Where does the Baikal river flow? The Angara River is the only river flowing from Lake Baikal. General information about the rivers of Baikal

Surrounded high mountains there is a lake of tectonic origin. His cup filled with crystal clean water, goes deep into 1600 meters. The rivers of Baikal, consisting of hundreds of arteries, flow into the water area of ​​the lake. It is recognized as the deepest reservoir of the planet with the greatest natural reserve. fresh water.

The tributaries and runoff of Baikal

It is not known for certain how many rivers flow into Baikal. The figures vary from 335 to 546 permanent and temporary streams. These include large, small rivers and even streams. The difficulty in counting the tributaries is caused by the periodic disappearance of small streams. There is a version that more than 150 streams under the influence of the anthropogenic factor have disappeared forever.
Numerous tributaries form a catchment area of ​​589 thousand km. The main flow falls on the eastern coast - 61%, 39% flows in from the west.
In the reservoir they carry their fast waters major rivers.

Their list includes:

• Selenga;
• Turk;
• Barguzin;
• Snowy;
• Sarma;

The Upper Angara belongs to a large tributary. rapids in upstream, the river and the plain does not calm down. Combining into a single channel with passing rivers, the Upper Angara once again shows its power. Calms down near the shores of the lake, forming a shallow bay of Angarsky Sor. In the lower reaches, ships sail along the water surface. It should not be confused with the reservoir of the same name - the Angara, which, unlike the Upper Angara, is a watercourse flowing from Lake Baikal.
The full-flowing Barguzin is the third largest tributary. From 1300 meters of the ridge of the same name, the stream rushes into the depths of the lake, covering a catchment area of ​​21 thousand square meters. km. The upper course of this river is located in a protected area. Stormy temper catches everything that meets. Pebbles, wood, silt "goodies" are brought to Baikal by Barguzin.
At the foot of the Khamar-Daban ridge, the watercourses of Snezhnaya, Utulik, Selenginka and other rivers begin.
Insignificant inflow arteries are designated as Pokhabikha, Cheremukhovaya, Klyuevka, Goloustna. The Durnya River first merges with the Kotochik River. Then it flows into Turka, and it is already into Baikal. The Turka is a river that flows into Baikal and rushes downstream with great speed from a height of 1431 m.

Baikal's tributaries on the map

The contours of the lake, reminiscent of the Muslim crescent, are easily remembered for their location on the map. Geographically, the lake stretches from the southwest to the northeast for 640 km. Squeezed by mountain ranges, Baikal seems to squeeze through rocks and crevices. The Baikal and Primorsky ridges adjoined the reservoir from the western side. The eastern and southeastern coasts are protected by Ulan-Burgasy, Khamar-Daban and the Barguzinsky massifs. Nature has created an ideal natural landscape in harmony.
The tributaries of the rivers marked on the map, which flow into and out of the lake, give the impression of a miraculous ensemble. The elongated area of ​​the lake inspires the illusion of a single water area with the Upper Angara - the continuation of the river.

Small and large drains of the reservoir create 8 wonders of the world. natural world the lake and around it is distinguished by its uniqueness and originality. The place attracts indifferent, inquisitive explorers and just lovers of recreation on Baikal.

Angara

What rivers flow from Baikal? The answer to this question is contained in natural phenomenon Hangars. Since ancient times, the people called her - the Daughter of Baikal. Swift and mighty power breaks out of the expanses of water and reaches the right bank of the Yenisei, becoming its tributary. Thanks to the Angara, the Yenisei has become a significant water artery Siberian region.
The Angara stretches for 1,800 kilometers, forming a pool together with Baikal waters of about 1,050 thousand square meters. m. About 40 large and small inflowing tributaries feed the Angara basin. Among them, the most significant are distinguished: Taseeva, Kata, Irkut, Kamenka, Ilim, Biryusa, Oka.
The strong current of the Angara makes early freezing difficult, despite the harsh climate. Another reason lies in the warm climate of the water area. At the beginning of winter, the places at the source are covered with steam. On numerous polynyas, birds gather for wintering. In the source there are up to three dozen species of fish, attracting fishermen from all over the area.

Selenga

The largest river flowing into Baikal begins in the Mongolian steppes. It was formed as a result of the confluence of the rivers Ider and Muren. The path of the Selenga ends in the depths of Baikal.
There is a version that in ancient times the Angara and Selenga were an inextricable natural reservoir. According to another legend, the river fed the Lena. Centuries-old river runoff reaches 30 km³ of water in volume. It gives up to 50% of the water flow.
The area of ​​the pool is 450 thousand square meters. km. Closer to the lake, the water element splits into a delta, which seems incredibly large. Its area is 690 sq. km. cut with numerous sleeves.
Among the rivers that flow into the Selenga, the famous reservoirs are:

• Jida.
• Temnik.
• Khilok.
• Agin Gol.
• Chica.
• Orkhon (Mongolia).

The lower course of the river falls on Buryatia, where it stretches for 410 kilometers. The total length of the Selenga is 1025 kilometers.
Most of it flows through the territory of the Mongolian steppes.
Rains are the main source of filling the watercourse.
Large cities found shelter on the banks of the Selenga:

• Ulan-Ude is the capital of Buryatia.
• Sukhbaatar - Mongolia.

The neighboring country is preparing plans to build a power plant in its part of the Selenga. The Russians abandoned this idea because of the senseless damming of the flat water area of ​​the river.

Lake Baikal differs from many other reservoirs not only in its extraordinary depth, but also in the incredible purity and transparency of the water. Such a great depth is due to the fact that it is located in a crevice of tectonic origin. Many rivers flow into the lake, but only one river carries the Baikal water with it. Quite often there is confusion about which rivers flow into Baikal and how many there are in total. But, as it turned out, these rivers were counted together with streams, and sometimes without them. Some of the shallow streams may periodically disappear due to weather conditions. It is now believed that about one and a half hundred of these streams could have disappeared altogether due to the anthropogenic factor.

According to official data, now Baikal has 336 watercourses, one of which, and a very large one, is the river flowing from Baikal - the Angara. Among the tributaries are such large rivers as the Selenga, Turka, Barguzin and Snezhnaya. Among the large tributaries of the lake there is also a river, which, with its name, introduces another confusion - this is the Upper Angara. Many confuse it with the Angara, and therefore the latter is considered a tributary instead of a drain. Smaller rivers of Baikal sometimes have very funny names: Cheryomukhovaya, Golaya, Kotochik, Durnya. The latter, however, does not flow into the lake itself, but into the Kotochik River, which, in turn, flows into Turku, and it already flows into Baikal. Nevertheless, the fact that Fool carries its waters into the "Glorious Sea" remains an irrefutable fact. And there are more than a thousand such rivers and streams! Therefore, if you walk around the entire basin, it will be problematic to count how many rivers flow into Baikal in total. Therefore, we will describe the largest rivers of Baikal.

Naughty daughter of Angara

Breaking down from the heights, the river flowing from Baikal - Angara runs away. At its source is the rock Shaman-stone. Legend has it that Father Baikal threw this stone after his runaway daughter. Love for the hero Yenisei inspired her to this escape, and in fact her father read another hero, whose name was Irkut, to be her suitors. In fact, such a powerful runoff is only beneficial for Baikal. The aforementioned streams flowing into the lake bring unpolluted water, making their way through forest thickets, located far from large industries and highways.

Baikal has another secret of cleanliness - its plankton, teeming with epishura crustaceans that process organic matter. The work of these microscopic creatures is comparable to the action of a distiller. This is where such an unprecedented transparency of water comes from, in which there are very few even dissolved salts.

Angara - clean and beautiful river with clear and clean water. Its length is 1779 km. Wide species composition fish fauna makes Angara a very attractive object for recreational fishing. More than 30 species of fish are found in the river.

Large tributaries of the Angara:

• Taseeva;
• Ilim;
• Chadobets;
• Kamenka;
• Kata and others.

Now it's time to talk about which rivers flow into Baikal. The largest of them is the Selenga. This river flows through the territory (mostly flat) of two states: first Mongolia, and then Russia. She completes her journey, breaking up into a delta near the lake. Almost half of all the water that enters Baikal is brought by the Selenga. It owes its high water to tributaries:

• Jide;
• Temnik;
• Orongoy;
• Chikoya;
• Ude and others.

Of the largest cities on this river are Ulan-Ude - the capital of Buryatia, as well as the Mongolian city of Sukhe Bator. The Mongols are thinking about power plants on the Selenga, and as for the Russian part of the river, they decided not to build hydraulic structures on it, since both the flat course of the river and the absence of large agglomerations cast doubt on the need to block the Selenga with a dam.

If you look at this river on the map, then the elongated shape of Baikal will create such an illusion that the lake is a continuation of the Upper Angara, only in the form of a reservoir. Who knows, maybe millions of years ago, nature itself arranged this wonderful supply of fresh water, opening up such a deep crevice just along the river. At first, it could have been a small flowing lake on the general path of the Angara, but this fact, apparently, has yet to be proved by Baikal researchers.

The river itself in the upper course has a difficult character. It is mountainous, fast, rapids, and even then, when it reaches the plain, it does not stop winding, breaking up into channels, then again uniting in all its might into a single channel, then again there are gaps, but the oxbow lakes do not form from them. Upper Angara approaches Baikal already quiet and calm: at the northernmost part of the lake it forms a bay with a small depth, which is called Angara Sor.

A large part of the Baikal-Amur Mainline runs along the Upper Angara. The river itself is navigable, but only in the lower reaches. Among its tributaries are:

• Koter;
• Churo;
• Yangchui;
• Angarakan.

If someone has not heard such a name near the river of Lake Baikal, then they probably saw this name on board a minibus (a shortened "Gazelle") or heard about the famous Barguzin sable. This furry animal just lives in the vicinity of the Barguzin River. The river itself flows in Buryatia. At first, it breaks down from the mountain slope - the Ikat Range, carrying its fast waters along the rapids. It is mostly fed by rain. It has tributaries - Inu, Gargu, Argadu and Ulyun. In the Amut Basin, Barguzin forms a flowing lake called Balan-Tamur.

Send a request for booking rooms from the site

The drainage basin of the lake is 540,034 sq. km (according to A.N. Afanasiev). There is still no consensus on the number of rivers flowing into Baikal. According to I.D. Chersky (1886) 336 rivers and streams flow into the lake. In 1964, the calculation of the rivers of Baikal according to topographic maps carried out by V.M. Boyarkin. According to his data, 544 watercourses (temporary and permanent) flow into Baikal, 324 from the eastern shore, 220 from the western. Rivers annually bring 60 cubic meters to Baikal. km of low-mineralized water. This is due to the fact that the area drainage basin Baikal is composed mainly of igneous and metamorphic rocks composed of insoluble minerals


Angara
Angara is one of the largest and the most unique rivers eastern Siberia. The total length of the Angara is 1779 km. It flows out of Lake Baikal in a powerful stream 1.1 km wide and up to 1.8-1.9 m deep. The average water flow at the source is 1920 cubic meters. m / s, or about 61 cubic meters. km per year. It flows into the Yenisei 83 km upstream of the city of Yeniseisk. The catchment area of ​​the Angara basin, including Lake Baikal, is 1,039,000 sq. km. Half of the basin area falls on Baikal, the rest - on the Angara proper. The length of the Angara within the region is 1360 km, the catchment area is 232,000 sq. km.
In the Angara basin, within the region, there are 38,195 different rivers and streams total length 162,603 ​​km, which is four times the circumference of the Earth at the equator.
The Angara flows through the territory of the Irkutsk region from south to north. Its valley is well developed. In some sections, it expands to 12-15 km, and in the places where the gangways exit, it narrows to 300-400 m.
Angara receives food from Lake Baikal. The Irkutsk reservoir is a natural regulator of water consumption. The Angara is fed by the waters of the tributaries, the role of which increases towards the mouth.
Before the construction of the Irkutsk hydroelectric power station, the level regime of the Angara was very peculiar. In summer, due to heavy rainfall, and in winter, due to the accumulation of bottom ice and sludge in the narrow places of the channel, the height of the water rise reached 9 m. In connection with the creation of the Irkutsk and Bratsk reservoirs, the level regime of the Angara has changed. The levels increased during the off-season and decreased during the flood due to the distribution of water over a large area.
A distinctive feature of the Angara is that it is located in a relatively severe climatic conditions, but freeze-up on it occurs later than on other rivers of Siberia and even the European part of Russia. This is explained fast current and the inflow of relatively warm deep waters from Baikal.
After the construction of the Irkutsk, Bratsk and Ust-Ilim hydroelectric power stations, the Angara does not freeze below these hydroelectric power stations, since the waters in the reservoirs warmed up over the summer do not have time to cool down in these areas.
The high degree of water content of the Angara during the year, the constancy of costs, big fall give reason to evaluate it as a river with huge reserves of hydropower resources. On the Angara, it is possible to build a cascade of hydroelectric power plants with a total capacity of 15 million kW, which can produce 90 billion kWh of electricity, that is, as much as the Volga, Kama, Dnieper and Don combined can provide.
Irkutsk, Bratsk, Ust-Ilimsk hydroelectric power stations were built on the Angara. As a result, the Angara turned into a chain of reservoirs and a deep lake-river highway.
The creation of a cascade of hydroelectric power stations and reservoirs introduced fundamental changes in the hydrobiological regime of the Angara, greatly hindered the natural connection of the river with Baikal, and led to a significant transformation of the species composition of flora and fauna.
The largest left-sided tributaries of the Angara are the Irkut, Kitoy, Belaya, Oka, Uda, Biryusa; small right-sided tributaries - Ushakovka, Kuda, Ida, Osa, Uda, Ilim.

Selenga
Selenga is the most major tributary Baikal. The beginning of the river takes on the territory of the Mongolian People's Republic, where it is formed from the confluence of the Ider and Muren rivers. The total length of the Selenga is 1591 km. The catchment area is 445,000 sq. km, annual flow - 28.9 cubic meters. km.
The Selenga provides half of the total mass of water entering Baikal from all its tributaries. It flows into the lake in several branches along a wide swampy lowland, forming a delta that extends far into Baikal.
The hydronym "Selenga" comes from the Evenk "sele" - iron. Another version of the origin of the name of the river from the Buryat "Selenge", which means - smooth, spacious, calm.

Barguzin
Barguzin is the third, after the Selenga and the Upper Angara, in terms of water content, a tributary of Baikal. It originates from the slopes of the Barguzinsky Range. The river gives Baikal 7% of its total annual water inflow. The Barguzin flows through the Barguzin depression. The length of the river is 480 km. Its fall from source to mouth is 1344 m. The catchment area of ​​the river is 19,800 square meters. km, annual flow - 3.54 cubic meters. km.
The name of the river comes from the antonym "Barguts" - an ancient Mongol-speaking tribe, close to the Buryats, who once inhabited the Barguzin valley. “Barguts” - comes from the Buryat “barga” - wilderness, wilderness, outskirts.

Rivers Hamar - Dabana

The slopes of the ridge are cut by deep and narrow river valleys, the density of the Khamar-Daban river network is 0.7-0.8 per 1 sq. km. km.
Often there are canyons with steep multi-meter walls and picturesque, bizarre rocks. Such canyons have the rivers Snezhnaya, Utulik, Langutai, Selenginka, Khara-Murin, Pereemnaya. Canyons are rightfully considered impassable, and impassable into big water. Rivers are characterized by an abundance of rapids and waterfalls. Particularly beautiful are the sections of the rivers in the places where they break through the ridge. Almost all rivers of the ridge originate in the pre-bald and bald belts. Their channels are short, with a steep fall. There are many lakes on Khamar-Daban. The largest of them: Patovoe, Tagley, Sable. There are dozens of small lakes and waterfalls in cars and circuses.

Lake Baikal is a unique and amazing creation of nature. Its beauty, majesty and transparent depth of water conquer at first sight.

For the vast expanses, Siberians call the most deep lake planets by the sea. Baikal was recognized as an object in 1996 world heritage UNESCO.

Several figures characterizing Baikal

The history of Lake Baikal begins 25–30 million years ago. The water basin of the lake was formed under the influence of tectonic processes. Earthquakes periodically occur in the vicinity of Lake Baikal and hit thermal springs. Natural transformations are still taking place in the lake. Every year it increases by 2 centimeters in width.

Baikal location on the map of Russia - South part Eastern Siberia. The territory of the lake is crossed by the borders of the Republic of Buryatia and the Irkutsk region. If you look at Baikal from space, it will look like a depression in the shape of new moon located in the heart of Asia.

The length of the lake is 620 km. The width is 24 km at its narrowest point and 79 km at its widest. And the water surface area is 31,722 km², which puts Baikal in seventh place in the world among largest lakes.

The bottom of the lake is 1167 m below the ocean level, and the surface of its waters is 455.5 m higher.

According to the latest research, the maximum depth of the lake is 1642 m, which makes Baikal the deepest lake in the world. And the volume of water in the lake is simply gigantic - 23615.39 km³. Baikal contains 1/5 and 9/10 of Russian freshwater reserves. There are 27 islands in the water area of ​​Lake Baikal. About 336 permanent rivers feed the lake with their water, and only one flows out - big river Angara.

Natural uniqueness

Baikal water is unique, like the lake itself. Its transparency reaches 40 m and decreases slightly with the onset of algal blooms. The transparency of water is explained by the fact that it is very weakly mineralized, has a lot of oxygen in its composition and has the properties of distilled water.

Despite the fact that Eastern Siberia is dominated by continental climate, the weather on Baikal is significantly different from other areas. This is explained by the fact that the basin of the lake is surrounded by ridges, overgrown with forest along the entire coast. Thanks to this protective barrier, the lake has its own unique microclimate. The temperature difference reaches 10 degrees. It is cooler in summer on Lake Baikal, and warmer in winter than in nearby cities and towns. The depth of the water does not allow the lake to warm up much, which is why evaporation is negligible, so there is no a large number clouds. As a result, the sun shines over Baikal most of the time.

Flora and fauna

ancient origin, geographical features and the unique climate contributed to the development of a wide variety of plants and animals in Baikal. Siberian scientists count 2630 species of fauna and flora in the lake, of which 84% are endemic, that is, found only in Baikal.

coastal nature

The flora of the lake coast is rich and varied. More than 2,000 plant species grow here, some of which are striking in their originality:

• Siberian cedar, famous Siberian pine, Siberian larch- known for their healing power;
• Daurian rhododendron - a plant of the heather family of rare beauty;
• the famous walking or walking trees are another miracle of Baikal. The trunks and roots of trees are raised above the ground to a height of up to 3 m, and it seems that they are standing on stilts.

In the coastal forests of Lake Baikal there are many mammals: bears, lynxes, wolverines, red deer, the famous Barguzin sables and other animals of the northern latitudes. And on the shore of Lake Baikal you can meet little deer in the world - musk deer.

The aquatic flora of Lake Baikal is represented by a wide variety of algae, as well as flowering and bryophyte plants, of which 79 species have been identified. Underwater vegetable world plays an important role in the life of the lake. Its thickets are a place of concentration of zooplankton, feeding and breeding of fish. Growing along the circumference of the reservoir, they create a kind of filter and prevent pollutants from entering the lake. Aquatic plants accelerate the process of self-purification of water from oil products, and some of them are able to absorb radioactive isotopes.

Animal world

Baikal's water fauna is amazingly rich and diverse. About 2600 representatives of aquatic fauna live in the depths of the lake. Almost 1000 of them are endemic. This diversity is explained by the fact that in the Baikal water great content oxygen. 27 species of fish live in the lake, which are not found anywhere else in the world. The most famous of them:

• Baikal sturgeon;
• Baikal omul;
• golomyanka is a viviparous fish. Consists of 35% fat and lives at great depths.

Unique invertebrates

The most numerous group of Baikal living world is invertebrates. The lake is also home to all sorts of species. freshwater shellfish, barnacles and oligochaetes. A special place in the aquatic environment of Lake Baikal is occupied by the crustacean epishura, which is also found nowhere else in the world. It's amazing little creature 1.5 mm in size plays essential role in the Baikal ecosystem. Epishura, passing Baikal water through itself, filters and purifies it. Thanks to her, Baikal has such clean water. In addition, the crustacean is the main zooplankton biomass of the lake and plays a significant role in the food chain of the reservoir.

Another miracle of Lake Baikal - a unique Baikal seal living in fresh water (seals, as a rule, live only in the seas and oceans).

It is the only mammal in the lake.

According to scientists, the Baikal seal got into the lake during ice age. It is under state protection.

Ecology

As in other parts of the world, ecological problems did not bypass Baikal. For centuries, people have been using the riches of Baikal: they get furs, fish, harvest berries, pine nuts, and cut down forests. Due to the thoughtless use of the natural resources of Baikal, they simply do not have time to recover.

Beyond exhaustion natural resources, exists As the world's water reserves decrease, Baikal's huge reservoir of fresh water is becoming increasingly important in the world. Sources of harmful effects on aquatic environment several lakes:

• settled on the shores of Baikal seven settlements that do not have treatment facilities;
• water transport leaves oil waste in the water;
• numerous tourists contribute in the form of an endless stream of garbage;
• significant damage to the ecosystem of Baikal was caused by the Baikal Pulp and Paper Mill. In December 2013, by decision of the Russian government, it was closed;
• the Selenga River carries its dirty waters into the crystal clear water of the lake. Her path begins in Mongolia and flows past big cities which pollute the water.