The Kuban River is the main waterway of the North Caucasus. A network of water capillaries permeates Karachay-Cherkessia, Stavropol and Krasnodar territories and Adygea. On the map, the Kuban River and its tributaries cover almost the entire territory of southern Russia.
Source and characteristics of the Kuban River
On the western slopes of Mount Elbrus, at an altitude of 1339 m above sea level, where Ullukam and Uchkulap merge, there is a place where it originates great river Kuban. Elbrus ice cap with an area of 134.5 square meters. km., reliably hides the source of the Kuban River.
The total length of the channel is 870 kilometers, and if you take into account the Ullukam tributary, it is almost 900. For comparison, the distance between Moscow and St. Petersburg is slightly more than 700 kilometers.
River basin
The basin area is 57,900 thousand km.
All the way water flow can be divided into four main areas (altitude above sea level is indicated in parentheses):
- Middle mountains (above 1000 m) - ends in the Cherkessk region.
- Low mountains (from 1000 to 500 m).
- Plains (from 500 to 200 m) - from Nevinnomyssk.
- Lowlands (below 200 m).
Peculiarities
In the upper reaches it flows through a treeless valley. The width of the channel to the city of Cherkessk increases from 6 m to 130 m. The bottom of the channel consists of pieces of rock mixed with pebbles. There are many rapids and rifts in this area. The current is fast up to 0.7 m/s.
Kuban River Ust-Labinsk The valley in the middle reaches to the city of Ust-Labinsk becomes wider, the slope is less, bends alternate with straight sections of the channel. The width varies from 110 m to 160 m, and there are many islands. The bottom consists of sand, gravel and pebbles
The Kuban in its lower reaches before and after the Krasnodar reservoir becomes more tortuous, more branched, the floodplain is divided into many branches. Formed by silt combined with sand, the channel widens from 160 to 210 m.
In the upper reaches of the Kuban is clean and transparent, but in the lower reaches its color is cloudy and brown. If you pour such water into a glass, hardly anyone will dare to drink it. Particles of coastal clay make it muddy. The fast current constantly picks up sand, pebbles, and stones from the bottom and carries them into the Sea of Azov. For this reason, few Krasnodar residents swim in the river.
Compared to the left bank, which is relatively flat and covered with woody vegetation, the right bank is characterized by depth and steepness of the relief and the absence of forest cover.
Nutrition and regimen
The river is fed by:
- melt water from glaciers (20%);
- groundwater (15%);
- rain and snow (65%).
The upper and middle reaches are characterized by long floods from April to July and short-term autumn ones. IN winter time the water in the river does not rise.
Below the mouth of the Laba River (the left tributary of the Kuban), a long-term increase in water level occurs in the spring-summer period, and short-term but powerful rises are possible in autumn and winter.
Depending on the time of year, the water temperature ranges from 0.4 to 12.4 degrees in the upper reaches of the Kuban and from 1.7 to 24.2 degrees in the lower reaches. Minimum temperatures recorded in January and February, maximum in August.
By December, the river freezes, but the ice cover along the entire length of the channel is unstable, its thickness is no more than 20 cm. The duration of freeze-up does not exceed 50 days, and by the beginning of March the river opens up.
Tributaries and shipping
The Kuban River belongs to the Atlantic Ocean basin.
IN river system The Kuban includes 14 thousand rivers. Due to the terrain, left-bank tributaries predominate, which begin on the western slopes of the Caucasus Mountains.
Largest left:
- Afips;
- Psekups;
- White;
- Laba;
- Pshish.
There are only three right tributaries:
- Mara;
- Dzheguta;
- Bitter.
The total length of the Kuban river network is 9,842 kilometers, which also includes 617 lakes with a total area of 1,771 square meters. km.
The average annual flow is 13.5 km3, water flow near Krasnodar is 425 m3 per second.
Starting from Ust-Labinsk, the river becomes navigable. The depth of the riverbed in some places reaches 12 meters.
Mouth and delta of the Kuban River
In close proximity to the Sea of Azov, where the Kuban River flows, a vast swampy delta is formed.
Now, flowing into the sea, the river forms three main branches:
- “Petrushkin Sleeve” – the main one (115 km), replenishes the Temryuk Bay Sea of Azov.
- The channel, the right navigable branch, separates near the village of Achuevo, 111 km from the mouth. Half of all Kuban water flows through the Protoka into the Sea of Azov.
- The Cossack Erik (left branch) through the Peresyp branch enters the Bolshoi Akhtanizovsky Estuary, and from there into the Sea of Azov.
Previously, the Kuban could flow into the Black Sea. This fact is evidenced by a lake in the river’s floodplain, which was once its left branch and flowed into the largest Kiziltash estuary in the south, adjacent to the Black Sea.
Etymology of the name
Kuban has always had special significance for the region, and therefore has been awarded more than three hundred names in the languages of the different nationalities inhabiting its shores. But if you think about it, most of them mean the same thing.
“Koban”, “hoban”, “khoban” - these words are translated as “stormy, fast, impetuous”.
To some extent, its name is consonant with the Greek hippos, which means “horse”, that is, a river with a horse’s temper.
Kuban is winding and obstinate in its upper reaches, because it literally cuts its way through mountain passes, canyons and gorges.
Cities
The banks of this waterway and its tributaries are home to approximately three and a half million people. Large cities are located on the river:
- Cherkessk;
- Nevinnomyssk;
- Armavir;
- Novokubansk;
- Kropotkin;
- Ust-Labinsk;
- Krasnodar;
- Slavyansk-on-Kuban;
- Temryuk.
Reservoirs
People who live on the banks of the Kuban are directly dependent on the vagaries of the water element, so regulating the water level is a task of paramount importance for them. The construction of reservoirs, which only in Krasnodar region seven:
- Atakayskoe (Upper and Lower);
- Varnavinskoe;
- Krasnodar;
- Kryukovskoe;
- Shapsugskoe;
- Neberdzhaevskoe.
IN Soviet time Eight more reservoirs were built, which still successfully perform their functions.
Artificial reservoirs serve to accumulate water during the spring melting of snow. During droughts, they help solve problems of shipping and agriculture.
Water is used to generate electricity, the importance of which in our lives is difficult to overestimate. This purpose is served by the Kuban Hydroelectric Power Station Cascade of nine hydroelectric power stations and one pumped storage station located in the Karachay-Cherkess Republic, Krasnodar and Stavropol Territories.
Ecological situation
Industry, Agriculture, shipping, human economic activity negatively affects ecological state water artery. Discharge is especially harmful Wastewater saturated with organic substances that deprive the river of oxygen, causing the water to become unsuitable for life valuable species fish and for human needs.
To negative natural natural factors affecting the river ecosystem should include unstable water regime. Reservoirs regulate the water level and thereby partially solve this problem.
Maintaining the water level in the river during droughts prevents siltation and swamping, preserving the natural habitats and reproduction of flora and fauna ( rare breeds muskrats, spawning grounds for commercial fish).
Fauna and flora
The nature of Kuban is a specific ecosystem with unique animals and flora. This is primarily facilitated by the combination of subtropical and temperate climate with mild winters and not very hot summers.
For 386 species of rare and endangered representatives of flora and fauna, the river banks have become their home.
Plants
The coastline is being decorated weeping willows, reeds and reeds and burr grass grow densely; cattails, sedges, telores, susak and arrowheads are also found.
The surface of the water is decorated with water lilies, and the Taman Estuary is decorated with lotuses.
At the bottom there are many varieties of algae, including hornwort and spicata.
Thanks to the climate, rice grows well in the delta.
The Kuban river water contains more than four hundred forms and types of plankton: rotifers and mollusks, as well as worms, crustaceans and other protozoa.
Animal world
Feathered predators fly in the sky above the pond, for example: peregrine falcons and falcons.
There are many waterfowl on the river: wild geese and ducks, gray herons, bitterns, for which frogs, algae, fry and small fish are the main food.
On the estuaries you can see white swans, pelicans and cormorants.
The musky swamp rat, the muskrat, lives in the Chernoerkovsky and Akhtarsky floodplains.
Kuban on the World map
A fisherman's dream
Among the residents of central Russia there are legends about fishing in the Kuban. Every fisherman dreams of visiting here.
Indeed, the Kuban will not let anyone go without a trophy: the river is home to 106 species of fish. Some of them are not found anywhere else:
- fisherman;
- shemaya;
- Kuban barbel;
- Caucasian chub.
In the lower reaches, river and sea fish are caught simultaneously:
- silver carp;
- ram;
- sprat;
- carp;
- zander;
- tench;
- White amur;
- saberfish;
- goby;
- asp;
- silver crucian carp;
- perch;
- rudd and others.
In areas with fast currents You can catch a chub or barbel. To do this, you will have to stock up on reliable gear, since these representatives of the carp family will resist mercilessly. You can still take chub on a spinning rod, but to catch barbel you will need a donka.
In places with quiet currents, in the bays up to impressive size carp, carp, bream and crucian carp grow. The only thing that can ruin fishing is coastal and bottom vegetation. But if there is a wooden or rubber boat, a rich catch is guaranteed.
Lower Kuban– a quiet place where you can fish all year round.
A large bream can be pulled out in early spring, pike, perch and sorog continue to be taken well in the summer. At this time, for some reason, fish prefer vegetarianism - feeding, bait and bait of plant origin.
With the onset of autumn, synthetic baits begin to work. But this does not mean that animal complementary foods should be abandoned. It works any time.
Winter fishing in these places is not popular, since the river ice in winter is weak and freeze-up lasts only one month - February.
Underwater hunting for carp, catfish, pike, buffalo, and pike perch is gaining popularity. The best time for such fishing is the beginning of autumn, when excessive turbidity disappears and the water becomes much clearer.
When going fishing, you should definitely stock up on additional equipment, since snags are common here.
Shemaya
Hunting for shemaya is considered especially chic. This fish is so tender, tasty and fatty that in Persia it is called “shah-mage”, that is, royal fish. More often it is smoked or dried.
The length of the shemaya is 25–32 centimeters, weight up to 800 grams. It is found exclusively in the Azov and Caspian basins, and less commonly in the Black Sea.
Bream
For bream, it is better to go to steep banks, to greater depths. A signal that bream lives here is a shell bottom, since shells are the basis of its diet.
Having chosen a place, you need to stock up on a long rod and a set of sinkers, because the current can be very different. Bream is a coward, so the fishing spot must first be properly fed. These gourmets love a variety of food and flavors.
Chekhon moves in schools, and perhaps someone will be lucky enough to catch it in the most unexpected areas: in shallow water, near deep holes, and within complex bottom topography, as well as on the border of fast and slow currents.
Suitable baits include a worm, maggot, and caddis. Insects will come in handy: flies, wasps, horseflies. The saberfish does not ignore artificial baits, because it is a predator fish. Loves groundbait and catches well on donka.
Hunting for saberfish is a real sporting passion for professionals. This is a fish of increased speed, strength and agility. When playing, it will tumble and bounce, bend and create vibrations with its tail.
Trophy specimens weigh 2 kg and are half a meter long. However, to achieve such dimensions, she needs to live for 10 years under comfortable feeding conditions. The standard for this fish is 300-600 grams, 30-40 centimeters, age 3-5 years.
They say that more than a hundred years ago, one Kuban artel caught the largest specimen in Russia, which weighed 3.5 kg and was 60 centimeters long.
Som
There is plenty of this fish in Kuban, but catching catfish is not so easy. You can catch your lifelong dream both from the shore and from a boat. The main thing in this matter is depth.
It is better to catch a nocturnal predator after dark and not alone. Otherwise, the disappointment of getting off the hook of the prey, which seemed so close, will not let you sleep for a long time.
A predatory fish will be able to tear the gear and make you temporarily forget about controlling the boat, which will seem unreliable at this moment.
A fish of remarkable strength that will resist to the last.
The chub develops its best appetite in August–September. It is worth choosing warm, sunny, low-wind days. You can fish with a donk or a float.
Fish loves clear weather, strong gear and silence. It is used to living in gullies, on rifts and changes in depth.
Rest on the river
The shores of Kuban are suitable for lovers of active and more relaxing holidays.
Here you can meet tourists camping along the reservoir and kayaking enthusiasts.
Boat or boat trips are popular in these places. The river breeze, coolness, favorite drinks, picturesque views - this is what attracts vacationers.
Extreme water tourism is also developing in Kuban. From early spring until late autumn Descents along the upper reaches of the river, rich in mountain rapids and rifts, are possible. The main danger during rafting will be rubble, snags, sharp stones and industrial waste.
You can go kayaking, inflatable boats or rafts. More suitable for these purposes top part rivers. Equipment for rafting and overnight stays is provided by the tour organizers.
River tourism is supported at the level of regional authorities; competitions in both extreme sports and fishing are held annually in the Krasnodar Territory.
Kuban has two namesakes. The first is located in the Kostroma region and flows into the Volga. Its length is only 24 kilometers.
The Second Kuban flows in Siberia, in Kemerovo region. Its length is 10 kilometers.
There are at least 12 settlements named Kuban. Lipetsk has its own Kuban, Kursk region, in Karachay-Cherkessia, in Kazakhstan and in Ukraine, and in the Oryol and Bryansk regions there are two settlements with the same name.
The rugby and women's handball clubs are named after the river, as well as football club Krasnodar region
People of the older generation remember the coffee drink made from chicory "Kuban", the branded train Moscow - Novorossiysk and a specialized bus that was produced by the Krasnodar Mechanical Plant.
Rich in its history, containing natural resources, the Kuban River plays important role in the lives of the people inhabiting its shores, and is a unique vacation spot for Russians.
Having visited the source of the Kuban River twice - on a rafting trip in 2004 and 2008, I still couldn’t manage to visit the mouth of the Kuban, near the Sea of Azov. And so, a journey along the sea coast near Anapa led us to the mouth of the Kuban - 2015!
The length of the Kuban is almost a thousand kilometers: from the foot of gray Elbrus, along the Black Sea coast, and finally, near Taman, the river flows into a vast delta into the Sea of Azov!
And, of course, the Kuban in the upper reaches differs sharply from the deep and quiet Kuban, which flows into the sea with its branches! All rafting tourists know the interesting rapids in the upper reaches of the Kuban, this is the mighty Zhelob, the Aman-Khyt rapids (Bad Place), and the cheerful Kamennomostsky rapids, where the Nomads happily jumped like dummies back in 2004!
All this is Kuban!
And how beautifully the snow cap of the majestic Elbrus rises above the Kuban valley! This is also a must see!
The views of the Kuban River valley in Karachay-Cherkessia are very beautiful, it was not in vain that we set aside a whole day and climbed the surrounding mountains and gorges, there are even separate tales of the Nomads about this!
Duration - 5 - 6 days
You can get to the village of Uchkulan at the source of the Kuban (the confluence of the Ullukam and Uchkulan rivers) by bus Cherkessk - Khurzuk; travel to Cherkessk by local train from Nevinnomyssk.
The Kuban below Uchkulan flows with fast channels in a deep, narrow treeless gorge. There are many rocky rifts and suspension bridges - some hang low over the water. 
From the village of Polyana the river valley is even narrower and more picturesque, overgrown mixed forest. The Kuban here gathers into one channel, the rifts become powerful, rapids appear, pressures appear, or water piles up on large boulders and meter-long swells. In the riverbed and along the banks there are stones with sharp edges. The complex rift is located in front of the Red Bridge across the river above the mouth of the left tributary - Dauta (26th km of the Karachaevsk - Uchkulan highway). 2 km below, near the suspension bridge, there is a rapid that should be explored, especially when kayaking and inflatable boats. Kuban River 
14 km above Karachaevsk begins the 1.5-kilometer Aman-Hit canyon (in Karachay - “bad place”) - the most serious obstacle in the Kuban. Aman-Hit is distinguished by an abundance of large boulders and rock fragments in the riverbed, steep discharges, foam pits between stones, and high shafts with a tilting top.
The most difficult section of the canyon is from the kilometer post 36/13 of the highway, where the river leaves little time for maneuver among the huge boulders and the success of the passage is largely determined by the correct entrance to the rapids. A thorough exploration of the entire canyon is necessary.
NATURAL MONUMENTS
In the territory municipality The following specially protected natural areas are located in the Temryuk region:
International significance:
Wetlands of the Akhtaro-Grivensky system of estuaries and a group of estuaries between the Kuban and Protoka rivers (Ramsar sites), located in the floodplain zone of the eastern part of the Temryuk region.
Regional significance:
Natural monuments “Mount Miska” of natural and historical significance (Temryuk); The Yakhno tract for recreational purposes (the bank of the Tsokur estuary); scientific and educational purposes: “Karabetova Gora” (Taman rural settlement), “Akhtanizovskaya Sopka” (Akhtanizovskaya station), Cape Tuzla (the westernmost point of the Krasnodar Territory), Cape Panagia (12 km southwest of Taman station), Cape Zhelezny Rog (10 km south of Taman station); recreational and health purposes: lake Solenoye (Novotamanskoe rural settlement), lake Golubitskoye (station Golubitskaya).
The Taman-Zaporozhye state hunting reserve is located on the Taman Peninsula in the western part of the Temryuk region in the waters of the Taman and Dinsky bays, with a total area of 30 thousand hectares.
Local significance:
The natural monument “Micro-reserve “Podmayachny” (the eastern border of the lands of the Akhtanizovsky rural settlement) is a place where plants listed in the Red Book grow.
The natural monument “Oak Market” is located on Mount Oak Market in the Starotitorovsky rural settlement.
Starting from the city of Ust-Labinsk, the river is navigable. Previously, in the lower reaches of the Kuban formed a large delta. It has now been partially drained and used for agricultural purposes, and the main branches have been strengthened and regulated. 111 km from the Sea of Azov is separated by the right navigable arm of the Protoka, through which almost half of its waters are discharged into the Sea of Azov near the working village of Achuevo.
Before reaching the sea, about 20 km, the Kuban is separated to the left by the Old Kuban branch, which flows into the Kiziltash estuary adjacent to the Black Sea. It was this branch that was the deepest in the 19th century, that is, we can say that the Kuban previously flowed into the Black Sea. Now the main channel (Petrushin sleeve) flows into the Temryuk Bay of the Sea of Azov near the city of Temryuk by the so-called Verbena branch. Another branch of the Cossack Erik flows into the Bolshoi Akhtanizovsky Estuary, which is also adjacent to the Sea of Azov. Thus, Kuban belongs to the Atlantic Ocean basin.
Water resources represented by deep left-bank tributaries of the middle reaches of the Kuban River, such as Afips, Psekups, Belaya, Laba, Pshish and their tributaries and right-bank tributaries, such as Mara, Dzheguta and Gorkaya, form a river network with a length of 9482 km. In total, more than 14,000 large and small tributaries flow into the Kuban.
Tens of thousands of years ago, on the site of the modern Kuban delta there was a huge bay of the Azov Sea, which stretched from the Taman Peninsula to present-day Primorsko-Akhtarsk and inland all the way to Krasnodar. Gradually, as a result of the activity of the river and the sea, a bay bar was formed, which separated the sea from the bay and turned it into a lagoon, which over time was filled with river sediments and turned into the low-lying Kuban delta with numerous shallow estuaries connecting them with channels and extensive swampy floodplains. Mud volcanoes of the Taman Peninsula also played some role in the formation of the southern part of the ancient Kuban delta.
In the 19th century, half of the Kuban River flow was directed through Old Kuban to the Black Sea estuary Kiziltashsky, and from there to the Black Sea. Then an embankment was made, and the flow through Staraya Kuban stopped. Relatively recently, a desalination canal was built along the route of the dead Black Sea channel, through which the waters of the Kuban again flow into the Kiziltash estuary for the needs of the mullet farm established there. In 1973-1975, the Krasnodar reservoir was filled, which absorbed Tshchikskoye.
- one of the largest deltas in Russia, located at the mouth of the Kuban River. The area of the Kuban delta is about 4,300 km² (1/4 the size of the Volga delta - the largest in Europe). The Kuban delta occupies almost half of the eastern coast of the Sea of Azov, to the basin of which its waters belong. The mouth of the main branch flows into the sea near Temryuk, but the extensive coastline of the delta stretches from the city of Primorsko-Akhtarsk in the north to the village of Nizhneye Dzhemete in the south.
Thus, the Taman Peninsula also falls into the modern Kuban delta, South part which is washed by the waters of the Black Sea, which makes the Kuban delta one of the most unusual deltas in the world. Length coastline within the delta is about 280 km, of which about 160 km are on the coast of the Azov Sea and 120 on the coast of the Black Sea. The modern peak of the Kuban delta begins 116 km up from the mouth along the main channel; near the village of Razdera near the city of Slavyansk-on-Kuban, where its largest branch, the Protoka, separates from the Kuban to the right, carrying up to 40% of the Kuban water and flowing into the sea near the village of Achuevo.
The modern delta of the Kuban is a swampy coastal lowland with numerous estuaries, lakes, channels, islands and islets, eriks, extensive floodplains overgrown with reeds, reeds and sedges. Located on the border of temperate and subtropical climates, the Kuban delta has rich flora and fauna. Both temperate and acclimatized subtropical plants (lotus, rice) coexist here.
The delta is fed by the Kuban River, which originates from the glaciers of the Caucasus, including Mount Elbrus. This is the second most important river flowing into the Sea of Azov, after the Don. The length of Kuban is 870 km. Square drainage basin- 57,900 km². Every year, about 13.5 km³ flows into the delta from the catchment fresh water, about 2.5 km³ is retained in swamps and floodplains and is spent on evaporation and seepage. The flow from the delta into the sea is relatively small - about 11.0 km³, and it decreased significantly after the creation of the Krasnodar reservoir.
Previously, the Sea of Azov reached the territory of modern Krasnodar, and the Taman Peninsula was an archipelago of several fairly large islands. Because of high content suspensions in the water, the ancient bay of the Sea of Azov, as well as the straits between the relict islands were filled with silt. The activity of small mud volcanoes (salsa) of the Taman Peninsula also played an important role in the formation of the southwestern part of the delta. Many Azov lagoons were filled with products of volcanic eruptions.
FLOW HOSE
The channel is the right branch of the Kuban River from the Fedorovsky hydroelectric complex (Tikhovsky farmstead) to the Sea of Azov (the village of Achuevo).
Separates the Slavyansky district from the Krasnoarmeysky and Primorsko-Akhtarsky districts. Length 140 km. It is navigable along its entire length, but is almost never used in this capacity. Water is actively withdrawn from the river for irrigation of the rice systems of the Slavyansky and Krasnoarmeysky districts, as well as for desalination of flood plains (estuaries).
Previously it was called “Kara-Kuban” (Black Kuban), “Kumli-Kuban”, “Black Channel” and finally just Channel. The Protoka railway station in the city of Slavyansk-on-Kuban is named after the river.
Settlements on the left bank: the Serbina farm, the city of Slavyansk-on-Kuban, the village. Sovkhozny, village. Pribrezhny, village Sadovy, the villages of Baranikovsky, Neshchadimovsky, Vodny, Pogorelovo, Galitsyn, Krasnoarmeysky town, Zaboysky, Derevyankovka, the villages of Golubaya Niva and Achuevo. On the right: the villages of Tikhovsky, Korzhevsky, Turkovsky, Chigrina, Krizhanovsky, Trudobelikovsky, Protichka, Prototsky, the villages of Cheburgolskaya and Grivenskaya.
KIZILTASH LIMAN
Kiziltashsky estuary (from the Turkic kiziltash - red stone) is a large estuary in the delta of the Kuban River, located in the Krasnodar region of Russia. The largest estuary in the Russian south.
The estuary has an irregular rounded shape. Its length from west to east is about 18.5 km, from north to south about 14 km. Area - 137 km². In the north it is connected by a channel to the Tsokur estuary. The Bugaz estuary, with which the Kiziltash estuary is connected by a strait, communicates in the eastern part with the Black Sea. Until the beginning of the twentieth century, it was into this estuary that the most of waters of Kuban. Gradual siltation led to a shift of the river bed to the north. Later, the fresh watercourse was restored thanks to the clearing of the bed of the Old Kuban. However, the Black Sea waters flow into the estuary, making it salty.
Peloids are mined in the Kiziltash estuary. The bottom of the estuary is filled with soft and plastic silt of a dark color with a strong smell of hydrogen sulfide, so the estuary is a source of healing mud. There is a mullet farm.
COSSACK ERIC
Cossack erik is a river (erik) in the Krasnodar region of Russia, a branch of the Kuban.
Erik was dug up by the Cossacks in XIX century, and I've been digging for 40 years.
Erik separates from the Kuban below the Protoka River and flows into the Akhtanizovsky Estuary. The river accounts for about 25% of the water flow of the Kuban River. The water in the river is muddy; The banks are overgrown with willows and reeds. There are catfish, pike, perch, crucian carp, sabrefish, cockroach, as well as crayfish, turtles, and snakes.
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SOURCE OF MATERIALS AND PHOTO:
Team Nomads.
Water register of Russia.
Great Soviet Encyclopedia.
http://www.psekups.ru/
Dinnik N. Ya.,. Kuban, river // encyclopedic Dictionary Brockhaus and Efron: in 86 volumes (82 volumes and 4 additional). - St. Petersburg, 1890-1907.
Cherednichenko L.I. Paleogeography of the Kuban basin // Kuban local historian. — 1992.
Wikipedia website.
http://www.photosight.ru/
Kuban River Basin
In terms of size and water content, the Kuban River basin is the largest in the North Caucasus. It stretches from the Taman Peninsula in the west to Elbrus in the east. Kuban flows into the Sea of Azov. Its source is taken to be the confluence of rivers Uchkulan and Ullukam. With a catchment area of 57900 sq. km. the total length of the rivers in the basin is 38,325 km, and total number rivers equals 13,569. The length of Kuban itself is 870 km.
In the river basin, almost all tributaries originate from the slopes of the Western Caucasus, flowing from the left bank. Major tributaries include: Laba(catchment area 12,500 sq. km., river length 214 km), White (5990, 265), Big(2730, 120) and Small (1850, 65) Zelenchuk, Urup (3220, 232), Pshish(1850, 258), etc.
The Kuban River is fed by melting glaciers, seasonal snow, rain and groundwater. Most of the tributaries originating in the high-mountain zone of the basin are Big and Small Zelenchuk, Kizgych, Teberda, Ullukam and others - receive glacial nutrition.
The water regime of the Kuban River is divided into 3 hydrological regions:
- rivers upstream(to the river mouth Bekes) inclusive;
- river basins Chamlyk, Fars, Belaya;
- tributaries of the lower reaches (from the confluence of the river. Pshish to the mouth);
In the first region, waters formed due to the melting of glaciers and snowfields play a large role in feeding the rivers. For the second, rain floods play an important role.
Rivers of the Azov-Kuban Lowland
The Eya River is the longest and most abundant river Azov-Kuban lowland. It originates at the spurs Stavropol Upland, 5 km from the village Novopokrovskaya and is formed from the confluence of two small rivers Karasuna and Upornaya. The Eya River flows into the Sea of Azov below the village of Staroshcherbinovskaya. Its length is 311 km. total area drainage basin 8650 sq. km. The largest right-bank tributary is Kugo-Eya, having a length of 108 km with a catchment area of 1260 sq. km. Another major influx is Kavalerka River, 78 km long and a drainage area of 695 sq. km. On the left it flows into Eyu Sosyka River, having a length of 159 km and a drainage area of 2030 sq. km., as well as small Ternovaya and Veselaya rivers.
There are numerous ponds on the Eya and its tributaries; they are used for watering, fishing and energy. The high mineralization of Eu makes it unsuitable for irrigation
The Chelbas River flows southwest of Eya. The source of the river is located near the northern outskirts of the village Temizhbek. The length of Chelbas is about 288 km, the area is 3950 sq. km. It flows into the Beysugsky estuary. Main tributaries: Middle Chelbas, Borisovka and Tikhonkaya. Average annual consumption at the village Novoplatnirovskaya 2.41 m3/s.
About 120 ponds were built on the Chelbas River. Heavily overgrown and silted Chelbas reveals shining example a river in a state of old age and decline.
Beysug River - third longest and second largest of the rivers Azov region. Its sources are springs located 9 km northwest of Kropotkin. The Beysug flows into the Beysug estuary near the village Brinkovskaya. Its length is 243 km, the catchment area is 5190 sq. km. The most significant tributaries: Beysuzhek left and Beysuzhek right. The width of the river bed in the upper reaches reaches 200 m with a bank height of 5-7 m. In the middle reaches, the width of the river bed is 400 m. In the lower and middle reaches, the Beysug is very winding, sometimes forming wide reaches, bays and oxbow lakes. Below the page Bryukhovetskaya the floods are coming. The river is fed by precipitation and springs.
Kirpili River- It starts 7-8 km northwest of the village Ladoga and flows into Kirpilsky estuary 10 km north of the village Stepnoy. The length of the river is 202 km, the drainage basin area is 2650 sq. km. Tributaries: Kochety and Kirpilitsy. The bricks meander strongly, and its bed is mostly covered with reeds. This is a low-water river, its average annual flow near the village is Medvedovskaya is about 2 m3/s. There are about 100 ponds in the river basin for agricultural and fishing purposes.
Rivers Black Sea coast
Within the Krasnodar region from the dense southern slopes Greater Caucasus, covered with dense forests, rapidly carry their waters into the Black Sea, hundreds of fast mountain rivers. It is really worth noting that local residents They dump their sewage and all kinds of garbage into them, which accordingly flows into the sea.
The most mineralized river in the Black Sea basin: Gotagay 940 mg/l.
Psou River flows on the border between Russian Federation and Abkhazia, unrecognized by the world community. Starts west of Agepsta mountains, at an altitude of about 2730 m and flows into the Black Sea, 3 km southeast of Adler. Large tributaries: Psycho And Besh. The river is fed by snow and rain. The annual flow is about 650 million m3.
Mzymta- translated from Circassian as “Mad”. And it fully lives up to its name! Beginning of the shore near the mountain Loyub, at an altitude of 2980 m. Flows into the Black Sea near Adler. Mzymta is very picturesque. Two kilometers from the source it flows into Lake Kardyvach. There are several waterfalls on the river, the highest is 15 m. The largest tributaries: Psluh, Pudziko, Chvezhipse. On its way, Mzymta crosses the following ridges: Aibga-Achishkho, Atskhu-Katsirkha and Akhshtyr. Very picturesque gorge Atskhu. Near the village Krasnaya Polyana Krasnopolyanskaya hydroelectric power station was built on Mzymta. The power of the hydroelectric power station is 28 thousand kW.
Sochi River starts near the mountain Chura at an altitude of 1313 m and flows into the Black Sea near Sochi. The average annual river flow near Sochi is about 17 m3/s. Floods are common in spring and winter.
Pshada River- a small mountain river that originates near the mountain Pshada at an altitude of 448 m and flows into the Black Sea. There are more than 10 waterfalls on Pshad, the highest among them is Bolshoi Pshadsky (Olyapkin) waterfall.
Shah- the second largest river on the Black Sea coast within the Krasnodar Territory. It starts with Main Caucasus Range near the mountain Chura at an altitude of 1718 m, in the zone of alpine meadows and flows along Lazrevsky district of Greater Sochi, flowing into the Black Sea near the village Head. Almost the entire Shakhe River basin is covered with forest and runs through the mountains. Major tributaries: Bzych, Kichmay. The most wet month is May.
The high-mountainous Kuban is located at an altitude of 1000 meters above sea level;
The mountainous part of the river is at an altitude of 500 to 1000 meters:
The foothill zone of the Kuban River is located at an altitude of 200 to 500 meters:
The flat part of the river passes at an altitude of up to 200 meters above sea level.
The length of the river is 870 km, the area of the drainage basin is 58 thousand sq. km.
111 kilometers from the place where the Kuban flows into the Sea of Azov, the river divides into two branches, the right one flows into the sea near the village of Achuevo, and the left one flows into the Bolshoy Akhtanazovsky estuary and through its Peresyp branch flows into the Sea of Azov.
From the city of Ust-Labinsk, the Kuban River becomes navigable.
In the middle reaches, tributaries flow into the Kuban: the left bank rivers Bolshaya Laba, Psekups and the right banks - Maara, Dzheguta and Gorkaya. In total, more than 1,400 large and small tributaries flow into the Kuban, which form a large river network with a length of 9,483 km.
The annual water flow in Kuban is formed due to atmospheric precipitation, melt water from glaciers and groundwater.
Seasonal changes in water levels vary by different areas rivers. Armavir has 2.8 m, Krasnodar has 5 meters.
Freeze-up on the river is unstable.
Over the course of a year, the Kuban River contributes over 4 million tons of soluble salts to the Sea of Azov.
On the Kuban River there is the largest artificial reservoir in the North Caucasus - the Krasnodar Reservoir, which plays a significant role in the national economy of the surrounding areas: electricity is generated at the Kuban cascade of hydroelectric power stations, industrial fishing is carried out, and agricultural land is irrigated.
Since ancient times, people have settled near water - on the banks of rivers, seas, and the ocean. In the Krasnodar region the most important water artery is the Kuban River.
However, this was far from the only name of the river. Scientists build hypotheses about where the river gets its name - Kuban, and agree that this is a modified pronunciation of the Turkic name of the river Kuman (translated as “river”). Previously, she bore the name Gopanis (from ancient Greek “violent, strong river”), Psyzh (from Adyghe “ ancient river", or "mother river").
More precisely, the places where it now flows are very interesting. Where the river delta is located, there used to be a bay. The bay was so large that it extended from Taman to Krasnodar. Over time due to various reasons, including tectonic ones and due to the unusual mud volcanoes of the Taman Peninsula, the territory changed its landscape. And now, instead of a bay, there was a lagoon, which was delimited by an isthmus of land. Then there was more and more sushi, they started running around river tributaries. As a result, we now see the Kuban delta in place of the sea. And in the 19th century, the Kuban River flowed through Old Kuban into the Black Sea estuary of Kiziltashsky. Then the path for the river in this direction was blocked due to natural causes. In the 20th century, it was decided that this “river route” should be resumed. And not just like that, but to ensure the operation of a farm that breeds mullet fish. As they decided, they did so.
- a “useful” river, since from a certain section it becomes a navigable river. People float along this river on catamarans, another type of water transport. You can also go rafting on the river. Then you will see different natural monuments, mountains on one side and steppes on the other. Or you can just go fishing on the river. On the right bank of the Kuban stands, this city is a kind of border; if you cross the Kuban, you can find yourself in. And the Kuban River itself is a natural border. The right and left banks of the Kuban differ from each other in landscape and character of the area. The Kuban flows not only on the land of the Krasnodar Territory. Although in this region it has a greater length - 662 km, it also flows in the regions of Karachay-Cherkessia, Stavropol Territory and Adygea.
If you want to trace where its sources are and where it then flows, take a look at Mount Elbrus (the confluence of the Ullukam and Uchkulan mountain rivers) and the Sea of Azov. The length of the Kuban River reaches almost one hundred thousand kilometers, its area is about 46 thousand square meters. km. As the river flows, it changes character. The most violent temper and fast current- in the upper part of the river, then it slows down and becomes more and more calm. In order to tame the obstinate nature of the river, the Krasnodar reservoir was built. It is considered the largest in the entire North Caucasus. The Kuban has many right tributaries and a delta. It is not uncommon for this delta to become swampy, which is why it is called the Kuban Plavni. In general, this river cannot be called clean and transparent. Kuban is a river with muddy water, but its role does not become less significant.
Kuban is very important river for the lives of residents. Despite the fact that there are seas in Kuban, without fresh water river water it's impossible to get by. On the banks of this river such cities as Karachaevsk, Ust-Dzheguta, Cherkessk, Nevinnomyssk,
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