric Power Station itself, which forms the reservoir, is located in the city of Perm. The length of the Kama Reservoir reaches 350 km. Its width is 14 km, and its largest great depth is 30 meters.

Next comes the turn Votkinsk Reservoir. It is formed by the dam of the Votkinsk hydroelectric power station. It is located in the city of Tchaikovsky. This is an administrative-regional center with a population of about 100 thousand people. The length of the Votkinsk reservoir reaches 365 km. The width is 9 km, and maximum depth equals 29 meters.

The next and last reservoir is called Nizhnekamsk. It is formed by the Nizhnekamsk hydroelectric power station, located near the city of Naberezhnye Chelny. Its length is 185 km. The width is 20 km, and the maximum depth reaches 22 meters. In May 2010, an accident occurred at the hydroelectric power station. As a result of the explosion in the turbine room, 2 people were killed and 10 more people were injured. This did not affect the operation of the hydroelectric station in any way.

Before the creation of the hydroelectric power station cascade, the flow speed in the mighty Ural river was 1.5 times higher than it is now. The reservoirs also changed the color of the water. She became darker. It is usually compared with Volga water, which is much lighter.

Kama River on the map

Mouth of the Kama

Before the Kuibyshev reservoir on the Volga was created, the Kama River at its confluence initially flowed parallel to the great Russian river. It was separated from it by a rocky ridge, the length of which reached 12 km. Nowadays there is no Kama estuary as such. The waters of the Kuibyshev Reservoir splash in this place. At the junction of two mighty rivers, it reaches its greatest width, which is almost 40 km.

Only after the confluence of the right tributary of the Vyatka are separate branches into which the Ural river will break up. But then they are absorbed by the waters of the reservoir. Thus, we can only talk about the lower reaches of the river, and not about its mouth, which in former times exceeded the Volga in width. And in general, it should be noted that the Kama is fuller. But it is not it that flows into the Caspian Sea, but the Volga. This is how it happened historically. Barge haulers and peasant uprisings are associated with the Volga. Therefore, the Ural River faded into the background, and the green street was given to a narrower and less full-flowing river.

Hydrological regime

The river is fed by snow, rain and underground. High water in March-June. It includes 60% of the annual flow. Freeze-up usually begins in the first ten days of November. The river is covered with ice until April. Spring ice drift lasts 2 weeks.

Shipping

The river is navigable from the mouth to Solikamsk. The official shipping route is considered to be the village of Kerchevo. It is located 60 km upstream from Solikamsk. Previously, this was the world's largest timber raid. It ceased operations in 1995. From Perm you can get by water to Moscow, Nizhny Novgorod, Astrakhan. The Kama River is famous for its picturesque banks. This attracts many tourists who want to experience wildlife. But the pristine environment is now heavily polluted by industrial waste.

“Discovering” a word means not only penetrating its meaning, but also at the same time comprehending the world of its ancient brother. “Kama” is a non-Russian word. But whose? What is the meaning behind it? Here's what the researchers write. The name of the word “Kama” in its origin comes from the tribes that lived in ancient times in the Kama region. The Komi-Zyryans call the Kama “Kama-Yas” - “bright river”, the Udmurts - “Budzhim-Kama” - “long, big river”, Chuvash - “Zhord-Adyl”, Cheremis - “Chelman-Vis”, Tatars - “Cholman-idel” and so on.

Geographical information about Kama

The Kama is a river in the European part of Russia, the left and largest tributary of the Volga River.

It ranks 6th in terms of length in Europe. Its length is 1805 km, the basin area is 507 thousand km². Originates in the central part of the Verkhnekamsk Upland from four springs at former village Karpushata, now part of the village of Kuliga, Kezsky district of the Udmurt Republic. Through the territory of the Perm region it flows in an easterly direction, and then turns south. More than half of its path the Kama flows through our region. It flows mainly between the heights of the High Trans-Volga region along a wide, sometimes narrowing valley. In the upper reaches (from the source to the mouth of the Pilva River) the channel is unstable and winding, on the floodplain of an oxbow lake. After the confluence of the river, the Vishera becomes a high-water river; the banks change: the right one remains low and is predominantly meadow in nature, the left one almost everywhere becomes elevated and in places steep. There are many islands in this area, and there are shoals and rifts. Below the confluence of the Belaya River at the Kama, the right bank becomes high and the left bank low.

In the lower reaches of the Kama flows in a wide (up to 15 km) valley, the width of the channel is 450–1200 m; breaks into sleeves. Below the mouth of the Vyatka River, the river flows into the Kama Bay of the Kuibyshev Reservoir (the backwater from which sometimes reaches the mouth of the Belaya River).

There are 73,718 rivers in the Kama River basin, of which 94.5% are small rivers less than 10 km long. The main tributaries on the left are South Keltma, Vishera with Kolva, Chusovaya with Sylva, Belaya with Ufa, Ik, Zai; on the right - Kosa, Obva, Vyatka. All the right tributaries of the Kama (Kosa, Urolka, Kondas, Inva, Obva) and some of the left ones (Veslyana, Lunya, Leman, South Keltma) are lowland rivers flowing from the north. Mountain, cold and fast-moving rivers originate in the Ural Mountains and flow into the Kama River from the left (Vishera, Yaiva, Kosva, Chusovaya and a number of their tributaries).

3 reservoirs and hydroelectric power stations have been created on the river: from the mouth of the Urolka River (996 km from the mouth of the Kama) the Kama Reservoir (Kama Hydroelectric Power Station) begins, immediately below it is the Votkinsk Reservoir (Votkinsk Hydroelectric Power Station), followed by the Nizhnekamsk Reservoir (Nizhnekamsk Hydroelectric Power Station).

Food is predominantly snow, as well as underground and rain; behind spring flood(March - June) more than 62.6% of the annual flow passes, in summer and autumn - 28.3%, in winter - 9.1%. The range of level fluctuations is up to 8 m in the upper reaches and 7 m in the lower reaches. Average consumption the Kamskaya hydroelectric station has 1630 cubic meters. m/sec, at the Votkinsk hydroelectric station about 1750 cubic meters. m/sec, at the mouth about 3500 cubic meters. m/sec, the largest is about 27,500 cubic meters. m/sec. Freezing is accompanied by abundant formation of inland ice and ice drift for 10 to 20 days. Freeze-up occurs from early November in the upper reaches and late November in the lower reaches until April. Spring ice drift from 2–3 to 10–15 days. The creation of reservoirs improved navigation conditions. The Kama is navigable to the village of Kerchevsky (966 km) - the largest raft roadstead, and in high water - another 600 km. Navigable depths on the lower Kama are maintained by dredging.

Main ports and marinas: Solikamsk, Berezniki, Levshino, Perm, Krasnokamsk, Tchaikovsky, Sarapul, Kambarka, Naberezhnye Chelny, Chistopol. From Perm there are regular passenger flights to Moscow, Nizhny Novgorod, Astrakhan and Ufa. The picturesque banks of the Kama attract a large number of tourists.

The river is inhabited by sterlet, sturgeon, bream, carp, crucian carp, asp, silver bream, ide, chub, bleak, pike perch, perch, ruff, pike, burbot, catfish, etc. In the upper reaches (and in places in tributaries) taimen and grayling are found. Aquatic vegetation is well developed, especially in numerous bays and backwaters.

Origin of the word "Kama"

Many languages of the world have the word “Kama”. For each nation it has its own meaning. It is known for certain that “Kama” is a non-Russian word. Let's try to analyze different points views on the origin of this word and its connection with the name of a large European river.

The origin of the name Kama is lost in the same unimaginable depths of human history, when peoples and their languages were united. Kama – in a number of Finno-Ugric languages means “river”. With the same meaning, but in a slightly different vocalization - kem, a whole series of hydronyms and toponyms are known on the territory of Eurasia. For example, there is a river called Kem in Karelia and Eastern Siberia. The Kema River flows into the protected Beloozero in the Vologda region. But with exactly the same “river” meaning, this root base is used by the Chinese and Mongols. Tuvans and Khakassians also call the Yenisei - Kem. In Altai Ak-Kem (“ White water") is a tributary of the Katun, and in the vicinity of the sacred Belukha Mountain there is a whole complex with the same name: two lakes, a melting glacier, a pass...

Similar hydronyms are found in Central Asia and Europe. At the same time, linguists claim that the root “kem” is of Indo-European origin. In this case, the name of the Ural Kama not only accidentally coincides with the name of the ancient Indian god of love Kama (after whom the treatise “Kama Sutra” is named), but also certainly has a common source of origin. One cannot help but remember Kamchatka...

Moving mentally in the footsteps of the ancient Indo-Europeans to Europe, we find similar place names here too: Cambridge (“City on the River”, and this river is called Cam) - in England; Quimper (from the Old Breton name meaning "Confluence of Rivers") - in France; Kemeri is an ancient settlement (and now a famous resort) on the site of a healing spring in Latvia. It is no coincidence, apparently, that one of the self-names of the ancient Egyptians - Kemi - is associated with the flood of the Nile. But that's not all. It is known that in ancient times a shaman in Rus' was called kam. The word was borrowed from the Polovtsians, who professed shamanism. Hence the word kamlanie, which has survived to this day - a ritual action of a shaman. Perhaps the ancient Aryan god of love Kama was once a shaman?

Humanity has compiled myths, fairy tales, and legends about the origin of the names of many geographical objects. The legend of the Komi-Permyak people is interesting.

About the origin of the main water artery of the Perm region - the Kama River, the legend says that once it rained all summer, and there was not a single sunny day. The rivers all overflowed, their banks collapsed, and the earth became liquid. People, animals and beasts were saved on high mountains. Only Kama the hero (mythological hero of the Komi-Permyak) people could move through the area flooded with water. He walked around all the surroundings and discovered that the flow of the rivers was blocked by a mountain that had collapsed from erosion. The hero lassoed a huge stone and dragged it through the dam, plowing the ground like a plow. A new channel was formed, water poured into it and a new river appeared - the mighty Kama, named after the hero.

The word “Kama” is also found in the ancient Indian language and means “love”. In ancient times there were huge connections Prikamye with Iran and India. Perhaps the word “Kama” was brought from there.

Kama, the most significant river in the Urals, a left tributary of the Volga. It was first mentioned in Russian chronicles in 1220. There are many explanations, and among them, for example, Kama is from the Old Russian “kama” - “stone”.

From the Zyryan-Permyak language it is translated as “fell strongly,” that is, “water that has a strong fall” (originally Kamva). But the Kama River is flat. Therefore, this assumption can be considered absurd.

It is no better to assume that Kama from the Udmurt “kam” means “long”, “long”, if only because in Udmurt “long”, “long” is not “kam”, but “kema”.

In the middle of the 19th century, the opinion was expressed that Kama was of the same origin as “Kommu” - “Komi Country”. This version was later repeated by many, but Professor V.I. Lytkin proved that the word “Komi” is related to the Mansi “hum”, “kum”, that is, “man” and has nothing in common with the hydronym Kama.

There are several other possible ways to explain this word. The Kama, like the Volga, is called by the Turkic peoples Idel - “river”, and since the names of large rivers often simply mean “River”, it may be that precisely this meaning is hidden in the toponym Kama. Then the name Kama is very ancient and is associated with some unknown language. The name of the Kama River also has the following interpretations: “Kama” is derived from the Udmurt word “kam”, which means “water”. According to another version, the name Kama is based on the Ob-Ugric (Khanty) “kam” - “transparent”, “pure”, that is, Kama - “Pure”.

The reasoning of Academician N. Marr is close in meaning. He suggested that the river was called ancient tribe who inhabited its shores. And translated into Russian, Kama means “white, bright, long and big river.”

Translated from Bulgarian “Kama” means “love”. But such an interpretation is unlikely to be connected with the name of the river.

Such reasoning cannot be ignored. Kama (German, singular Kamm, literally – ridge) are hills and ridges in areas of anthropogenic continental glaciation. They are found singly and in groups, mainly in the north-west of the European part of Russia (Karelia, Baltic states, Leningrad region). Height from 2–5 to 20–30 m. Composed of sands with lenses and interlayers of clays with inclusions of individual boulders and their clusters. It is characterized by enveloping layering, approximately following the contour of the transverse profile of the Kama River; the top is often covered with loams, often with boulders. The question of the origin of Kama is not entirely clear. According to one of the most common hypotheses, the Kama arose as a result of the accumulating activity of streams that circulated on the surface, inside and in the bottom part of large blocks of dead ice during the period of glacier degradation. Glaciers played important role in soil formation and relief formation of the Perm region. Therefore, the origin of the word “Kama” from the German “Kama” is quite plausible.

The Kama River is main tributary Volga, which carries into it the largest volume of water of all the watercourses included in it. Counts main river Western Urals, rightfully refers to the largest of the water streams flowing through the territory Russian Federation. It passes through the cities of Perm, Solikamsk, etc. In matters of the primacy of the Volga and Kama, hydrologists have an ambiguous opinion. Some experts claim that the Ural water flow appeared much earlier than the Central Russian one, and this is confirmed by geological research.

There is also evidence that the Kama basin is wider than the Volga, and there are more tributaries. Based on these facts, some scientific hydrologists are inclined to argue that the Volga is more likely a tributary of the Kama, rather than vice versa. However, the geographical development of the largest Volga tributary began much later, so leadership in this matter was given to the Volga. The name of the river comes from the Udmurt word “kam”, that is, “big” and is rooted in Finno-Ugric dialects.

The nature of the current is moderate, even slow, as it flows mostly through flat terrain. The length is 1805 km. This does not take into account reservoirs created already in Soviet period. If we take them into account, the total length will be over 2000 km. The area of the water basin is 507,000 km/sq. This figure is also one of the largest in Europe.

In the Udmurt Republic, near the village of Kuliga, there is the source of the Kama. A stream flows here, formed from four underground springs. This is the source of the Kama, where one of the greatest Russian rivers originates. Its flow ends at its confluence with the Volga.

Her path is quite complicated. From its beginning it flows to the northwest, after 125 km it turns to the northeast, this is another 200 km of travel. Then it makes another significant turn to the south, towards the Perm Region, where it flows through flat terrain.

At first the channel is narrow and winding, slow current, a small volume of water is not particularly impressive. But after the Pilva tributary, flowing from the Komi, flows into the Kama, it turns into a full-flowing river. And there is a reason. This watercourse is 214 km long and is a real full-fledged river with many of its own tributaries.

Downstream, the main water flow is supplemented by another tributary of the Kama, the Vishera, which originates from the borders of the Komi Republic. Its length is 415 km, and at the mouth it reaches a width of 900 m. Thanks to it, the Kama becomes even deeper. Regarding the significance of Vishera, some meticulous hydrologists also have complaints about the current Russian cartography. This is due to the fact that in terms of its full flow, the Vishera, at the confluence, significantly exceeds the Kama, which, according to existing geographical rules, classifies the Vishera as the main stream, and the Kama as an auxiliary stream, in fact making the latter a tributary of the Vishera.

Kama River on the Map of Russia

The map of the Kama River traces its progress throughout the Russian Federation. It passes through the Kirov region, Perm region, Bashkiria, Tatarstan, and Udmurtia. On the map of Russia, the Kama ends its journey in the Kama Bay, from where it goes to the Kuibyshev Reservoir.

Hydrology

The river, in addition to its tributaries, receives food from precipitation, rain, melting snow and bottom sources. The flood occurs from early spring and continues until the beginning of summer. Covered with ice from November to early April. Melting and movement of ice lasts 14 - 15 days. The water level fluctuates during this period by 7 - 8 m, which in some coastal areas leads to flooding, flooding and the expansion of the floodplain banks up to several kilometers. However, a significant increase in water during this period in a positive way affects wood rafting operations in the upper reaches.

Tributaries

Much has already been said about the main, largest tributaries. In total there are 73,718 water streams, 95% of them are small tributaries of ten to twenty kilometers.

The most significant, related to the right tributaries of the Kama:

Obva.
Inva.
Lysva.

Left - Lunya and Veslyana carry their waters from the plain. Most of the left tributaries of the Kama originate from the Ural Mountains; these are cold, fast streams:

Chusovaya.
Kosva.
Vishera.

Such a number of watercourses feeding the river makes it one of the largest inland water arteries Russia. Separately, the Vishera River should be noted - in terms of its full flow, the left tributary of the Kama is significantly superior to it, which, according to existing hydrological rules, classifies it as the main water flow, and the Kama as an auxiliary one, that is, in fact, it is a tributary of the Vishera.

Geography

In its upper course it flows around the Verkhnekamsk Upland and flows among mixed forests, swamps and fields. There are few settlements, mostly villages and hamlets. Industrial enterprises No. This fact has a positive effect on the ecological condition of the area. In this part you can only go down by rafting.

Larger settlements appear downstream, and accordingly, things begin to change for the worse and ecological situation. It is no secret that wherever humans appear, nature begins to lose its purity and environmental friendliness. Forest-steppe areas with predominantly deciduous trees begin to dominate the landscape.

With its length of 1805 km, the Kama ranks sixth among large European rivers. It flows mostly through the Perm Territory on flat terrain. Its path passes mainly among the High Volga hills. The entry of Vishera into it makes it more full-flowing, the coastal landscape and types of vegetation change.

The right bank remains flat with meadows covered with lush vegetation, while the left bank is predominantly elevated, with cliffs. This segment is characterized by the presence of many rifts. From the place where the Belaya River flows, the banks sharply change their characteristics, the right side becomes steep, and the left, on the contrary, becomes flatter.

The Lower Kama flows along a fifteen-kilometer flat section, in this area the most wide place of the Kama River, sometimes reaching 450 - 1200 m, the main flow is divided into many branches.

Even during the existence of the USSR, three large reservoirs and hydroelectric power stations. This is Kamskoye with the hydroelectric power station of the same name, located 996 km from the mouth of the Kama, then Votkinskoye, followed by Nizhnekamskoye and the hydroelectric power station of the same name.

The construction of these hydraulic structures significantly increased the level of navigation capabilities. Along the current you can climb 1000 km to the village. Kerchevsky, and during the period big water» the waterway is extended by 600 km. In addition, in the lower section of the river the bottom deepens, which also contributes to the development of navigation.

The source of the Kama is located near the Udmurt village of Kuliga and is formed from four springs that form a stream, from which, in fact, the largest water stream in the Urals is born. In its upper part it has a winding channel with numerous oxbow lakes in the floodplain. It gains the greatest strength after the confluence of the Vishera. However, there is a controversial issue in this matter as to which of the rivers is the main one and which is the tributary. There is an opinion that the tributary is not the Vishera, but the Kama and, in general, the main Russian river should be the Vishera. Supporting facts and evidence have been presented previously.

Mouth of the Kama

Before the creation of the Kuibyshev reservoir, both rivers, the Kama and the Volga, were separated from each other by a twelve-kilometer rock ridge. Today, here, at the junction of two rivers, the width of the reservoir reaches 40 km.

The mouth of the Kama was previously much wider than the Volga. It should be noted that the river itself is much deeper than the Volga, but, nevertheless, it is not the Kama that flows into the Caspian Sea, therefore the title of great does not belong to it. Moreover, almost all known historical events that took place in Russia, peasant uprisings, barge haulers, are connected specifically with the Volga.

Ecology

The ecological situation in this region, like most rivers in Russia, is quite complex and ambiguous. In the upper reaches, which are sparsely populated, the water is clean. Starting from the mouth of the Vishera, where cities and factories are located, environmental problems arise.

Waste from enterprises and human activity pollutes the river. In addition, the tributaries flowing into it are themselves already quite littered. Data from studies of water taken by hydrologists in the Perm region showed the level of river pollution of about 100 kb/m per day. Moreover, the amount of waste only increases, while the level of cleaning remains unchanged, that is, none.

Thanks to such a barbaric attitude towards the ecological state of the largest Russian river, it has become one of the most environmentally unfavorable in Russia, and its condition is approaching catastrophic, truly threatening people’s lives. The most dangerous situation has developed in industrial areas Solikamsk, Bereznikov, Perm, where an increased content of phenols, petroleum products and heavy metal compounds was noted in the water.

Despite such a threatening ecological state of the river, there are still fish in it, including such valuable commercial species as sterlet, sturgeon and many others. IN clean waters taimen is found in the upper reaches. There are a lot of plants in the bays, of which there are many.

Alloy

The timber is floated in the upper section of the river. Starting places are determined depending on the depth of water. According to the rules that have been established over the years, rafting is usually carried out as far upstream as possible, since in the lower part the channel is given over to regular navigation.

Traditionally, it is considered a Volga tributary. However, based on the results of hydrological studies, scientists have come to an unequivocal conclusion - when two streams combine, the Volga becomes a continuation of the Kama until it flows into the Caspian Sea. The main proof of this fact is the 40% larger volume of Kama water in the area where the rivers join.

An equally interesting fact is that the Kama itself is a continuation of Vishera for the same reasons as in the case of the Volga. The Vishera is a taiga river that originates on the western slopes of the Ural Mountains. Official hydrology recognizes it as a tributary of the Kama. However, the level of its fullness significantly exceeds that of the Kama, based on this, according to all accepted rules, it is the main river. But, due to the fact that the Kama River is already marked on the maps as the main one, cartographic changes will not happen soon.

The longest bridge in Russia was built on the Kama River, in Tatarstan. Its length is 13967 m. This includes 1608 m directly across the Kama plus 549.9 and 69.8 m, respectively, through the Arkharovka and Kurlyanka rivers.

Fishing spots

The river itself, together with all its tributaries, is a fertile place for fishing lovers. Moreover, you can fish using all permitted means. You can catch carp, sterlet, crucian carp, pike perch, ruff, and perch using a fishing rod and net. Sturgeon are also found here.

For lovers of comfort and fishing rods, recreation centers, dispensaries, and fishing farms have been built on the coast. Due ecological condition rivers best place for recreation with a fishing rod there will be its upper reaches.

Fishing enthusiasts conditionally divide the Kama into three sections:

From source to mouth Veslyana is Upper, where the current does not manifest itself in full force. The fishing here is good for bleak, roach, chub and pike. With the onset of cold weather, you can catch burbot. Experts say that grayling and taimen are caught in the upper reaches. From the mouth of Veslyana to the Kama Reservoir - the middle section. The river here is widening, getting deeper, in the best possible way affects the number of fish. The greatest depth in this place of the river reaches 30 m, according to the Kama depth map.
Average. Incoming watercourses make it even more full-flowing. Here, in addition to other fish species, pike perch, white-eye, carp, sterlet, and nelma are added. The channel becomes wider and the bottom deeper. But the current becomes slower.
The lower section goes from the Kama reservoir to the Kuibyshev reservoir. Of great interest is fishing in artificial reservoirs, which are in abundance here, as well as the fish themselves. You can only fish during seasons determined by the fisheries authorities and only with a fishing rod. Fishing with nets on the river, especially in reservoirs, is prohibited.
The Kama River on the map of Russia.

The Kama is one of the ten largest watercourses in Europe. The word “kam” itself can be translated from the Udmurt language as “big river”. The Kama collects its waters from a huge area (520 thousand square kilometers). This territory is comparable in size to such European countries like France or Spain.

Many people are interested in the question of where is the source of the river? Kama, according to geographical studies, begins in Udmurtia and flows into the Kuibyshev reservoir of the Volga.

general characteristics

One of largest rivers Europe originates and flows within Russia. The total length of the Kama is 1805 km, and the area of its basin is about 520,000 square meters. km. The river flows through five modern regions of the Russian Federation: Udmurtia, Kirov region, Perm region, Bashkortostan and Tatarstan. Several large and famous cities of the country have grown on the banks of the Kama: Solikamsk, Perm, Naberezhnye Chelny and others.

Like any other lowland river in Europe, the Kama is fed mainly by rain and melted snow waters. Its bed freezes around mid-November and opens in early April. The average water flow in the mouth area is over 4000 cubic meters. At the Kama, hydrologists counted about 75 thousand tributaries of varying lengths.

The name of the river most likely comes from the Udmurt word “kam” (“big river”). From him, according to one theory, the name of the Komi people came.

source and mouth

Kama in Lately is increasingly becoming a subject of dispute between Russian and foreign geographers. Not everyone agrees to consider it. But more on that a little later. Let's consider where is the source of the river?

The Kama originates from springs in the vicinity of the village of Kuliga, Kez district of the Udmurt Republic. In its upper course, the river is a small stream flowing through numerous fields and meadows. At first it flows strictly north, then changes its direction to the east, and then sharply turns to the south. Gradually, the Kama gains strength and becomes a very full-flowing river.

The mouth of the Kama in the middle of the last century was flooded by the waters of the large Kuibyshev reservoir.

The source of the Kama River is located at an altitude of 330 meters above sea level, and its mouth is at an altitude of 35 meters. Thus, the watercourse decreases by almost 300 meters along its long path. At the same time, it is small and amounts to 0.11 m/km.

Kama or Volga: who is more important?

Which river in this or that river system can be considered the main one? It is quite difficult to answer this question. To determine the main river, not only the total length of watercourses is taken into account, but also a number of other parameters:

catchment area;
river water content;
number of tributaries;
age of the river valley;
source height, etc.

Even the color of the water in the two rivers is taken into account, as well as the angle at which they merge.

If we take into account all the above hydrological factors, then the Kama will be correctly considered the main river in its river system. In other words, it is the Kama, not the Volga, that flows into the Caspian Sea near Astrakhan.

Why did geographers make such a serious mistake? Here main role The historical and cultural factor played a role. The Volga has long been perhaps the main natural symbol Russia, its shrine. For Russians, this river is as sacred as the Dnieper for Ukrainians or the Ganges for Hindus. Besides economic importance The Volga is much more significant than the level of development of the Kama.

By the way, this is far from the only case in the world when the wrong watercourse is called the main one. Another similar example- American and Mississippi.

The source of the Kama River as a tourist site

In the Kez region, far from civilization, there is a small village of Kuliga. The settlement is famous for the fact that it is home to a large community of Russian Old Believers. Another attraction of the village is natural. It is in the vicinity of Kuliga that the source of the Kama River is located.

“There, from a tiny spring - the Kama - a river grew!” - this is how the Perm poet Boris Shirshov described this place. Kama really starts from a spring. A powerful stream of cool and tasty water bursts out of the iron pipe, and a small stream with a cheerful murmur rushes on its long path.

The source of the Kama River is refined and well-groomed. Nearby there is a cozy square and a small stone stele with the appropriate inscription: “Here the Ural River Kama originates.” Nearby there is a tiny bridge across the riverbed. Visiting tourists love to take pictures in this place, standing with their feet on two different banks of the great Russian river.

Conclusion

The Kama is considered the largest tributary of the Volga. However, not all geographers agree with this formulation. Some are sure that it is not the Kama that flows into the Volga, but quite the opposite.

Where is the source of the river? The Kama is born in Udmurtia, near the village of Kuliga, flows through the territory of five regions of Russia and flows into the Kuibyshev reservoir of the Volga, located near Kazan.

Kama- river of the basin, the largest tributary. It flows through the territory of the Udmurt Republic, the Kirov region, the Perm region, the republics of Bashkortostan and Tatarstan. (Udmurt name Kam - river, current; Tatar Chulman)

The Kama River is located in the central part of the Verkhnekamsk Upland near the village of Kuliga, Kez district of the Udmurt Republic. The Kama River is located just below the confluence of the Vyatka River into it near the village of Grakhan, Mamadyshsky District of the Republic of Tatarstan, here the Kama flows into the Kama Bay of the Kuibyshev (Samara) Reservoir.

The length of the Kama River is 1805 kilometers, its length ranks 6th in Europe, area drainage basin- 507000 km 2. The total fall of the Kama River from source to mouth is 247 meters, the slope is 0.14 m/km.

“Along the Kama River...” on Yandex.Photos

Settlements.

The Kama River flows through the territory of five constituent entities of the Russian Federation: the Kirov region, the Perm region, the republics of Udmurtia, Bashkortostan and Tatarstan. The largest settlements located on the banks of the Kama - the cities of Solikamsk, Perm, Krasnokamsk, Sarapul, Naberezhnye Chelny, Elabuga, Nizhnekamsk.

Driveways.

The Kama River is accessible along almost its entire length, starting from its source at the village of Kuliga, Kez district of the Udmurt Republic.

The Kama is navigable for 966 kilometers from the mouth to the village of Kerchevsky, Cherdynsky district, Perm Territory, and another 600 kilometers into high water. Major ports and piers on the Kama: Chistopol. Naberezhnye Chelny, Kambarka, Sarapul, Tchaikovsky, Krasnokamsk, Perm, Levshino, Berezniki, Solikamsk.

The railway passes through Naberezhnye Chelny, Sarapul, Votkinsk, Perm, Tchaikovsky, Krasnokamsk, Berezniki, and Solikamsk.

Main tributaries.

There are more than seventy-three thousand rivers in the Kama basin. About 95 percent of them are less than 10 kilometers long.

The largest left tributaries of the Kama are the South Keltma (172 km), Vishera (415 km), Chusovaya (592 km), Belaya (1430), Ik (571 km), Lupya (135 km), Porysh (131 km), Veslyanka ( 266 km), Pilva (214 km), Yaiva (304 km), Kosma (283 km), Bui (228 km).

The largest left tributaries of the Kama are Kosa (267 km), Urolka (140 km), Inva (257 km), Obva (247 km), Siva (206 km), Izh (259 km), Toima (121 km), Vyatka ( 1314 km).

Relief and soils.

The Kama River carries its waters mainly between the highlands of the High Trans-Volga region along a wide valley, which narrows in places.

The soils in the Kama basin in the upper and middle reaches are sod-podzolic, sod-podzolic ferruginous, podzolic, illuvial-humus-ferruginous and ferruginous. In the lower reaches the soils are gray forest. The parent rocks are clayey, loamy, sandy and sandy loam.

Vegetation.

In the upper and middle reaches of the Kama River basin, the vegetation is represented by dark coniferous grass-shrub southern taiga Cis-Ural spruce-cedar-fir forests, pine mid- and southern taiga Northern European forests, dark coniferous shrub green-moss mid-taiga Cis-Ural spruce-fir-cedar forests.

In the middle and lower reaches of the Kama River, the territory of its basin is covered with broad-leaved-dark-coniferous Volga spruce-fir forests with pedunculate oak and linden, and broad-leaved Eastern European oak forests. In the south there are meadow steppes and steppe meadows (forest-steppe) of the Trans-Volga region with oak forests.

In numerous bays and backwaters of the Kama River, aquatic vegetation is well developed.

Hydrological regime.

The Kama River is fed mainly by melting snow, as well as groundwater and rain. In March-June, during a clearly defined spring, more than 62% of the annual flow passes, in the summer-autumn period with rain floods it accounts for more than 28%, in the winter with stable low water - about 9%. In the southern regions of the basin, the share of melt water in the runoff reaches 80%, in the upper reaches it is 60–65%. On average, 25-35% of the annual runoff is formed by groundwater.

In the upper reaches of the Kama, the amplitude of water level fluctuations reaches 8 meters, in the lower reaches - 7 meters. The average water flow at the Kamskaya HPP is 1.63 thousand m³/sec, at the Votkinsk HPP about 1.75 thousand m³/sec, at the mouth about 3.5 thousand m³/sec, the highest is about 27.5 thousand m³/sec .

On the Kama it occurs from the beginning of November in the upper reaches and the end of November in the lower reaches until April. In spring it lasts from 2-3 to 10-20 days. During freezing, abundant formation occurs.

In the upper reaches, the channel of the Kama River is unstable and winding; there are many oxbow lakes on the floodplain. After the confluence of the Vishera, the Kama becomes a high-water river. After the mouth of the Urolka River, the Kama Reservoir begins, followed by the Votkinsk Reservoir. In the lower reaches of the Kama there is a wide valley of up to 15 kilometers, the width of the river reaches 450–1200 meters. In some places the river breaks into branches.

Below the mouth of the Vishera, the right bank is low and predominantly meadow; the left bank almost everywhere becomes elevated and in places steep. In this section of the Kama there are many islands in the riverbed, and in some places there are rifts and shoals. After the Belaya flows into the Kama, the right bank becomes high and the left bank low.

Water quality.

Currently, the Kama River is quite heavily polluted by industrial wastewater.

According to the Kama Basin water management As of 2011, water quality in many sections of the Kama River (the cities of Berezniki, Perm, Krasnokamsk, Tchaikovsky) does not meet the standards provided for reservoirs of fishery importance.

The most common pollutants include petroleum products, ammonia nitrogen, phenols, compounds of manganese, iron, copper, difficult-to-oxidize organic substances (COD), their concentrations in surface waters consistently exceed the maximum permissible concentrations for water bodies of fishery importance, most often in the range from 1 to 5 MAC/x.

The presence of iron and manganese compounds in the waters of the Kama River is associated with the local hydrochemical background and the influence of anthropogenic factors. On the territory of the Perm Territory, the concentrations of total iron, manganese and difficult-to-oxidize organic matter(according to COD) in all sections of the state network, as a rule, is higher than the maximum permissible concentration.

In the Kirov region, near the village of Afanasyevo, in the waters of the Kama River, characteristic pollutants are characterized by hard-to-oxidize organic substances in terms of COD, the frequency of their concentrations above the maximum permissible concentration was 86%, petroleum products - 71% and iron - 57%. Unstable pollution with nitrite and ammonium nitrogen.

The average annual concentrations of petroleum products, iron and organic substances by COD value are 1.5-1.6 times higher than the MPC.

The highest concentrations of pollutants: formaldehyde - 2.0 MPC, petroleum products - 2.6 MPC, hard-to-oxidize organic substances in terms of COD - 2.3 MPC, total iron - 3.0 MPC.

IN Perm region in the village of Tyulktno the average annual concentrations for manganese exceed 8 MPCs and for iron - 7 MPCs. In 2011, the average annual level of pollution of the Kama River with phenols increased from 1 to 2 MPC, copper compounds and petroleum products did not exceed the MPC. The value of the specific combinatorial index of water pollution (SCIWP) was 2.73, which characterizes the water of the Kama River near Tyulkino as “polluted”, quality class 3, category “a”.

Ichthyofauna.

The ichthyofauna of the Kama River is represented by the following types of fish: sterlet, sturgeon, pike, carp, bream, pike perch, crucian carp, asp, catfish, silver bream, chub, bleak, ide, perch, burbot, ruff. In the upper reaches and tributaries of the Kama River there are also taimen and grayling.

Economic importance.

3 reservoirs and hydroelectric power stations were created on the Kama River.

From the mouth of the Urolka River, 996 kilometers from the mouth of the Kama, the Kama Reservoir begins with the Kama Hydroelectric Power Station near Perm, its area is 1810 km 2. Below the Kamskoye reservoir is the Votkinsk reservoir with the Votkinsk hydroelectric power station in the city of Chaikovsk, its area is 1120 km 2. After the Votkinsk reservoir, the Nizhnekamsk reservoir begins with the Nizhnekamsk hydroelectric station near Naberezhnye Chelny, its area is 1080 km 2.

The creation of reservoirs has significantly improved the navigability of the Kama River. It is navigable to the village of Kerchevsky at 966 kilometers. IN Soviet times here was the world's largest mechanized logging raid.

The main ports and marinas on the Kama: Chistopol. Naberezhnye Chelny, Kambarka, Sarapul, Tchaikovsky, Krasnokamsk, Perm, Levshino, Berezniki, Solikamsk.

By waterways The Kama connects with the Volga rivers, Yandex.Photos

Regular cruise and passenger flights to Moscow, Nizhny Novgorod, Yaroslavl, Astrakhan, Rostov-on-Don, Ufa and others begin from Perm. There are also weekend cruises to Tchaikovsky.

The considerable length of the Kama River provides many options for have a nice rest. The upper reaches of the river are most interesting for active rest and alloy. You can go upstream on boats, motor boats, water cannons, and scooters.

Many different recreation centers, fisheries, tourist centers and dispensaries have been built along the banks of the Kama.

The development of the Kama River and its coast has its own history. On the banks of this river in different years there have been a large number of significant historical events. Holidays on the Kama River provide the opportunity to visit various historical places.

Every summer the Kama Cup sailing regatta takes place on the Kama River.

Reference Information.

Name: Kama

Length: 1805 km

Basin area: 507 thousand km²

Pool: Caspian Sea

River basin: Volga

Water flow: 3500 m³/sec. (near the mouth)

Slope: 0.14‰

Source: Kuliga village, Kezsky district, Udmurt Republic

Altitude: 300 m

Coordinates: