What is the name of the confluence of the Volga into the Caspian Sea. Volga. Territorial division of the river

“Today I will refute things that have become established and seem obvious. I’ll start with an example that shocked me a couple of years ago. This is a classic example of the banality accepted in Russia: it is believed that the Volga flows into the Caspian Sea. No, it’s not the Volga that flows into the Caspian Sea, and Chusovaya.

I am grateful for audiobooks in many ways. And they deserve my respect only because they gave some good reasons for posts on their favorite subsite - Marty.

Here I am listening to lectures by A.A. Auzan and I catch myself thinking: "Well, it can't be."

In the fifth part of his lectures on institutional economics, Alexander Alexandrovich, whom I respect, says literally the following with surprise:

Today I will refute things that are settled and seem obvious. I'll start with an example that shocked me a couple of years ago.

This is a classic Russian platitude: the Volga is believed to flow into the Caspian Sea.

No, it is not the Volga that flows into the Caspian Sea, but the Chusovaya.

From now on, I will take a break and begin my investigation or, if you like, research. It will consist in searching for sources of information from which the above statement follows.

I think this post will cause serious controversy, because the thesis expressed overturns our understanding of the correctness of the existing state of affairs.

Statement one

The Volga River is a tributary of the Kama! Why?

The first scientific studies were carried out in 1876, and it turned out that, according to hydrological signs:

1. The Kama is more full-flowing than the Volga.

The main part of its basin is located in the taiga zone, where more precipitation falls, which, together with countless Ural tributaries, makes the Kama a mighty river.

2. Kama is older than the Volga.

As a result of studies of the silty deposits of these rivers, it was proved that the Kama existed several million years before the appearance of the Volga.

In the first half of the Quaternary period, before the epoch of maximum glaciation, there was no Volga in its present form.

There was the Kama, which, uniting with the Vishera, flowed directly into the Caspian Sea. Glaciation led to the reorganization of the hydrographic network, and the upper Volga, which had previously given its waters to the Don, began to flow into the Kama, moreover, almost at a right angle.

3. The bed of the Kama is below.

Since water does not flow upward, it is logical that it is the Volga that flows into the Kama. Let's pay attention to this part of the phrase and remember it - "since water does not flow upwards, it is logical that ..."

The place where the Volga flows into the Kama.

The Volga does not flow into the Caspian Sea. And it's not a sensation, - says Vladimir Ilyich Mozzherin, Doctor of Geography, Professor of the Faculty of Geography and Geophysics of KSU, Corresponding Member of the Academy of Water Management Problems of the Russian Federation, who has been dealing with the problems of large rivers for a long time. - The fact that the Volga does not flow into the Caspian Sea has long been known.

Another thing is that this fact has never been widely publicized, and only learned geographers know about it. True, there is one caveat. In official geography, in all scientific works relating to the Volga and Kama, it is written in black and white that the Volga flows into the Caspian Sea.

From a scientific point of view, this statement is false.

According to data from the reports of Roshydromet to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Ecology: the length of the Kama is 1805 km (before the construction of dams, it was more than 2000 km), and the length of the Volga is 1390 km.

At their confluence, Kama carries 4300 cubic meters. m / s, and the Volga - 3100 cubic meters. m/s.

The difference is big, you see. There is an explanation for this. The main part of the Kama basin is located in the taiga zone, where the amount of precipitation is greater than in the middle lane, and the snow melts slowly and unevenly. In addition, the Kama receives more than 70 thousand tributaries.

The Volga is different. It has fewer tributaries, and they are located not in the taiga, but in a more southern zone. There, the snow melts very quickly, and water flows into the river in large portions. In addition, almost the entire length of the Volga is regulated, as experts say, by reservoirs.

In nature, for several decades there has been no river called the Volga. How so?

“Indeed, the Volga has long ceased to be a river in the full sense of the word,” explains Professor Mozzerin. - In 1983, the last of the nine reservoirs, Cheboksary, was launched. From that moment on, the Volga turned into a network of reservoirs, or, it would be more correct to say, a cascade of large flowing lakes. Let's call a spade a spade - creating reservoirs, a man personally destroyed Mother Volga.

The Kama is also regulated, but its reservoirs are much smaller in volume.

Considering all these factors, we can conclude that the Kama is more full-flowing, and, therefore, it is the Volga that is the tributary of the Kama, and not vice versa. Therefore, the river flowing into the Caspian Sea should be called Kama.

Statement two

Any Permian who carefully listened to the teacher in geography lessons knows from a young age that the Chusovaya River flows into the Caspian Sea!

Hydrographically, the Kama flows into the Vishera, the Vishera flows into the Chusovaya, into which the Volga also flows, and then the Chusovaya flows into the Caspian Sea!

The Kama flows into the Chusovaya. Why?

Let's see what the inflow of a river is from the point of view of science.

A tributary is a watercourse that flows into a larger watercourse. Usually differs from the latter in shorter length and water content. However, there are also reverse examples: the much more full-flowing Oka and Kama are considered tributaries of the Volga; just as the Angara is listed as a tributary of the Yenisei, which has twice the water content at the confluence.

Does this mean that the Chusovaya flows into the Kama?

There are contradictions in this position. Remember, I asked you to keep in mind the part of the phrase "since water does not flow upwards, it makes sense that..."? So, the channel of the Chusovaya river is below the channel of the Kama.

The Kama flows into the Chusovaya. So say the ancient explorers who explored the Urals. Moving from west to east, they saw a mighty river that cut through the mountains and carried its waters through the rapids to the place where another river, the Kama, flowed into the Chusovaya on the right.

Here in this photo it is clearly seen that the Chusovaya is the main stream into which the Kama flows.

Cape "Strelka" at the confluence of the Chusovaya and Kama rivers.

However, more in-depth studies show that the Kama is still the main river. The average and absolute heights of the Volga basin are less than the Kama basin, since the Ural Mountains are located in the Kama basin. But the ancient Kama valley is older than the Volga valley. In the first half of the Quaternary period, before the epoch of maximum glaciation, there was no Volga in its present form. There was the Kama, which, uniting with the Vishera, flowed directly into the Caspian Sea. The flow of the upper reaches of the Kama went north, to Vychegda. Glaciation led to a reorganization of the hydrographic network: the Upper Volga, which used to give its waters to the Don (at that time the largest river within the European part of Russia), began to flow into the Kama, moreover, almost at a right angle. The Lower Volga even today serves as a natural continuation of the Kama, and not the Volga valley.

Hydrological studies of the Kama began only in 1876, when the Ministry of Communications organized a network of permanent water-measuring posts on the river and its tributaries. Observations were carried out until 1892 inclusive and resumed in 1922.

In 1911, in connection with the proposed connection of Chusovaya with the Irtysh, and Kama with Pechora, the Volga Tetyush mobile hydrological laboratory measured the annual water discharge near the village of Dobryanka, 70 kilometers above Perm.

In August 1950, the Lengydroenergoproekt expedition began hydrological and meteorological studies at the site of the future dam of the Votkinskaya hydroelectric power station near the village of Gilevo, the village of Gama and the village of Saygatki, 70 kilometers upstream of Sarapul. what the researchers did not expect: the bed of the ancient Kama buried under a thick layer of sediments, and under it - the bed of the Kama even more ancient. Paleohydrographers called the first Kama Pra Kama, the second - Paleo Kama. A detailed study of buried rivers began with deep drilling.

KAMA CARBON. Proto Kama (First-Kama), i.e. the most ancient Kama. It existed during the Carboniferous period of the Paleozoic era, more than 350 million years ago. In plan, it occupied a position close to the lower and middle reaches of the modern Kama. To the east of the Samara bow, it flowed into the vast Ural Sea. In the deposits of its delta and the coastal strip of the sea, rich oil deposits were formed. When the sea left, and the Ural Mountains rose in its place, Proto Kama gradually died out, disappeared almost without a trace. But it was she who formed that giant river valley, along which the next generations of Kama flowed.

KAMA NEOGENEOUS. Paleo Kama. Paleohydrographers also call it the Kinel River - according to the Kinel sedimentary strata found on the Kinel River, a tributary of the Volga. It existed from 20 to 5 million years ago during the Neogene period of the Cenozoic era. At Sarapul, it flowed somewhat east of the valley of the modern Kama, where its wedged out alluvium was found. It was distinguished by a canyon-like channel of gigantic size. The depth of its water flow in some places reached 110-120 meters, the width along the bottom - 700 meters, along the top - 1.5-3.5 kilometers. The bedrock banks rose almost sheer to a height of 200 to 850 meters. On the right, cutting through the Sarapul Upland, a large river flowed into the Paleo Kama, named by the first settlers Sarapul (the Chuvash name for sterlet). Today, Bolshaya Sarapulka flows through its valley with a tributary - Malaya Sarapulka. To the left, below Sarapul, near the village of Nikolo Berezovka, another river flowed into the ancient Kama. The Berezovka River now runs along its valley. Paleo Kama was buried by marine and continental sediments, under which, during deep drilling, its canyon-like channel was discovered.

KAMA ANTROPOGENE. Pra Kama. It existed on the Russian, East European plains and in the Urals during the anthropogenic period of the Cenozoic era, in the Pleistocene, until the last glaciation, from 2 million to 400 thousand years ago. She had a deep channel and a wide valley, which she formed with a new regression of the sea and the rise of the Russian platform plate. Pra Kama, like a knife, cut off the eastern slopes of Startseva Gora and other spurs of the Sarapul Upland. But even this Kama was buried by sediments, which formed rich deposits of salts, gypsum, and clays.

Does this information exclude Chusovaya from the contenders for the title of a river flowing into the Caspian Sea? I don’t know and I can’t draw a definite conclusion due to the fact that this is a philistine study based on various sources that should be checked and rechecked, but:

There was a time when Vishera was called Passer Ya, which in Mansi means "big water". There is an assumption that people from Veliky Novgorod called it that, because the Vishera River also flowed in their homeland. Novgorod earpieces back in the 10th-11th centuries. tried to break into the fabulously rich country of Biarmia - Ugra - Perm, located in Priuralsk, in the upper reaches of the Kama and Vishera.

The Lower Vishera - from the mouth of the Kolva to the confluence with the Kama - is a typically flat river, overflowing in places up to 9011 meters.

In the upper reaches of the Kama is relatively shallow. Only after the very abundant Vishera flows into it, the river really becomes full-flowing.

Conclusion:

Throwing away all the stamps and established historical canons, it can be argued that the main river is the Vishera, and the Upper Kama and the Upper Volga are its tributaries. The lower Vishera is historically named the Kama, and the Vishera delta near the Caspian Sea is the Volga delta.

That's all!

Sources: Uralistica, as well as various forums of the Urals and, in particular, the Perm Territory.

With gratitude to my friends.

The Volga is not only one of the most beautiful rivers in the world, but the largest water artery in the European part of Russia and Europe as a whole. It is of great industrial and economic importance. This is one of the most important recreational resources of the country. Overcoming a waterway 3530 km long, the Volga River flows into the Caspian Sea.

Geographical position

The river begins on the Valdai Upland and, occupying part of the Central Russian Upland in the west, moves east to the Ural foothills, where, forming a turn, it flows towards the south.

It flows in the European territory of the Russian Federation through the lands of 14 regions. The river basin extends for 1.36 thousand km 2, occupying almost a third of the land to the west of the Urals. The average annual flow of the river reaches 254 km3.

Almost the entire water system of the Volga is located within the Russian Federation. Only a small area in the lower reaches (R. Kigach), which runs along the main channel, is located on the lands of Kazakhstan.

Source

The source is located in the Ostashkovsky district of the Tver region, near the village of Volgoverkhovye. In the south-west of the village, at an altitude of 228 m, there is a small swamp with flowing springs. Together they form a narrow stream, which is defined as the source of the Volga.

Where does the Volga river flow?

Starting in the northwestern part of our country, the longest river in Europe crosses several of the largest Russian cities and, periodically changing direction, moves south. Below Astrakhan, it forms a wide delta with an area of ​​about 19 thousand km 2 and flows into the Caspian Sea.

Water characteristic

The basis of the temperature regime of the Volga is seasonality. In winter, it is completely ice-bound. In the upper part, the duration of such a phenomenon is much longer than in the lower part. On average, the surface of the reservoir is freed from ice for 200 days in the upper reaches, up to 260 days closer to the mouth. In the summer season, in different areas, the water warms up from +20 to +28 degrees.

As for water quality, the situation is quite complicated. The construction of a network of hydroelectric power stations and reservoirs has sharply worsened the condition of the river. A huge contribution to pollution is made by the infrastructure of cities located on the coasts and in the river basin.

Feeding of a mixed type reservoir:

• rains replenish it by 10%;
• 30% - groundwater;
• 60% of food is snow.

With melt waters, a large number of harmful elements penetrate from the coasts and urban areas.

Conducted laboratory studies confirm a sharp change in the composition of water. In the depths, a rapid development of algae was noticed, the appearance of which signals an increased level of pollution.

Cities on the Volga

Famous ancient and modern cities were built on the coast and on the lands of the Volga basin. In addition to megacities, there are more than 60 large settlements and a large number of small semi-abandoned villages.

List of the Volga cities by regions.

What does the name of the river mean

In ancient times, it was called "Ra" from the Latin Rha - "generous". In the Middle Ages, together with the rivers Kama and Belaya, it was known under the name Itil, which means "the greatest."

The modern Russian name "Volga" comes from the Old Russian "Volga" (in the Proto-Slavic Vьlga, cf. Volgly - vologa - moisture). Collectively, in translation from various languages, the name stands for "Great Light River".

Story

The history of the reservoir begins in the Neogene, more than 5 million years ago. It is believed that the source of the ancient Paleo-Volga was located in the Ural mountains. The main channel passed along the modern Kama, and the upper reaches of today's reservoir were only a minor tributary. The progenitor of the modern Volga flowed through canyons, carrying water in a stormy mountain stream into the Pontic Sea (later divided into the Black and Caspian).

At the end of this period, a part of the earth's crust rose, which led to the elevation of the mountains of the Caucasus and the Volga region and, as a result, changes in the course of the ancient Volga.

During the Pleistocene, the alternating formation and melting of glaciers was observed, which led to a shift in the channel to the west and a change in the source. At the same time, it acquired a number of full-flowing tributaries, and the Volga basin was formed.

Early written evidence has been found in the writings of Herodotus in the 5th century BC. In the writings of ancient Rome ll-lV centuries, the river was identified as r. "Ra". In Arabic sources of the 10th century, it was referred to as "Atelya" - the river of rivers, the great river. In the early annals of ancient Russia, a reservoir is already described, known to modern mankind as the river. Volga.

river division

The total length of the reservoir is conditionally divided into 4 sections.

The division goes like this:

1. Source. Located in the area of ​​a small village in the Tver region.
2. Upper. It starts just below the source and stretches to the confluence with the Oka.
3. Average. It runs from the borders of the upper part to the connection with Kama.
4. Lower. It starts from the place of infusion of the Kama to the mouth.

Source

The confluence of several springs coming out of a swamp located near the village of Volgoverkhovye (Tver region) is the beginning of a large river. Combining, they form a stream, about 30 cm deep. Descending from the Valdai Upland, after the first 3.5 km it crosses several flowing lakes (Small Verkhity, Bolshoi Verkhity) and flows into a large lake. Rod, which is part of the Verkhnevolzhskoye reservoir.

The Volga source is unique. A natural reserve has been formed here, containing 4,101 hectares of protected forest. At the very beginning, a chapel was built, and below, the remains of the first Volga dam, built at the beginning of the 20th century, are still visible.

Upper

It starts from the dam (Verkhnevolzhsky Beishlot), built in 1843. It flows along two lowlands - Unzha and Balakhna.

In this area, there is a noticeable rise in water level, which provides several large tributaries:

• Selizharovka;
• Dark;
• Tvertsa;
• Mologa;
• Sheksna;
• Kotorosl;
• Unzha.

From this point the river becomes navigable (below Rzhev).

In the upper reaches, several hydroelectric power plants were built on four reservoirs:

• Ivankovsky;
• Uglich;
• Rybinsk;
• Gorky.

Dam Upper Volga Beyshlot

Medium

It originates below the junction of the Volga stream with the Oka. The middle section is located along the northern edge of the Volga Upland and differs greatly in coastlines: the right side is much higher than the left bank, located in the lowland.

The largest tributaries of the middle course:

• Sura;
• Sviyaga;
• Vetluga.

There is a large reservoir here, limited by the dam of the Cheboksary hydroelectric power station.

Arrow in Nizhny Novgorod - the place where the Volga and the Oka merge

Lower

The Lower Volga is distinguished by relatively small and low-water tributaries (the Sok, Samara, Bolshoi Irgiz, Yeruslan). In the region of the city of Volgograd, a branch departs from it - Akhtuba - 537 km long, stretching along the main channel. The territory located between the branch and the main channel - the Volga-Akhtuba floodplain - has multiple channels and old rivers.

The river delta begins 46 km north of Astrakhan. Its feature is its size. This is one of the largest river deltas in Russia and the largest in Europe.

The lower reaches have many reservoirs and hydroelectric power stations that supply the cities with electricity.

List of HPPs in the lower reaches:

1. Zhigulevskaya. Belongs to the Kuibyshev reservoir and is located near the city of Togliatti.
2. Saratov. Its dam limits the waters of the Saratov storage. Located in the area of ​​Balakovo.
3. Volzhskaya. Built between the beginning of the river. Akhtuba and the city of Volgograd, restrains the flows of the Volgograd storage.

Zhigulevskaya HPP

Flora and fauna

The watershed ecosystem is complex and diverse. It is located in several natural areas. The mouth is distinguished by a special uniqueness of flora and fauna. A special natural complex has formed here, including more than 900 representatives of the plant world, more than 250 varieties of mammals and birds.

First of all, this is the kingdom of fish. Carp, bream, pike perch live in its depths. Crayfish settle in shallow clayey waters. Often sturgeon, beluga and sterlet enter the channels.

The coastline is home to a vibrant feathered community. You can often meet curly pelicans (in the lower reaches), great egret, white-tailed eagle, pheasant, gray mallard or bustard. The Volga lands have become home to the rarest species of birds - the yellow heron and the Siberian Crane.

Crane Sterkh

Among the animals, significant areas are inhabited by wild boars, hare, foxes, wolves and beavers. Less common are raccoon dogs, ermine. Unique species are the water rat and the baby mouse. Nerpa (Caspian seal) lives in the border areas, near the sea. An amazing relic animal, the saiga antelope, lives on the lands of the Volga semi-deserts.

The local flora is no less rich and varied. Reeds, cattails, and susak are common in swampy areas. The surface of the river is decorated with water lilies and water chestnut. Backwaters are abundantly covered with duckweed. Hari and cladophora algae grow in the depths. In the delta there is a rarest flower - the Astrakhan lotus (Caspian water rose).

In the river delta, a unique Astrakhan reserve was created, named in 1984 by the decision of UNESCO as a biosphere reserve.

Astrakhan lotus

Economic purpose

The development of the Volga basin began at the beginning of the 19th century with the rapid development of the river fleet and trade. Then the river acquired great economic importance, becoming the most important trade and transport route.

The value has not decreased even today. There are several ways to use the water system in the economy.

Main types:

1. Energy. A network of reservoirs has been created here and eight hydroelectric power stations have been built, providing electricity to many settlements in the country.
2. Fishing. The Volga depths abound in commercial fish. Pike, roach, catfish, bream, sturgeon and sterlet are common.
3. Water supply. Many coastal cities use river resources in supply systems.
4. Shipping. This is one of the largest water arteries in Russia and the most important transport route. The nature of the current is calm and smooth (current speed 1.9 km / h), without sharp drops, which simplifies the movement of ships;
5. Recreation. In coastal areas there are many recreation centers and places for tourists, which makes the Volga one of the most important recreational resources of the country.

Ports and bridges

The uniqueness of the river system is that it is navigable almost along its entire length. A whole network of transport centers has been formed on it, organizing the transportation of passengers and goods.

The development of the economy, the fleet and the growth of settlements contributed to the construction of ports.

List of main ones:

1. Along the main channel are Tver, Cherepovets, Rybinsk, Yaroslavl, Kineshma, Nizhny Novgorod, Cheboksary, Kazan, Ulyanovsk, Togliatti, Samara, Saratov, Volgograd, Astrakhan.
2. Ports on the river Kama: Berezniki, Levshino, Perm, Tchaikovsky, Kambarka, Naberezhnye Chelny, Chistopol.
3. Other large centers on tributaries: Ryazan (R. Oka), Ufa (R. Belaya), Kirov (R. Vyatka).

Not only port centers have been erected on the river, regulating the movement of goods and the transportation of people. There are other buildings - bridges connecting opposite banks.

The Alexander Railway Bridge, built near Syzran (1880), became the first permanent structure to provide a land crossing.

The presidential bridge in Ulyanovsk has become not only a connecting part of the river, but also a local landmark. Today it is the longest bridge in Russia with a length of 5825 m.

Ecological position

There are numerous cities on the banks of one of the largest waterways in Russia, which has become one of the main reasons for the deterioration of the environment.

Pollution

Industrial organizations of nearby megacities dump contaminated effluents, poisoning the depths with chemicals. Some tributaries (Kama, Oka) are included in the lists of "very dirty water bodies". Infusing, they bring huge masses of contaminated water.

Today, almost 45% of the industrial production of the Russian Federation and about 50% of agricultural production are located in the river basin. Of the country's 100 large settlements with the most polluted atmosphere, 65 are concentrated in watersheds. The polluted drains of the enterprises make 38% of the all-Russian.

Tourism and recreation

The coastal zone is an important recreational resource of the country, which leads to their strong littering.

According to a study by scientists from the University of California in the States, published in the journal Conservation Letters, the Volga Delta entered the top 10 list of the most polluted coastal areas.

Shipping

This is an important transport artery of the state. With the development of shipping, the ingress of harmful fuels and lubricants and other oil products has greatly increased.

The destruction of the river biosphere, pollution and uncontrolled fishing lead to the disappearance of many species of freshwater inhabitants. Thus, the sturgeon population has almost halved due to fishing and poaching.

Tourism

This is a great place for tourists and lovers of vivid impressions. Today, many agencies offer exciting river cruises. Along the coast, there are many recreational facilities, medical institutions and tourist centers. Most of them are located in the lower reaches and near the Caspian Sea.

One of the many recreational options is a yacht trip.

You can talk a lot about Mother Volga, but there are some interesting facts.

Video

A short story about the Volga contains interesting historical facts.

The Volga River is one of the greatest rivers in Russia and the longest and most abundant in Europe.

The length of the river is 3530 km, and at the same time, among Russian rivers, it is along.

Many events in the history of our country are connected with the Volga.

Geographic characteristics

The Volga is the central water artery of the country and flows through its European part through the East European (Russian) plain. It is the largest river in the world that flows into an inland reservoir. The area of ​​the delta formed by the Volga is 19,000 square meters. km.

The great river originates from a small source of groundwater, located near the village of Volgoverkhovye and located at an altitude of 229 meters above sea level.

A small stream, receiving about 150,000 tributaries, including about 200 small and large rivers, is gaining power and strength and turns into a mighty river that flows into the Caspian Sea.

The fall of the river throughout its entire length does not exceed 250 meters, and the basin area is 1360 thousand square meters. km. The Volga river basin extends from the Urals in the east to the Central Russian and Valdai uplands in the west.

Hydrological regime

The reservoir receives its main food from melted spring waters.

Summer rains and groundwater, which feed the river in winter, play a slightly smaller role in its nutrition.

In connection with these features, three periods are distinguished in the annual level of the river: a long and high spring flood, a stable summer low water and a low winter low water. The flood period averages 72 days.

The maximum rise in water is usually observed in the first half of May, that is, approximately two weeks after the spring ice drift. From June to October-November, summer low water is established, coinciding with the navigation period. It is at this time, when the river is free of ice, that navigation is possible. The Volga is one of the most important waterways in Russia.
Conventionally, three sections of the river are distinguished:

• Upper Volga - from the source to Nizhny Novgorod (the mouth of the Oka).
• The Middle Volga - from the mouth of the Oka to the mouth of the Kama.
• Lower Volga - from the mouth of the Kama to the Caspian Sea.

The upper Volga extends predominantly in the forest zone, flowing through large forests, while the route of the middle part of the river runs through the forest-steppe zone. The Lower Volga keeps its way in the steppe and semi-desert zones. The bottom of the Volga in different places can be sandy or silty, silty-sandy areas are often found. On the rifts, the ground is mostly pebbly or cartilaginous.

The maximum temperature of the river at the peak of summer reaches 20-25 degrees, in winter the river is covered with ice throughout its entire length: the upper and middle parts freeze until the end of November, the lower Volga - in early December. The appearance of reservoirs on the river led to a change in the thermal regime of the Volga. So, on the upper dams, the period of ice captivity increased, and on the lower dams, it decreased.

The nature of the Volga basin

The Volga floodplain is complex and uneven. Its flora and fauna are most diverse in the area of ​​the lower Volga, at the mouth of the reservoir, the unique natural complex of which is represented by 1500 species of insects, almost 50 species of fish, more than 900 species of plants, 3 species of amphibians, 33 mammals, 250 birds, 10 reptiles.

That is why the unique Astrakhan Biosphere Reserve was founded in the Volga Delta, many rare animals, birds and fish of which are listed in the Red Book of the Russian Federation, as well as in the International Red Book.

White-tailed eagle, pelican, great egret, mute swan are found here. In the thickets along the banks of the Volga, you can see a wild boar, seals have survived on the seashore, and saigas on the steppe plains. One of the largest migratory bird corridors in the world runs through the Volga Delta.