The largest reservoir is located on the river. Where is the largest reservoir in Russia

Reservoir- artificial reservoir, created for the accumulation and subsequent use of water and flow regulation.

Reservoirs began to be built in ancient times to provide water to the population and agriculture. One of the first on Earth is considered a reservoir with a dam Sadd el Kafar, created in ancient Egypt in 2950-2750. BC e. In the XX century. reservoirs began to be built everywhere. At present, there are more than 60 thousand of them on the globe; Several hundred new reservoirs are put into operation every year. The total area of ​​all reservoirs in the world is more than 400 thousand km 2, and taking into account dammed lakes - 600 thousand km 2. The total total volume of reservoirs has reached almost 6.6 thousand km3. many rivers the globe- Volga, Dnieper, Angara, Missouri, Colorado, Parana and others - turned into cascades of reservoirs. In 30–50 years, 2/3 of the world's river systems will be regulated by reservoirs.

Approximately 95% of the volume of all reservoirs in the world is concentrated in large artificial reservoirs with a total volume of more than 0.1 km3. Currently, there are more than 3 thousand such reservoirs. Most of them are located in Asia and North America, as well as in Europe.

In Russia, there are more than 100 large reservoirs with a volume of more than 0.1 km 3 each. Their total useful volume and area are, respectively, about 350 km 3 and more than 100 thousand km 2. In total, in Russia, there are more than 2 thousand reservoirs.

The largest reservoirs in the world in terms of area (excluding dammed lakes) are the Volta in Ghana on the river. Volta, Kuibyshevskoye in Russia on the Volga, Bratskoye in Russia on the Angara, Nasser (Sadd al-Aaoi) in Egypt on the Nile. The Volta, Nasser, Bratskoye, and Kariba reservoirs (on the Zambezi River in Zambia and Zimbabwe) have the largest useful volume (excluding dammed lakes).

Purpose of reservoirs

The construction and operation of reservoirs allows more rational use of water resources. The water accumulated in reservoirs is used for irrigation and watering of lands, water supply settlements and industrial enterprises, sanitary flushing of river channels, improving navigation conditions downstream during the dry period of the year, etc. With the help of reservoirs, river water flow is regulated for hydropower in order to prevent floods. Reservoirs are also used for fisheries, water transport, recreation (people's recreation), water sports.

According to the method of filling with water, reservoirs are dammed, when they are filled with water of the watercourse on which they are located, and bulk, when water is supplied to them from a nearby watercourse or reservoir. Bulk reservoirs include, for example, reservoirs of pumped storage power plants.

According to the geographical position, the reservoirs are divided into mountain, foothill, plain and seaside. The first of them are built on mountain rivers, they are usually narrow and deep and have a head, i.e., the amount of water level rise in the river as a result of the construction of a dam, 100–300 m or more. In foothill reservoirs, the pressure head is usually 30–100 m. Plain reservoirs are usually wide and shallow, the head height is no more than 30 m. Seaside reservoirs with a small (several meters) head are built in sea bays, estuaries, lagoons, estuaries.

Examples of high-pressure mountain reservoirs are the Nurek and Rogun reservoirs on the Vakhsh with a head height of about 300 m. Some reservoirs of the Yenisei and Angara cascades can be classified as foothill reservoirs: Krasnoyarsk (head height 100 m), Ust-Ilimskoye (88 m). Examples of lowland reservoirs are the reservoirs of the Volga and Dnieper cascades: Rybinskoe (pressure height 18 m), Kuibyshevskoe (29 m), Volgogradskoe (27 m), Kanevskoe (15 m), Kakhovskoe (16 m). Coastal reservoirs include, for example, the Sasyk lagoon desalinated by the Danube on the western coast of the Black Sea in Ukraine, the IJsselmeer reservoir in the Netherlands, formed as a result of separation by a dam from North Sea the Zuider Zee and its desalination by the waters of the Rhine.

According to the place in the river basin, the reservoirs can be subdivided into upstream and downstream. The system of reservoirs on a river is called a cascade.

According to the degree of river flow regulation, reservoirs can be regulated for many years, seasonally, weekly and daily. The nature of flow regulation is determined by the purpose of the reservoir and the ratio of the useful volume of the reservoir and the magnitude of the river's water flow.

Main characteristics of reservoirs

For the description of reservoirs, the same indicators apply as for lakes. Of the morphometric characteristics of the reservoir, the most important are its surface area and water volume. The shape of the reservoir is determined by the nature of the depression filled with water earth's surface. Hollow reservoirs usually have a lake-like shape, while valley reservoirs are elongated. Many valley reservoirs expand towards the dam, have indented banks and numerous bays (flooded mouths of tributaries).

Any reservoir is calculated for the accumulation of a certain volume of water during the period of filling and for the discharge of the same volume during the period of its drawdown. The accumulation of the required volume of water is accompanied by an increase in the level to a certain optimal value. This level is usually reached by the end of the filling period, can be maintained by the dam for a long time and is called the normal backwater level (NSL). In rare cases, during high floods or large floods, a temporary excess of FSL by 0.5–1 m is allowed. This level is called a forced retaining level (FSL). The maximum possible decrease in the water level in the reservoir is the achievement of the dead volume level (DLL), the drawdown of the water volume below which is technically impossible at all.

The volume of the reservoir below the ULV is called the dead volume (DL). To regulate the runoff and periodic drawdown, the volume of the reservoir is used, located between the ULV and the FSL. This volume is called the usable volume (PV) of the reservoir. The sum of useful and dead volumes gives the total volume, or reservoir capacity. The volume of water enclosed between the NPU and FPU is called the reserve volume.

Several zones are distinguished within a dammed valley reservoir: a zone of variable backwater, upper, middle, and lower.

The impact of reservoirs on river regimes and the environment

The main impact of reservoirs on rivers is flow regulation. In most cases, it manifests itself downstream in a decrease in water runoff during floods (its “cutoff”) and an increase in runoff during a low-water period of the year (during low water). Seasonal regulation of runoff by reservoirs leads to a smoothing of fluctuations in water levels below the reservoir during the year.

Below the reservoirs is completely transformed water regime rivers, the nature of floodplain flooding, channel processes, the regime of river mouths, etc. are changing. In areas of insufficient moisture, the impact of reservoirs leads to the drying of river floodplains and deltas, which can cause serious damage to the economy. Drainage of floodplains in the zone of excessive moisture is, on the contrary, a positive phenomenon that contributes to their economic development.

Just like lakes, reservoirs slow down water exchange in the hydrographic network of river basins. The construction of reservoirs led to an increase in the volume of land water by approximately 6.6 thousand km 3 and a slowdown in water exchange by approximately 4–5 times. Water exchange has slowed down the most in the river systems of Asia (by 14 times) and Europe (by 7 times). For the rivers of the former USSR, the reservoirs increased the average residence time of water in river systems from 22 to 89 days, i.e., 4 times. After the construction of a cascade of reservoirs, water exchange in the basins of the Volga and Dnieper rivers slowed down by 7–11 times.

The construction of reservoirs always leads to a decrease in both water runoff due to an increase in water intake for economic needs and additional losses due to evaporation from the surface of the reservoir, and the runoff of sediments, biogenic and organic matter due to their accumulation in the water.

As a result of the construction of reservoirs, the surface covered with water increases; since evaporation from the water surface is always greater than from the land surface, evaporative losses also increase.

Under conditions of excessive moisture (for example, in the tundra), evaporation from the water surface slightly exceeds evaporation from the land surface. Therefore, with excessive moisture, the construction of reservoirs has practically no effect on reducing the water flow of rivers. In conditions of insufficient moisture (for example, in the steppe zone), and especially in arid climate conditions (in deserts and semi-deserts), the construction of reservoirs leads to significant losses of river water flow for additional evaporation.

The degree of decrease in river flow as a result of the construction of reservoirs increases across the territory of the European part of Russia from north to south.

In all reservoirs of the world at the end of the twentieth century. 120 km 3 of water per year were lost to evaporation, i.e. about 3% of the flow of all rivers in the world. The greatest losses of river runoff are characteristic of the reservoirs Nasser (8.3 km 3 / year) and Volta (4.6 km 3 / year).

At the same time, reservoirs serve as powerful absorbers of nutrients and pollutants due to the processes of their decomposition and sedimentation. However, this positive impact of reservoirs on water quality can occur only with the correct operation of the reservoir, under the condition of limiting the anthropogenic load on water quality and carrying out environmental protection measures in the catchment area of ​​the reservoir. In some cases, reconstruction of the reservoir itself is also required.

As a result of the construction of reservoirs and the deposition of river sediments in them, their runoff is significantly reduced. Reservoirs act as "traps" for river-borne sediment. The deposition of small (suspended) sediments in reservoirs is called siltation of the reservoir, the deposition of large (drawn) sediments is called its entry. According to some modern estimates, in the twentieth century. The sediment runoff of all rivers of the world decreased by 25% under the influence of reservoirs.

After the construction of reservoirs, the sediment runoff at the mouths of the Volga, Rioni, Danube, Kura and Mississippi rivers decreased by approximately 2 times, at the mouths of the Sulak, Tiber and Nile rivers by 8–10 times, at the mouth of the Ebro by 250 times (!). In the latter case, such a significant decrease in sediment runoff is explained by the proximity of large reservoirs to the mouth of the river.

A decrease in river sediment runoff due to their deposition in reservoirs can cause sediment imbalance in river mouths and stimulate partial wave destruction of the delta and adjacent seashores, as already happened in the 1970s. at the mouth of the Nile after the construction of the Aswan High Dam and the creation of the Nasser reservoir, as well as at the mouth of the Sulak after the construction of the Chirkey reservoir in 1974 and at the mouth of the Ebro after the construction of the Mekinens and Ribarroja reservoirs in 1964 and 1969. respectively.

Reservoirs have a noticeable effect on the thermal and ice regime of rivers. The most characteristic is the leveling effect of reservoirs on the water temperature in the river. Thus, on the Yenisei below the Krasnoyarsk Reservoir, the water temperature became 7–9°C in May–June and 8–10°C lower in July–August, and 8–10°C lower in September and 9°C higher in September than before. river regulation.

Reservoirs have a significant impact on natural conditions adjacent territories. The construction of large reservoirs leads to flooding of lands, an increase in the level of groundwater, which contributes to flooding and swamping of territories. Loss of land due to flooding is the most significant negative consequence of the construction of reservoirs. According to some estimates, the total area of ​​such flooding in the world is approximately 240 thousand km 2, which is 0.3% of land resources on land. The areas of flooding on the territory of the former USSR amounted to about 80 thousand km 2. As a result of the construction of reservoirs, the lake content of the territory of Russia increased to 4%.

It is obvious that the period of construction of large reservoirs, leading to large flooding of land, is over. IN Lately a clear preference is given to the construction of small reservoirs, in particular, in mountainous and foothill areas.

Reservoirs lead to a change in microclimatic conditions (levelling of intra-annual fluctuations in air temperature, increased wind, some increase in air humidity and precipitation), wave erosion of the coast.

After the construction of the reservoir, the soil and vegetation cover on flooded and flooded lands changes. It is believed that the influence of reservoirs extends to the adjacent territory, approximately equal in area to the reservoir itself. In addition, as a result of the construction of reservoirs, the conditions for the passage of many species of fish to spawn often deteriorate; water quality often deteriorates due to the occurrence of oxygen deficiency in the bottom layers in some periods of the year, the accumulation of salts and nutrients, and water bloom. It is also believed that the construction of reservoirs can lead to an increase in seismicity in mountainous areas (the additional weight of water accumulated in the reservoir increases internal stress in rocks, violates their stability and leads to earthquakes).

Thus, reservoirs have a rather complex and contradictory effect on both the regime of rivers and the natural conditions of adjacent territories. Giving an undoubted positive economic effect, reservoirs often cause very negative environmental consequences. All this requires that the entire complex of hydrological, physical-geographical, socio-economic and environmental aspects be taken into account more carefully when designing reservoirs. There is a need for ecological forecasting, which is impossible without the help of hydrology.

In this case, the activities carried out during the creation and operation of the reservoir are of great importance in order to prevent undesirable consequences and maximize the use of the positive effect from the creation of the reservoir. Such measures include: engineering protection against flooding of territories and objects (settlements, agricultural land, enterprises, bridges, etc.); resettlement of residents, relocation of enterprises, roads, etc., cleaning of the reservoir bed from forests and shrubs, creation of water protection zones; restoration of forest, fish, hunting and other resources; transport, fishery, recreational and other development of the reservoir, engineering arrangement of the water area and the coastal zone of the reservoir, etc.

V.N. Mikhailov, M.V. Mikhailova

Reservoirs - reservoirs created by human hands with the help of dams in the river valley, which serve to collect and retain water masses. More than 1,200 such structures have been built in our country. These data take into account only large reservoirs in Russia.

Characteristics of reservoirs

Buildings are of two types. The first includes lake reservoirs, which differ in the way water is accumulated. The current in them is created exclusively by the wind. Reservoirs on the rivers belong to the second group. They have an elongated shape and a constant flow. The main parameters of reservoirs are volume, surface area and level fluctuation during the year.

The organization of a new reservoir entails a change in the appearance of the river valley and its hydraulic regime in the backwater zone. The created dam has the greatest impact on the adjacent part of the reservoir. However, it is possible to see changes even at a distance of many kilometers.

All reservoirs in Russia have been prepared for flooding. Forests that fall into the designated flood zone are removed, freeing the banks. Residents of villages within the boundaries of the future reservoir are relocated, and the buildings themselves are dismantled. A lot of work is being done by hydrobiologists and ichthyologists who are preparing to restore fish populations.

The largest reservoirs in the country: Bratsk, Krasnoyarsk and Kuibyshev.

The role of reservoirs

The organization of the reservoir entails a number of negative consequences. The decrease in flood leads to the disappearance of spawning grounds for fish. Water meadows do not receive nutrients, which causes vegetation to suffer. The river slows down, which leads to increased formation of silt deposits.

The largest reservoirs in Russia are such on a global scale. The peak of construction fell on the period from 1950 to 2000. They were built for the following purposes.

• Getting electricity. Most cheap way workings.
• Irrigation of fields and creation of recreation areas in areas with water scarcity.
• Fish breeding.
• Water intake for the needs of the city.
• Shipping. With their help, flat rivers become suitable for the movement of ships.
• Rafting has become easier in some areas.
• Flood control in the Far East region.

Territory Russian Federation strewn with grandiose structures unevenly. There are an order of magnitude more of them in the European part than in the Asian. There are 13 of them in the basin of the Volga alone.

Gorky

The Gorky reservoir was chosen by lovers of fishing. Its tailwater is located in the Nizhny Novgorod region. In the dam area, its width reaches 12 km, and its depth is 22 m. The hydrological regime and composition of the reservoir are ideal for fish populations. In places filled with peat deposits in winter time freeze-ups occur. There is practically no current in the area of ​​the hydroelectric power station. Significant for aquatic fauna are waves and wind currents.

In winter, it drops by 2 m. Shallow waters are drained, causing freezing, freezing of the soil. Coastal plants suffer from this. IN spring period the reservoir is filled with meltwater. The level at this time fluctuates within 40 cm, but this is enough to disrupt the spawning of fish that need aquatic vegetation.

Freezing begins in November. In winter, a crust is formed up to a meter thick. According to the hydro regime, the Gorky reservoir looks like a lake with a weak current. In the mid-1950s, huge areas of fertile land located in the floodplain went under water. There was an outbreak of growth in the number of many aquatic animals, which received new spawning and feeding places. After a few years, populations of fish and other organisms began to decline.

Argazinskoe

Argazinsky reservoir - the largest reservoir Chelyabinsk region. Its length is 22 km, and its width exceeds 11 km. The deepest point is at a level of 18 m. The transparency of the water depends on weather conditions and is 3-8 m. The lake reservoir has over 45 skeletons, among which there is a natural monument with broad-leaved groves.

Argazi is located in the spurs of the Ilmensky mountains. The reservoir was created in 1942 by installing a dam on the river. Miass. It holds 980 million m 3 of water at a height of only 1.5 m. Juvenile fish, primarily whitefish and burbot, are released into the reservoir. Trophy specimens of fish weighing over 10 kg are periodically caught.

Water source for Chelyabinsk. Festivals are held on its banks and residents of the city spend their leisure time.

Volkhovskoe

The Volkhov reservoir was created in 1926 in the Leningrad region. Its width is 400 m, and the surface area is 2 km 2. Built for The catchment area is over 80 thousand km 2 . The reservoir has a lock for the passage of vessels with one chamber. The project was created by Lengydroproekt. The shores of the reservoir are rich in vegetation and are used by the townspeople for recreation.

Boguchanskoye

The Boguchanskoye reservoir began to fill up in the autumn of 1987 after the temporary channels in the dam were closed, through which the river flowed. The design level of 208 m was reached in 2015. There is a reservoir in the Irkutsk region on the river. Angara. The main purpose of the construction is the generation of electrical energy. The facility regulates the flow depending on the season, trying to keep the level difference within 1 m.

The mouths of many tributaries turned into huge bays. Some of them are over 10 km long. Freeze lasts 7 months, which does not touch the downstream of the hydroelectric power station. In this area, a polynya will remain for tens of kilometers. During the organization of the reservoir, many peat bogs fell under flooding. This fact affected chemical composition water. The construction of the reservoir affected the species composition of fish and catches. Rheophilic fish migrated, their catches decreased by 10 times.

Brotherly

The Bratsk reservoir is located in the Irkutsk region on the river. Angara. Its length is 570 km, and its width is 25 km. This reservoir heads the largest reservoirs in Russia. Its outlines are bizarre. Most of the tributaries became deeper, which allowed ships to enter them. In the vicinity of the reservoir, karst processes intensified, sinkholes and landslides began to appear.

Not all reservoirs in Russia have such a strong impact on the coast. Coasts are destroyed due to strong level drops. It reaches 6-10 m. The reservoir is of great fishing, shipping and timber-rafting importance. There are always a lot of tourists and fishermen on its shores.

Krasnoyarsk

For its size, it was called the fresh sea. Its surface area is 2 thousand km 2. The average depth reaches 40 m. Filling with water lasted three years after the construction of the dam. It is one of the largest reservoirs in the world. With it, the water level in the Yenisei is monitored. Vessels sail along this river and timber rafting is carried out.

Not all reservoirs in Russia are as rich in pike as Krasnoyarsk. The number of small fish here is small, because there is not enough food supply for it. It suffered as a result of the formation of the reservoir.

The construction of dams entails many consequences for nature and man. Man benefits from this in the form of cheap electricity, transport arteries and large water supplies. There is a gradual change in the species composition of fish. The ichthyofauna becomes less valuable, but more numerous. Large reservoirs are able to change the surrounding microclimate, making it softer.

Over the past century, more than a hundred man-made seas and lakes - reservoirs have appeared on the map of our country. We have already said that the amount of water in the river during the year is not constant. How to satisfy water hunger? How to make sure that cities do not experience a shortage of water, ships deliver goods and people uninterruptedly, and power plants can operate regardless of water level fluctuations in the river? Man found a way out: they began to build dams on the rivers, collect water from spring full-flowing rivers in artificial reservoirs, so that later they could use it as needed. Reservoirs have been created on many Russian rivers, and they all "work" for the benefit of man, helping to supply cities with water, saving them from floods, and making water roads more convenient.

Big Volga Cascade

Comparing geographic Maps beginning and end of the 20th century, it is impossible not to notice how much the main Russian river, the Volga, has changed. The work of engineers and builders turned it into a real cascade of artificial seas-reservoirs.

The first large reservoir on the Volga appeared in 1937 near the village of Ivankovo. The dam of the Ivankovskaya hydroelectric power station forced the Volga to spill over 327 square kilometers. The Ivankovo ​​reservoir is also called the Moscow Sea - for its exceptional size at that time. The dam helped raise the level of the Volga water to make it easier to deliver to the capital. In total, more than a billion cubic meters of water has been collected in the Moscow Sea.

The next stage of the Big Volga cascade is the Uglich reservoir on the border of the Tver and Yaroslavl regions. The reservoir was created in 1939-1943. This is the smallest of the artificial seas on the Volga, but in terms of picturesqueness it is not inferior to any of them. On its banks, tourists are greeted by ancient towns-posads: Uglich, Kimry, Kashin. You can also see here the bell tower standing in the middle of the river - before the water level rose, it flaunted in the center of the town of Kalyazin. At the widest point, where the Volga tributaries Medveditsa and Nerl flow into the reservoir, the sea spreads three kilometers wide.

Almost simultaneously with Uglichsky, they began to build the next hydroelectric complex on the Volga - Rybinsk. Dams blocked not only the Volga, but also its tributary, the Sheksna, just above the point of their confluence. In 1941, the Rybinsk Sea appeared on the map - the largest reservoir on the Upper Volga, and at the time of filling - the largest artificial reservoir in the world. The Rybinsk Sea covers an area of ​​about 4,500 square kilometers (in spring it becomes a little larger, and decreases in autumn). Its length is 140 kilometers, and in some places it reaches 70 kilometers in width. In addition to the Volga and Sheksna, the reservoir was filled for several years by the Mologa and dozens of small rivers. Now, about 28 billion cubic meters of water has been collected in the artificial sea. The reservoir made navigable stretches of rivers that previously could not be navigated by ships. Rivermen say that there are real storms on the Rybinsk Sea. Not without reason, according to the conditions of navigation, the reservoir was equated to the sea.

The largest of the Volga reservoirs is rightfully considered Samara (formerly Kuibyshev). It is located where the Kama once flowed into the Volga, and today there is a dam of the Volga hydroelectric power station. The length of the reservoir, which for a long time remained the largest in the world, is 600 kilometers. It covers an area of ​​600,000 hectares and holds 52 billion cubic meters of water. The distance between the shores of the artificial sea reaches in places up to 40 kilometers. On its 3,000-kilometer coastline, there are over 20 cities and 800 smaller settlements. In winter, the thickness of ice on the reservoir reaches a meter, and hummocks are three meters. In the spring, they turn into real river icebergs that threaten the movement of ships. In some years, the road by sea has to be laid with the help of an icebreaker until April. The Samara Sea is the most stormy among the Volga reservoirs. In autumn, real storms and storms happen on it: the wind blows with a force of eleven points, and the waves grow up to three meters.

The Cheboksary reservoir is located in the middle reaches of the Volga on the territory of Chuvashia and the Nizhny Novgorod region. This artificial reservoir is one of the youngest on the Volga. It was formed after the construction of the Cheboksary hydroelectric power station in 1980-1982. The reservoir (an area of ​​2190 square kilometers) is the seventh largest in Russia. The average width of the reservoir is 10 kilometers, and at the widest point its banks diverge by 25 kilometers. The artificial sea "stores" 13.8 cubic kilometers of water, which is used, in particular, for the needs of water supply.

The dam of the Volgograd hydroelectric power station, built in 1958-1961, is the last on the Volga. She forced the Volgograd Sea to overflow at the very walls of the hero city. Here, in the steppe region, there is usually little rain, and the lack of water was previously felt very acutely. This problem was helped to solve the Volgograd reservoir. The artificial sea covers an area of ​​3117 square kilometers and is the fourth largest reservoir in Russia. It contains 31.5 cubic kilometers of water, which came to cities and towns, watering the surrounding fields.

Bratsk reservoir

Nearly 170 cubic kilometers - so much water in the Bratsk reservoir. This is a little less than the Nile dumps into the Mediterranean in a year. In terms of water volume, the Brat. reservoir has no equal in the world. The artificial sea arose after the construction of the Bratsk hydroelectric power station on the Angara. It took several years to fill it with water: work went on from 1961 to 1967. The Bratsk reservoir is located on the bed of two rivers at once: it stretches for 550 kilometers along the Angara bed and another 370 km along the Oka bed. In general, the artificial sea spreads over an area of ​​5470 square kilometers, giving way to the first place in Russia to the Samara reservoir on the Volga. Bratsk reservoir - source drinking water, fish breeding area. Sea vessels go along it, it also serves for timber rafting.

Reservoirs of the Moscow region

From the Northern River Station in Moscow in a southerly direction, to the Volga, there is a whole chain of reservoirs and canals built in the 1930s. The first, in 1935, appeared on the map of the Istra reservoir. It is also the first reservoir from the Moskvoretsky system. Now this system also includes the Ruza, Ozerninsky, Vazuzsky and Yauzsky reservoirs. The youngest of the reservoirs on

Moskva River - Mozhaisk Sea. It is no coincidence that it is called the sea: it spilled over an area of ​​​​31 square kilometers, and its depth reaches 22.6 meters. The Mozhaisk Sea appeared in 1960 after the construction of a hydroelectric complex. The Mozhaisk reservoir, located in the upper reaches of the Moskva River, serves as a reliable source of drinking water for the capital, like other artificial reservoirs in Moskvoretsk.

Another part of the reservoirs near Moscow is united by the Volga hydrotechnical system, which turns 70 in 2007, the Ivankovskoye reservoir, which fills the Moscow Canal with water, and the canal itself, which we have already talked about, is only part of this water cascade. Six more follow. artificial reservoirs. In the place where the Khimka and Klyazma rivers once flowed, now the Khimki and Klyazma reservoirs are located. From the latter, you can get to the Pyalovskoye reservoir via a connecting channel on a river ship. It is here that the picturesque pier Solnechnaya Polyana is located, where Muscovites come in the summer who want to swim and just relax in the picturesque bay. From the Pyalovsky reservoir, the path lies to the long, but narrow Pestovsky reservoir. Finally, the last connecting channel - and the last reservoir near Moscow from the Volga system - Ikshinskoye. Together, the reservoirs on the Volga water collect 1.2 billion cubic meters of water per year. It is from this huge reservoir that water enters the taps of Muscovites. The main task of all reservoirs near Moscow is to provide the capital with water. Muscovites use artificial seas for recreation, tourism and fishing.

Krasnoyarsk reservoir

The Krasnoyarsk reservoir is one of the ten largest artificial reservoirs in the world, and in Russia only the Samara reservoir on the Volga and the Bratskoye reservoir on the Angara can compete with it. The dam of the Krasnoyarsk hydroelectric power station blocked the channel of one of the deepest rivers in Russia - the Yenisei. But even the Siberian giant took a long time to fill the reservoir completely. The construction of the reservoir went from 1967 to 1970. The artificial sea has spilled over an area of ​​​​2 thousand square kilometers, containing 73 cubic kilometers of water - in terms of volume, this is almost three Baltic seas! The Krasnoyarsk reservoir ranks second in Russia in terms of full flow. Its main task is to regulate the water level in the Yenisei, to ensure the uninterrupted movement of ships along it. The Krasnoyarsk reservoir is also actively used for fish farming and timber rafting.

Tsimlyansk reservoir

The Tsimlyansk reservoir on the Don is one of the southernmost in Russia.

It got its name from the Cossack village of Tsimlyanskaya, located on its shore. The steppe Tsimlyansk Sea stretches for almost 300 kilometers in length, and in some places it reaches 38 kilometers in width. In some places, the depth of the sea is 25 meters, which is almost the same as in the natural Sea of ​​Azov. From April to December, ships sail along it, but in the fall, rivermen are annoyed by storms, from which they escape in specially arranged shelters (there are about ten of them on the sea). The reservoir holds 12.6 billion cubic meters of water, which works in the turbines of a hydroelectric power plant and feeds the Volga-Don Canal. The dam that blocked the Don protected the lower reaches of the river from spring floods. There were years when the Don increased in size by several tens of times, flooding nearby fields and settlements for many kilometers. The water of the Tsimlyansk Sea watered the surrounding steppes, and now this region is rightfully considered the breadbasket of the South of Russia. The shores of the Tsimlyansk Sea are the center of the Don viticulture. There are few places on Earth where grapes are grown in such "northern" latitudes. You can only remember the Rhine. Note that the local wine may well compete with the famous Rhine.

Artificial reservoirs in river valleys are important reservoirs of fresh water and regulate runoff. The first reservoirs appeared in ancient Egypt, and today they are being built everywhere. There are more than a hundred large reservoirs in Russia. Between themselves, they differ in volume, mirror area and amplitude of water level fluctuations. The largest reservoir in the country in terms of area is Kuibyshevskoye, and in terms of water volume - Bratskoye. This article presents the ten largest reservoirs in Russia with a brief description, location on a map and photos.

Kuibyshevskoe

Kuibyshev reservoir/Wikipedia

The reservoir covers the Republic of Tatarstan, the Chuvash Republic, the Ulyanovsk and Samara regions. The total volume is 53 km³, and the mirror area is 6450 km². It was built to improve navigation.

Kuibyshev reservoir on the map of Russia/Wikipedia

After filling the pit, the climate and the region changed. The reservoir is not distinguished by a calm character, the height of the waves exceeds 3 m. The Zhiguli Reserve is located on the right bank of the Volga. There are many tourist bases and sanatoriums. There are many fish in numerous estuaries and bays.

Brotherly

Bratsk Reservoir/Wikipedia

Reservoir with an area of ​​5470 km², located in the Irkutsk region. The total volume is 169 km³, which makes it the second largest artificial reservoir in the world. It was built with the aim of developing navigation, timber rafting, water supply and energy generation. The coastline is heavily indented, the shape of the reservoir resembles a dragon.

Bratsk reservoir on the map of Russia/Wikipedia

Wood sunk during the rafting heavily pollutes the water. There are 25 species of commercial fish. Children's camps, tourist camps and sanatoriums are located along the banks.

Rybinsk

Rybinsk Reservoir/Wikipedia

The reservoir is located in Tverskaya, Volgogradskaya and Yaroslavl regions. The total volume is 25.4 km³; area - 4580 km². The creation of the reservoir had a tremendous impact on the local nature, huge territories were flooded.

Rybinsk reservoir on the map of Russia/Wikipedia

Today it is a major water transportation hub and electricity supplier. 38 species of fish live in the reservoir.

Volgograd

Volgograd reservoir/Wikipedia

The reservoir is located in the Saratov and Volgograd regions. The total volume is 31.5 km³; area - 3117 km². The reservoir plays an important role in navigation, energy, agriculture and irrigation of the region's lands.

Volgograd reservoir on the map/Wikipedia

Over half a century of history, a unique plant and animal world. This is a popular place for tourism and recreation, but fishing is strictly regulated by law.

Tsimlyanskoe

Tsimlyansk reservoir from space/Wikipedia

The reservoir is located in the Rostov and Volgograd regions. The total volume is 23.8 km³; area - 2702 km². It was created for the purpose of irrigating land, shipping, controlling runoff and providing drinking water.

Tsimlyansk reservoir on the map/Wikipedia

Today the pond is heavily polluted. This is due to dumps Wastewater and development of pathogenic bacteria. However, the shores of the reservoir are actively used; campsites and numerous recreation centers are located there.

Zeyskoe

Zeya reservoir on the map/Wikipedia

The reservoir is located in Amur region. The total volume is 68.4 km³; area - 2420 km². The main purpose is the production of electricity, fishing, water supply and timber rafting. The reservoir has saved the region from major floods more than once.

Zeya reservoir on the map of Russia/Wikipedia

The pit is filled with monsoon rains, typical for the Far East. After the construction of the reservoir, the transport connection on the ice and the spawning migration of fish were disrupted. It's getting warmer in the reservoir area. On Zeya, savage recreation is popular, you can use the services of a tourist base.

Vilyuiskoye

Vilyui reservoir/Wikipedia

The reservoir is located in Yakutia. The total volume is 40.4 km³; area - 2360 km². The reservoir was created with the aim of developing navigation, hydropower and obtaining fresh water. This is a unique building built in the conditions.

Vilyui reservoir on the map of Russia/Wikipedia

The coastline of the reservoir is heavily indented, gently sloping places are replaced by cliffs. The climate in the area of ​​the reservoir is sharply continental. Under the influence of thermal pollution, permafrost thaws, as a result of which the banks of the reservoir are destroyed.

Krasnoyarsk

Krasnoyarsk reservoir/Wikipedia

The reservoir is located on the Yenisei River. The total volume is 73.3 km³; area - 2000 km². Is the largest body of water Krasnoyarsk Territory. 4 rivers flow into the reservoir: Syda, Sisim, Tuba and Biryuza.

Krasnoyarsk reservoir on the map of Russia/Wikipedia

There are a lot of caves in the coastal zone, the length of some reaches 6 km. Tourism is developed on the Krasnoyarsk reservoir. There are numerous beaches on the gently sloping shores. Here you can ride boats, boats, jet skis. In favorable weather, regattas and rowing competitions are held. There are many camp sites on the reservoir.

Kumskoe

The reservoir is located in the Republic of Karelia. The total volume is 13.3 km³; area - 1910 km². It was built in 1962. During construction, a large area of ​​agricultural land was flooded, many buildings had to be demolished.

Kuma reservoir on the map of Russia/Wikipedia

Today, the reservoir is a resource for hydroelectric power plants. It supplies people with water, regulates the flow. The reservoir is popular with fishermen because of the abundance of commercial fish. "Paanajärvi" is based on one of the banks.

Sayano-Shushenskoye

Kuma Reservoir/Wikipedia

The reservoir is located in the republics of Tyva and Khakassia, and in the Krasnoyarsk Territory. Despite the relatively small area (621 km²) compared to previous reservoirs, the total volume of the reservoir is 31.3 km³. The reservoir was created in order to develop energy, provide water and regulate flow.

Sayano-Shushenskoye reservoir on the map of Russia/Wikipedia

The transport value of the reservoir is small. Today, the Sayano-Shushensky reservoir attracts fishing enthusiasts. Taimen, grayling, pike and bream live here. On the shore is "Sayano-Shushensky" and national park"Shushensky Bor".

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The main characteristics of the reservoir are the volume, the area of ​​the mirror and the change in water levels under the conditions of its operation. When creating reservoirs, the river valleys also change significantly, as well as the hydrological regime of the river within the backwater. Changes in the hydrological regime caused by the creation of reservoirs also occur in the downstream (part of the river adjacent to the dam, lock) of hydroelectric facilities. Sometimes such changes are noticeable for tens and even hundreds of kilometers. One of the consequences of the creation of reservoirs is the reduction of floods. As a result, the conditions for fish spawning and the growth of grasses on floodplains are deteriorating. When creating reservoirs, the speed of the river flow also decreases, which causes silting of reservoirs.

Krasnoyarsk reservoir (photo by Maxim Gerasimenko)

Reservoirs are located on the territory of Russia unevenly: in the European part there are more than a thousand of them, and in the Asian part - about a hundred. The total volume of Russian reservoirs is about one million m2. artificial reservoirs greatly changed the main river - and some of its tributaries. They created 13 reservoirs. Their construction began in the middle of the 19th century, when a water-retaining dam was built in the upper reaches of the river. Almost a hundred years later, it was flooded Ivankovskoe reservoir, which is often called the Moscow Sea. From it begins a channel connecting the river with the capital.

Rybinsk Reservoir (photo by Evgeny Gusev)

Rybinsk reservoir comparable in area to the largest lakes. As a result of the flooding of the wide valleys of the left tributaries of the Volga (Sheksna and Mologa), a reservoir was formed up to 60 km wide and 140 km long, replete with many bays, and.

Dam Kuibyshev reservoir raised the water level in the Volga by 26 m and flooded the floodplain of the river over an area of ​​almost 6.5 thousand km2. When creating the reservoir, about 300 settlements had to be moved to a new place, and the city of Sviyazhsk turned out to be an island at all. Quite large storms are even possible on this reservoir (wave height sometimes exceeds 3 m).

The fifteen largest reservoirs in the world are located in and in the Far East. Their construction was carried out in the second half of the last century. Dams were built mainly on high-water rivers: Vilyui, Zeya. At the same time, relatively small areas were flooded. The length of most reservoirs in this region is significant: from 150 km ( Kolyma) up to 565 km ( Brotherly). But the width is relatively small, with the exception of some areas where the water spills up to 15-33 km. After device Baikal reservoir The 60-kilometer section of the Angara has become almost one with, and the level of the lake has risen by a meter.

Sayano-Shushenskoye reservoir (photo by Pavel Ivanov)

The largest reservoir Brotherly has a rather peculiar shape: wide stretches here are combined with long winding bays. The amplitude of level fluctuations reaches 10 m. The reservoir has great importance for navigation and timber rafting, as well as for water supply.

Sayano-Shushenskoye reservoir flooded the Yenisei valley for more than 300 km, but it was small in width - up to 9 km. Level fluctuation - up to 40 m. Dam Krasnoyarsk reservoir is located on a narrow (up to 800 m wide) section in the Yenisei valley. It is notable for its unique lift. Vessels approaching the dam enter a chamber filled with water, which carries them through the dam downstream. Vessels going upstream have to be lifted a hundred meters high for this.

The created reservoirs have made it possible to improve the quality of municipal and industrial water supply in large cities, large cities. The parameters of the country's reservoirs vary widely: the total volume is from 1 to 169 million m2. The water surface area is from 0.2 - 0.5 to 5900 km2. The length, width, maximum and average depths differ significantly. Maximum length large plain and plateau reservoirs reaches 400 - 565 km, mountain 100 - 110 km, and the width - up to several tens of kilometers. The deepest reservoirs from 200 - 300 m are located in the valleys of large mountain rivers (Ingurskoye, Chirkeyskoye,) to 70 - 105 m - in the plateau and foothill regions (Bratskoye, Krasnoyarskoye, Boguchanskoye, Bukhtarma). In large flat reservoirs, the depths do not exceed 20–30 m.

Reservoirs of Russia

The largest reservoirs in Russia