Tourist topographic map of Kamchatka. Where is the Kamchatka River located? Kamchatka River: description, source, mouth, nature, flora and fauna Large rivers and lakes of Kamchatka

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 ridge (Pravaya Kamchatka River). Merging within the Ganal tundra, they give rise to the Kamchatka River itself. It flows north, but near the village of Klyuchi it sharply turns east and flows into the Kamchatka Bay, forming a wide mouth, the fairway of which is constantly changing.

Kamchatka - the only river edge, which has navigable significance. Currently, Kamchatka is used for shipping for 200 km. from the mouth. In the lower reaches, the depths on the reaches during low-water periods reach 5-6 m, on the rifts about 2 m.

The Kamchatka basin occupies the Central Kamchatka depression, between the Sredinny Range in the west and the Valaginsky Range in the east. Big sizes rivers are determined by the fact that more than 80% of its length falls on a flat bed. In the upper reaches the channel is mountainous and semi-mountainous, with numerous branches typical of Kamchatka rivers.

Within the flatbed there are several special and extremely intriguing areas. This is the famous Big Cheeks gorge, in which the river flows for 35 km and has almost sheer rocky banks, which can be the envy of any “promoted” canyon in North America. 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 species come to spawn salmon fish: pink salmon (Oncorhynchus gorbuscha), chum salmon (Oncorhynchus keta), sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka), coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch), chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha), brown trout (Salvelinus leucomaenis). A wide variety of fish of residential forms: char (Salvelinus), mykiss (Parasalmo mykiss), Dolly Varden (Salvelinus malma), grayling (Thymallus arcticus pallasi), carp species, even sturgeon.

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

The Kamchatka River is not only the most powerful waterway, but also the history of the region. Its valley has been densely populated since ancient times. The famous archaeologist N.N. Dikov, working in the valley, discovered ancient settlements. The greatest habitability of this river valley was also noted by Russian explorers. V. Atlasov in his “skasks” reported: “And as we sailed along Kamchatka, there were many foreigners on both sides of the river, great settlements.” The Cossacks sent on reconnaissance reported that from the mouth to the sea, in an area of ​​150 km, there were 160 forts, 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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Description of the map

Kamchatka region. Tourist map, GUGK 1986. The map was compiled and prepared for printing by factory No. 3. Editor V.D. Topchilova. Paper format 72x89 cm. Circulation 107900 copies. Scale is 1 cm. 2.5 km.

Reverse side of the plan

Legend

Description from the map

The Kamchatka region is located in the northeast of the Asian part of Russia. The region includes the Kamchatka Peninsula with the adjacent part of the mainland, the Commander Islands and Karaginsky Island. From the west it is washed by the Sea of ​​Okhotsk, from the east by the Pacific Ocean and the Bering Sea.

The Kamchatka region was formed on October 20, 1932 as part of the Khabarovsk Territory, and since 1956 it has been separated into an independent region of the RSFSR. Territory 472.3 thousand sq. km. The region includes the Koryak Autonomous Okrug.

Kamchatka is one of the links in the Pacific volcanic belt, which belongs to zones of active action of tectonic underground forces. These forces create mountains, cause earthquakes, tsunamis and volcanoes.

Kamchatka is distinguished by a variety of relief forms. The western part of Kamchatka is occupied by the Western Kamchatka Lowland, which turns into a sloping plain in the east and north. The central part of the peninsula is crossed by two parallel ridges - Sredinny and Vostochny, between them - the Central Kamchatka Lowland, through which the Kamchatka River flows. Within this lowland, the volcanoes of the Klyuchevskaya group rise. Among them is one of the highest active volcanoes in the world, Klyuchevskaya Sopka (4750 m). To the north of this group is the active Shiveluch volcano (3283 m). From the east, the lowland is limited by the steep ledges of the Eastern Range, which is a whole system of ridges: Ganalsky (up to 2277 m), Valaginsky (up to 1794 m), Tumrok (up to 2485 m) and Kumroch (up to 2346 m). Between Cape Lopatka and Kamchatka Bay there is the Eastern volcanic plateau (600-1000 m high) with towering cones of extinct and active volcanoes: Kronotskaya (3528 m), Koryakskaya (3456 m), Avachinskaya (2741 m), Mutnovskaya (2323 m.) Hills and others. This is the most interesting area, in which 27 of Kamchatka’s 28 active volcanoes, all geysers and the bulk of the hot springs are concentrated. The eastern coast of the peninsula is heavily indented, forming large bays (Kronotsky, Kamchatsky, Ozernoy, Karaginsky, Korfa) and bays (Avachinskaya, Karaga, Ossora and others). Rocky peninsulas protrude far into the sea (Shipunsky, Kronotsky, Kamchatsky, Ozernoy).

The Kamchatka region is characterized by a dense hydrographic network. The largest river Kamchatka is the main water artery, connecting the logging area and Agriculture region with the seaport of Ust-Kamchatsky. In the lower reaches the river is navigable. Most rivers begin in the mountains, where they are turbulent and swift. There are many lakes in the region, varied in origin. The most picturesque are volcanic lakes that formed in craters and volcanic depressions - calderas. The largest lake is Kronotskoye (area about 200 sq. km), the deepest is Kurilskoye (depth more than 300 m).

There are about 150 groups of warm and hot springs in Kamchatka, among them the only group of springs in the Russian Federation with a geyser mode of action, located in the Kronotsky Nature Reserve. The balneological properties of Kamchatka thermomineral springs have been known for a long time; resorts in Paratunka and Nachiki were built on their basis.

The climatic features of Kamchatka are determined by the proximity of vast expanses of water, which act as a moderator on seasonal temperature fluctuations. The climate of the region is maritime monsoon, more severe in the west than in the east. In the southern part it is maritime, in the center and in the north it is moderate continental. average temperature February in the west -15° C, in the east -11° C, in the central part -16° C. Summer here is short and cool with a large number foggy and rainy days.

The climate of Kamchatka is characterized by intense cyclonic activity throughout the year. Sustained strong winds often reach hurricane force. Cyclones carry abundant precipitation. Their largest number occurs in the area of ​​Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky and Paratunka and reaches 1200 mm. in year.

The highest parts of the mountains are covered with glaciers. The total area of ​​glaciation is 866 sq. km.

Short summers, strong long-lasting winds, loose volcanic soils and the peninsula’s isolated from the mainland, almost island position, left a unique imprint on the character of Kamchatka vegetation. Its species composition is relatively sparse, but still includes over 1000 flowering and fern plants.

Forests occupy 1/3 of the area, the remaining 2/3 are swamps, lowland and highland meadows, and char. White birch, Daurian larch, Ayan spruce, alder, Chozenia (Korean willow) grow here, and shrubs include cedar and alder. Of particular note is the graceful fir on the coast of the Kronotsky Bay, near the mouth of the Semlyachik River. They grow in the highlands dwarf species birch, willow, alder, in the depressions there is tall grass vegetation - annual shelomyk, reaching a height of 2.5 m and bear angelica, 3 m and higher. The northern flat part of Kamchatka, Parapolsky Dol, is treeless and has the character of a moss tundra. A narrow strip of tundra also stretches into low places west coast.

The fauna is represented by brown bear, reindeer, bighorn sheep, wolverine, fox, wolf, lynx, hare, arctic fox, Kamchatka marmot, ermine. Recently, elk were introduced into the Kamchatka valley. Various types of seals are found in coastal waters. Rookeries are located on the Commander Islands under the protection and supervision of scientists fur seal and one of the valuable fur-bearing animals - the sea otter (sea otter). Numerous flocks of seabirds fly to their summer nesting grounds. In summer, various types of salmon (chinook salmon, pink salmon, chum salmon, coho salmon) enter the rivers to spawn. Char is found everywhere in the rivers.

The territory of the region has been inhabited for a long time. This is evidenced by archaeological finds. The famous Ushkovskaya site of the Neolithic and Paleolithic eras gave scientists answers about the time of settlement of the Kamchatka Peninsula by people.

In the XVII-XIX centuries. Kamchatka was the main base in the Far East and the starting point of many famous expeditions that gave the world a number of geographical discoveries. In 1697-1699 Siberian Cossack V. Atlasov made a trip to Kamchatka, the result of which was the drawing up of a drawing (map) of Kamchatka and its detailed description. In 1737-1741 Kamchatka was studied by the Russian scientist S.P. Krasheninnikov, who presented the results of his observations in the work “Description of the Land of Kamchatka.” The First and Second Kamchatka expeditions in 1725-1730 are associated with the exploration of Kamchatka. and 1733-1743 under the leadership of the navigator officer of the Russian fleet, captain-commander V.I. Bering and his assistant Russian navigator Captain-Commander A.I. Chirikov.

The population of the region consists of Russians, Ukrainians, indigenous peoples - Koryaks, Itelmens, Evens, Aleuts, Chukchi.

The Kamchatka region is part of the Far Eastern economic region. Main industries: manufacturing building materials, forestry, woodworking and fishing.

The Kamchatka region is one of the important fishing areas. Main commercial fish: salmon, herring, flounder, cod, sea ​​bass, halibut, pollock. On the western shores of the Kamchatka region there is crab fishing.

Agriculture is developing in two directions: reindeer husbandry (northern part of the region) and meat and dairy cattle breeding and vegetable growing (southern and central parts of the region). Great importance has fur farming (sable, fox, otter, ermine, arctic fox) and cage farming (muskrat, American mink).

The first Pauzhetskaya geothermal power plant in the Russian Federation, as well as greenhouse complexes, were built on hot springs.

KORYAK AUTONOMOUS DISTRICT formed on December 10, 1930. Territory 301.5 thousand sq. km. It occupies the northern half of the Kamchatka Peninsula, the adjacent part of the mainland and Karaginsky Island. It is washed by the waters of the Okhotsk and Bering seas. The center of the district is the urban-type settlement of Palana.

The territory of the district is dominated by mountainous terrain; parts of the Sredinny Range, Koryak (up to 2562 m high) and Kolyma uplands are located here. The climate is subarctic. The average temperature in January is -24° -26° C, in July 10-14° C.

The leading place is occupied by the fishing industry, among the agricultural sectors - reindeer husbandry, hunting for fur and sea animals.

PETROPAVLOVSK-KAMCHATSKY. Administrative, industrial and Cultural Center Kamchatka region, seaport. Founded in 1740 by the Second Kamchatka Expedition led by V.I. Bering and A.I. Chirikov.

The city is located in a picturesque location. Steep hills, stone birch forests, beaches and bays of the ocean coast, the beautiful Avachinskaya Bay and the volcanoes framing it - all this creates a unique and rare combination of water and mountain landscapes.

Over the years, Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky has turned into one of the large industrial and transport centers of the Far East with a developed ship repair and fish processing industry, a base for the fishing trawl and refrigerated fleet. Here are the Institute of Volcanology of the Far Eastern Scientific Center of the Academy of Sciences (the only one in the country), the Kamchatka branch of the Pacific Research Institute of Fisheries and Oceanography, higher and secondary specialized educational institutions. There is a regional museum of local lore, a museum of Military Glory, and a regional drama theater. The city has many monuments associated with the heroic past of Kamchatka: V.I. Bering, Battle Glory in honor of the heroes of the defense of the Peter and Paul Port from the Anglo-French landings in 1854, a monument to the heroes of the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945. and others.

PALANA Administrative center of the Koryak Autonomous Okrug. Located on the western coast of the Kamchatka Peninsula. Monument to V.I. Lenin. Monument at the grave of Obukhov, the first chairman of the regional executive committee. Monument to fellow countrymen who died during the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945. Branch of the Kamchatka Regional Museum of Local Lore.

BERINGA ISLAND Expedition site of V.I. Bering in 1741-1742. Monument to V.I. Bering. Grave of V.I. Bering.

ELIZOVO(until 1924 - Zavoiko). Monument to V.I. Lenin. Monument to G.M. Elizov, commander of the partisan detachment. Monument to fellow countrymen who died during the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945. Museums: natural science "Kamchatles" and Military and Labor Glory (folk).

KRONOTSKY RESERVE Located in the central regions of Eastern Kamchatka on the slopes of mountain ranges descending to the coast of the Kamchatka and Kronotsky bays of the Pacific Ocean.

Area 964 thousand hectares. Created in 1934. The main task of the Kronotsky Reserve is to preserve the most typical areas of nature with their vegetation and animals, as well as rare natural objects, in their natural state.

The flora of the Kamchatka Nature Reserve includes more than 700 species of plants, including 60 species of trees and shrubs.

The most widely represented forests are stone birch, alder, willow, poplar, Chozenia (Korean willow), and Ayan spruce. On the coast of Kronotsky Bay, near the mouth of the Semlyachik River, a small grove (20 hectares) of relict graceful fir has been preserved. The mountain slopes and volcanic valleys are occupied by thickets of cedar and alder dwarf trees. Interesting is the lush tall grass up to 2-3 m, consisting of thickets of shelomaynka, groundsel, reed grass, underripe grass and other grasses.

There are 41 species of mammals in the fauna of the Kronotsky Nature Reserve: reindeer, bighorn sheep, Brown bear and others. Among the valuable species is Kamchatka sable. Ermine, otter, and squirrel are often seen. In coastal waters there are rookeries for sea lions, ringed seals, spotted seals, and sea otters. There are bird colonies on the coastal cliffs of the Kronotsky Peninsula.

In the gorge, at the bottom of which the Geysernaya River flows, is the main attraction of the Kronotsky Nature Reserve - the Valley of Geysers. There are many rivers and streams, thermal lakes, geysers, hot springs.

COPPER, ISLAND Monument at the grave of A.I. Chirikov. Monument at the grave of N.N. Lukin-Fedotov, a militia member of the Russian-Japanese War of 1904-1905.

MILKOVO Monument to V.I. Lenin. Monument to fellow countrymen who died during the Great Patriotic War of 1941 - 1945. Branch of the Kamchatka Regional Museum of Local Lore.

STARTINGS Balneological resort in the Elizovsky district, located near the picturesque Nachikinsky Lake, 2 km from the village of Nachiki. The main natural healing factor is thermal (about 83° C) nitrogen chloride-sulfate sodium water. The resort was founded in 1950. There is a bathroom and a healing pool with mineral water.

NIKOLSKOYE Monument to V.I. Lenin. Monuments to Vitus Bering. Branch of the Kamchatka Regional Museum of Local Lore.

PARATUNKA Balneotherapeutic mud resort in the Elizovsky district. Located in the upper reaches of the Paratunka River, near the village of the same name. The main healing factors are thermal (up to 61° C) siliceous alkaline springs and silt mud of the lake. Utinoye, located on the territory of the resort. There is a bathroom building with balneo- and mud-therapy departments, and an outdoor swimming pool.

There are 10 recreation centers and 16 pioneer camps in Paratunka.

Monument at the grave of G.M. Elizov, commander of a partisan detachment who died in 1922.

Digitized by Roman Maslov.

Kamchatka is a river on the peninsula with the same name. It is located in the northeast of Eurasia.

Kamchatka River (description)

The river is the largest on the peninsula of the same name, located on Far East Russian Federation. The source and mouth of the Kamchatka River are 758 kilometers apart. The area of ​​the river basin is 55,900 square kilometers. The source of Kamchatka is located in the mountainous central part of the Kamchatka Peninsula, namely, in the southern part of the Sredinny Range. Before connecting with the tributary Pravaya Kamchatka, the river is called Ozernaya. After the confluence with Pravaya, along the bank of the river until it flows into the bay of the same name, there is a highway connecting Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky with Ust-Kamchatsky.

Different sections of the river

The upper reaches of Kamchatka are typical for a mountain river: green waters flow in a stormy stream from the Ganalsky and Sredinny ridges. The current is so violent that it carries large stones over vast distances. These boulders form rapids and riffles on the river. Having passed by the village of Pushchina, entering the Central Kamchatka Lowland, the river calms down and becomes a flat stream. 80 percent of the length of Kamchatka lies on the plain. The width also becomes more impressive - from 100 to 150 meters near the village of Milkovo. The further downstream, the wider and fuller the river. The riverbed is winding, has many branches and oxbow lakes, and forms meanders. The river's floodplain is occupied by green meadows, fields, and forests.

Sometimes the forest comes very close to the river, forming a “green hedge”. In the lower reaches of Kamchatka, the latitude reaches 600 meters and the depth reaches 6 meters. In some places navigation is possible, but due to floods these areas change their position, which is very inconvenient. The Kamchatka River delta consists of many channels, which are separated by spits of sand and pebbles. IN different times of the year general form delta is changing. Where the river flows into the bay, it is joined by a channel flowing from the largest lake on the peninsula called Nerpichye.

Mountains on the river's path

As already mentioned, the Kamchatka (river) begins in the southern part of the Sredinny Range. It is formed, thanks to the waters of melted snowfields, in a deep, bowl-shaped gorge. Further it flows between two ridges - Middle and Eastern. The average height of the Sredinny Range is from 1400 to 1800 meters, the maximum height is 3621 meters. The average height of the Eastern Range is from 1200 to 1600 meters, and highest point- 2412 meters. Blocks waterway the huge volcano Klyuchevskaya Sopka. Going around it, the Kamchatka River then flows to the east. Where Klyuchevskaya Sopka is located can be understood from afar, thanks to the sparkling glaciers on the top of the volcanic mountain. Then, cutting through the Kumroch ridge, it flows through a narrow valley (the “Cheeks” gorge) and reaches the Pacific Ocean onto the coastal lowland, where it flows into the Kamchatka Bay, which belongs to the Bering Sea.

Big Cheeks Gorge

The flat bed of Kamchatka cuts through the Kumroch Mountains, passing through the Big Cheeks gorge. Its length is 23 kilometers and it ends 4 km from the former Nizhnekamchatsk. The river in this place gathers into one narrow channel, the flow speed increases. Previously, back in the 19th century, there was a fort here where the Itelmens, the indigenous people of the Kamchatka Peninsula, lived. And already in the next century, a fishing farm was formed here from the Lenin’s Path collective farm. The catch was supplied to a fish canning plant in Ust-Kamchatsk.

Hydrological regime

Kamchatka is a river that is one of the deepest. The average water consumption per year is 950 cubic meters per second. The river is fed primarily underground (35 percent), so rainwater easily passes through volcanic rocks and feeds groundwater. Snow nutrition is 34 percent and ranks second. Then comes the glacial and completely a small share(3 percent) is rainfall. The hydrological regime is characterized by significant floods in spring and summer, which occurs due to the melting of snow and glaciers in the mountains.

It is at this time that 50 to 70 percent of the total annual flow occurs. The flood consists of two waves. The first wave comes when snow melts in the valley, and the second comes from the melting of mountain snowfields. After the period of high water, low water begins, which includes September and October. During this period, the river is very full due to incoming groundwater and glacial waters. Next comes winter low water, which lasts approximately 180 days. The ice on the river appears in November, and the river breaks up in April or May.

Altitudinal zone

Since the river basin is located partly in the mountains, it has developed altitudinal zones. In the upper reaches of the rivers that flow into Kamchatka, mountain tundras are widespread.

In the upper reaches of Kamchatka itself, mainly white and stone birch grow, and dry meadows are common. In the middle reaches there are larch forests with an admixture of spruce (Ayan spruce and Okhotsk larch). In the lower reaches there are alder-willow forests and shrubs, the area is swampy.

Tributaries

In the Kamchatka River basin there are 7,707 tributaries, the total length of which is 30,352 kilometers. But at the same time, 7105 of them are rivers with a length of less than 10 kilometers. Most long tributary- Elovka River (242 kilometers).

It is followed by Kozyrevka (222 kilometers), Shchapina (172 kilometers), Tolbachik (148 km), Kitilgina (140 km), Kirganik (121 km), Bolshaya Khapitsa (111 km), Kavycha (108 km), Vakhvina Levaya, Andrianovka , Rainbow, Right Kamchatka.

The influence of volcanic activity on the river

The Kamchatka River Valley is located in a zone of increased seismic activity and volcanic activity. When eruptions of nearby volcanoes sometimes occur such natural phenomena, as they sat down, due to the sharp melting of glaciers.

In 1956, there was a catastrophic eruption of the Bezymianny volcano. powerful flow mud and stones merged with the Bolshaya Khapitsa tributary, which fed the Kamchatka River. A photo of that eruption shows how large it was, the explosion destroyed half the cone. Therefore, after the awakening of volcanoes, the river becomes most turbid. Another phenomenon is that in some areas the river does not freeze in winter due to the release of thermal waters.

Animal world

There is a lot of fish in the river, and valuable species of salmon spawn. Here you can find the following species from the salmon family: pink salmon, chum salmon, sockeye salmon, coho salmon, Chinook salmon, and kunja. Also found: char, mykiss, grayling, and Dolly Varden. Fishing industry is developed. The following species are found in the river basin: Siberian mustachioed char, Amur carp, silver crucian carp. Water tourists from Ust-Kamchatsk often raft along the river.

Kamchatka is a peninsula in the northeastern part of the Eurasian continent on the territory of the Russian Federation, stretching in the meridional direction for 1200 km, with a total area of ​​472.3 thousand km.

It is washed from the west by the Sea of ​​Okhotsk, from the east by the Bering Sea and the Pacific Ocean, and the rugged shores of the peninsula form large bays: Avachinsky, Kronotsky, Kamchatsky, Ozernoy, Karaginsky, Korfa, as well as bays: Avachinskaya, Karaga, Ossora, etc. In the central part peninsula there are two parallel ridges - the Sredinny Range and the Eastern Range, and between them is the Central Kamchatka Lowland, where the most big river peninsula - Kamchatka.

The main watershed is the Sredinny Range, where the rivers originate. From the western slopes of the Sredinny Range flow rivers belonging to the basin of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk, and from the eastern slopes of the ridge flow rivers of the Bering Sea basin or flowing into Pacific Ocean. The rivers of the peninsula are divided into: ridge, key and tundra. The ridge rivers are mountainous in nature, receive their nutrition from the melting of snow and glaciers, and are characterized by very high water content. Key rivers have low water flows and do not freeze in winter. Tundra rivers flow through swampy lowlands. Kamchatka rivers have slow self-purification processes, so the discharge of untreated Wastewater containing organic contaminants should be prohibited.

Over 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 have a length of over 300.

The largest rivers

The insignificant length of 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, rivers flow into the Sea of ​​Okhotsk, from outer slope Eastern - to the Pacific Ocean. And those that arise on the inner slopes of these ridges flow into the central valley, along the bottom of which the largest river of the peninsula, the Kamchatka, flows.

The rivers of our region, although shorter, are fuller than the rivers of the European part of the USSR: from each square kilometer of drainage area they receive 15–25 liters of water per second - almost twice as much as in Europe.

Types of rivers Based on the nature of the river flow, the regions are divided into several groups. The most common are mountain 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 receive most of their nutrition from groundwater. Some of these rivers flow throughout their entire length within the mountains, the other part only in the upper reaches.

In mountainous regions, rivers flow in narrow valleys with steep slopes. They, as a rule, have a fast rapids flow, and when they come out onto the plains, they are calm: they break up into numerous channels and branches, strongly meander (loop), forming many oxbow lakes. Near the sea, the flow of rivers is slowed by tidal waters. Their mouths often turn into long estuaries, which is especially typical for the west coast. When they flow into the sea, they usually form “cats” and “spits”; bars are observed at the mouths (bars are shoals 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. 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 pools only in the summer, when the snow melts. During the rest of the year, water seeps into loose volcanic rocks and rivers disappear from the surface of the earth. An example is Elizovskaya and Khalaktyrskaya.

River feeding- mixed. Most of it consists of groundwater and water obtained from melting snow in the mountains and valleys. The role of ground nutrition increases in low-water years, and snow nutrition, on the contrary, in high-water years. Rainfall nutrition 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 the fall, sometimes exceeding the spring flood in height.

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

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

Water content. Its main indicator for rivers is water flow. 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 it is ten times more. Water content also depends on precipitation and the nature of the underlying surface. For example, the Penzhina River has a much larger drainage area than the Kamchatka River, but its average annual flow is less.

Kamchatka River flows through the lowland located between the Middle and Eastern ranges. Having cut through the Kumroch ridge with a narrow valley - an area called “Cheeks” - it flows into the Kamchatka Gulf of the Pacific Ocean.

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

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

The further down you go, the wider and deeper it becomes. The wide floodplain along which the river laid its winding channel with many branches and 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 hedge. In its lower reaches, the Kamchatka River widens to 500–600 meters, and its depths range from 1 to 6 meters. Numerous rapids make the river fairway unstable. After large floods it changes its position. This greatly complicates navigation.

The river freezes in November and opens at the end of April - beginning of May. Among the numerous tributaries, the largest are Elovka, Tolbachik, Shchapina.

Along the banks of the river are the villages of Milkovo, Dolinovka, Shchapino, Kozyrevsk, Klyuchi, Ust-Kamchatsk, etc.

Kamchatka is the most important transport route of the peninsula. Passenger trams, boats, and barges travel along it. Shipping is carried out almost to Milkovo. IN large quantities the forest is rafted. Salmon fish enter the river and its tributaries to spawn.

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

Lakes of Kamchatka

There are over 100 thousand Kamchatka lakes, but their water surface area 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 have an area of ​​more than 100.

The lakes are varied and attractive. They often present a unique and amazing panorama.

Not far from the village of Semlyachiki there are remains of an old one. 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. This area contains a lot of springs, streams and small lakes. Many of them are filled with boiling water and constantly seethe, indicating the violent activity of the volcano. One of them is especially remarkable - Fumarolnoye. 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. The huge stone bowl of the volcano of the same name rises to a height of 2000 meters. It is very difficult to climb to the top. 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, drove 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 rise and fall of individual sections of the earth's surface - led to the formation of a number of lakes. Lakes of tectonic origin and Blizhnoe in the area of ​​the village of Paratunka and one of the deepest and the most beautiful lakes Kamchatka - Kuril.

The largest lakes

Thanks to invaluable work, the ancient, poetic legend of the Alaid volcano has reached us:

"...The aforementioned mountain (Alaid) stood before at the declared lake (Kuril); and since its height took away the light from all other mountains, they were constantly indignant at Alaid and quarreled with her, so that Alaid was forced to leave from anxiety and to go into solitude at sea; however, in memory of her stay on the lake, she left her heart, which in Kuril is Uchichi, also Nukhguni, that is, Pupkova, and in Russian it is called Heart-Stone, which stands in the middle of Kuril Lake and has a conical shape. Her path was the place where the Ozernaya River flows, which began on the occasion of this journey: for as the mountain rose from its place, the water from the lake rushed after it and made a road for itself to the sea.”

Kuril 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 briefly in winter.

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

A similar legend is recorded about the origin of another lake - Kronotsky. This is the largest freshwater lake areas. In area it exceeds Avacha Bay. Greatest depth- 128 meters. It arose due to the fact that colossal masses of lava, poured out from a nearby volcano, blocked the valley through which the rapids and 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. The “traces” of his feet, filled with water, turned into lakes. In particular, these include the Kharchinskoye and Kurazhechnoye lakes, well known to residents of the village of Klyuchi.

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

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

The most large group lakes are peat. Their clusters can be found in the Western Kamchatka Lowland, Parapolsky Dole and coastal plains east coast. Such lakes, as a rule, are small, have a round shape and steep shores.

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

The greatest rise in water level is observed in the summer, when the snow melts in the mountains. The height of the level of coastal lakes depends on tidal sea currents. The largest amplitude of level fluctuations in the lagoons of the west coast reaches 4–5 meters. The lagoons and lakes of the sea coasts freeze in December - later than in the interior regions 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 character create favorable conditions for the construction of hydroelectric power stations, but our rivers for the most part are spawning grounds for such valuable species fish like salmon. And the spawning grounds need to be preserved.

The shallow lakes of Kamchatka, which warm up well, are used for breeding silver crucian carp - 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, and construction timber are transported across Kamchatka, Penzhina and some others.

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