Western Dvina , or Daugava ( Zahodnyaya Dzvina, Daugava) - river in Eastern Europe, flowing through the territory, and. Length 1020 km, basin area 87.9 thousand km². The river originates in, in, flows out of Lake Okhvat, initially flows mainly to the southwest, after Vitebsk - to the northwest. Flows into, forming a delta. Average water flow 678 m³/s. Connected by the Berezinskaya water system (not operational) with. Navigable in some areas. The concentration of a number of pollutants exceeds 10. On the Western Dvina, Kegumskaya, Plavinskaya and Rizhskaya were built.
On the banks of the river there are cities.
Geography
Russia
The Western Dvina flows from a large Lake Okhvat, stretching from northeast to southwest. The width of the river at the source is 15-20 meters, the banks are wooded, the bed is rocky, with individual riffles and small rapids.
On the section Andreapol - Western Dvina, the width of the river increases to 50 meters; beyond the city of Western Dvina, having overcome another rapids section, the river receives major tributaries- Veles, Torop and Mezhu, after which it expands to 100 meters.
Behind the mouth of the Mezha there is a large trap intended for collecting timber rafted along the Mezha. Below the river, the river flows in high banks covered with mixed forest. The forest disappears in front of the city of Velizh. Beyond Velizh the river is navigable.
Belarus
Latvia
Between the Latgale and Augšzeme uplands, the Daugava flows in a deep ancient valley. The width of the river here is about 200 m. Bypassing Daugavpils, the Daugava reaches the East Latvian Lowland. Here the river flow slows down and the banks become low, so during the spring flood, ice jams often form in this area and the water floods large areas. From Jekabpils to Pļavinas the Daugava flows through an ancient valley. Its banks here are steep, with sheer cliffs made of gray dolomite. The river valley from Pļaviņas to Ķegums was especially interesting and beautiful. There were many rapids and shoals in the riverbed of the Daugava. The shores were decorated with beautiful rocks Olinkalns, Avotinu-Kalns, Staburags. After the construction of the Plavinas hydroelectric power station, the water level increased by 40 m and the entire section of the ancient valley was flooded with the waters of the Plavinas reservoir.
The reservoir of the Kegums hydroelectric power station extends from Jaunelgava to Ķegums. Near Salaspils, the road to the waters of the Daugava was blocked by the dam of the Riga Hydroelectric Power Station.
Below Dole Island the river flows through the Primorskaya Lowland. Here its valley is formed by loose sediments Quaternary period. The banks of the Daugava in this area are low, and the valley is filled with river sediments. Alluvial sand islands appear in the Riga area - Zakusala, Lucavsala, Kundzinsala, Kipsala, etc.
The width of the Daugava at the Riga bridges is about 700 m, and in the Milgravis area it reaches 1.5 km. The depth of the river here is approximately 8-9 m.
Etymology and history
Karamzin, following other historians, identified Eridanus with the Western Dvina. Indeed, at the mouth of the Western Dvina (Daugava) a successful seeker will find the “tears of Heliad” - amber.
As for the current name “Dvina”, it was first mentioned by the chronicler Nestor. At the beginning of his chronicle, he writes: “The Dnieper flowed from the Volkovsky forest and flowed at noon, and the Dvina from the same forest flowed at midnight and entered the Varangian Sea.” The Latvian name Daugava means “lots of water”. It is as ancient as the Latgalian population of the region.
The Daugava (outside Latvia - Western Dvina) - the largest river in Latvia in terms of length, basin area and full flow - begins as a small stream on the Valdai Hills (Russia).
The name “Daugava” was apparently formed from two ancient Baltic words, daug- “many, abundantly” and ava- “water”; together - “abundant water”.
According to legend, Perkons ordered birds and animals to dig up the Daugava.
Bank left, right -
Our Daugava:
Kurzeme, Vidzeme,
And Latgale is a power.
Oh, fate - fate!
The whole thing is not half!
The spirit is one and the speech is one,
And the earth is one.
| Settlements on Western Dvina (Daugava)(from to) |
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| | right tributary | left tributary | |
I usually don’t retype texts that aren’t my own, but I found this interesting description of the Western Dvina River, also known as the Daugava, flowing into the Baltic Sea in the Riga area, which is useful to have on hand - there are also links to historical studies of the river bed, some data on its width and depth in different places, something that is often necessary for conversation. And to “revive” the dry text, I added three dozen photographs of the river different years and different places. There are photos that I took on film in the last century :-), there are also digital photos recent years. And in the title of the post I wanted to put this romanticized painting by a local artist:
1.5. Description of the river from source to mouth
The first description of the Western Dvina - Daugava by sections was undertaken in the 18th century. In 1701, a description of the river from its source to the city of Polotsk was completed at the behest of Peter the Great by steward Maxim Tsyzarev. Later, projects were drawn up for local improvement of the river or for the establishment of a direct waterway between the Baltic, Caspian and Black Seas. In 1783-1785 engineer Trosson carried out surveys of the Western Dvina from the city of Surazh to the mouth of Luchosa (near Vitebsk), drew up plans of the river on a scale of 200 fathoms in 1 inch and a longitudinal profile. In 1809, General de Witte drew up a plan of the river from source to mouth on a scale of 100 fathoms in 1 inch, with depths indicated along the fairway. In 1812, Major General Ivashevich drew up plans for the rapids part of the Daugava for 140 miles. In 1826, engineer-captain Volkov carried out detailed surveys of the river over 140 miles from the source from Lake Okhvat. In 1827, engineer-captain Zagoskin studied the Daugava in the area from the city of Jekabpils to the island of Dole (above Riga). Among the data he received was a table showing the location of the rapids, the drop and the speed of the current on them. In 1857-1861. Surveys were carried out between Disna and Riga under the leadership of engineer Lieutenant Colonel Iovets.
Daugava embankment in Riga in 2006
From 1886 to 1888, the Daugava from Vitebsk to Mazumprava (above Riga) - a distance of 561 versts - was studied by the Western Dvina Party under the command of engineer N.F. Shelyuta. The purpose of the research was related to the project of connecting the Black and Baltic seas. The upper section of the river was studied to determine the feeding conditions of the river. Were compiled detailed plans rivers on a scale of 50 fathoms in 0.01 fathoms, as well as the longitudinal profile of the river. These plans are the last filming of the Daugava over such a long distance. Only in certain areas near some cities, especially near Riga, more detailed surveys were later carried out.
Stone Bridge (Akmens Tilts) in Riga, 2008*
Let's follow the flow of the Western Dvina - Daugava from its source to its mouth.
The river begins among the forests and swamps of the Valdai Upland near the village of Koryakino. Near the source of the Western Dvina are the sources of the Volga (14 km) and the Dnieper (140 km), giving water to the Caspian and Black Seas. At the very upper reaches of the Western Dvina, a small stream passes through Lake Dvinets, located at an altitude of 220 m above the average level Baltic Sea. After less than 10 km, a river with a width of 5-6 m flows into the upper end of Lake Okhvat (length - 20 km, width - about 1.3 km, mirror area - 13.6 km2, drainage area - 586 km2). It should be noted that in terms of water content, the Western Dvina in this section is inferior to many other rivers flowing into Lake Okhvat, for example, Volkota (61 km), Netesma (36 km).
Since we don’t yet have photographs of the river outside Latvia, I will give a few photos from Riga. Cable-stayed bridge, 2007
Flowing from Lake Okhvat, the Western Dvina already has a width of up to 40 and a depth of 1-2 m. The channel is replete with islands. Shores for the most part wooded. Velocities at the source of the river are about 0.4-0.9 m/s. In spring, current speeds here are more significant, as water rushes out of the lake under greater pressure. Reach areas alternate with small rapids. At a distance of 2-3 km from Lake Okhvat there are the first rapids: Krasny Kamen and Medved, then the third rapid follows - Baran, then Ostrovki, etc. At the rapids, the river bottom is composed of limestone, which in some places is covered with a layer of sand; Sometimes blue clay is exposed at the bottom of the river. In these places, the river banks abound with numerous springs.
Panorama of Riga, 2006*
Some sections of the Western Dvina are winding, but the valley to the river. White is not wide. In spring, the water rises by 1.8-2.3 m. Near the mouth of the Verezhunitsa there are the Verezhunsky rapids, and the river bed in this place is so winding that it makes rafting impossible. Therefore, at one time a excavation was made here. Below the excavation, the Verezhunsky rapids stretch for 1.5 km; they consist of three braids separated by clear reaches. The width of the river at the rapids is 30-40 m. Below the Verezhunsky rapids, the depth is 0.5-1.8 m, the flow speed is 0.8-1.4 m/s (at the rapids the speed is about 2 m/s). Toward the mouth of the Velesa the banks become lower. Here the Western Dvina has a width of 35-40 m, and below the confluence of the Velesa it already reaches 55 m. Along with the width, the depth also increases, it reaches 1.8-2.2 m, and the flow speed is 0.7 m/s. The width of the river bed continues to gradually increase and in some places at the fords reaches 80 m.
Further, the river passes through two small lakes: Luka and Kalakutskoye, which are, in essence, river floods that do not disappear in the summer. The current here is insignificant, and many areas are overgrown with reeds. The shores are hilly, composed of moraine deposits with significant accumulations of boulders. On this site characteristic feature the right bank of the Western Dvina is big number large and small lakes located directly next to the river and connected to it by small rivers and channels. Some lakes lie on the path of tributaries of the Western Dvina, for example, Toropa, with which more than 35 lakes communicate.
View in Riga from the Stone Bridge, 2008*
In the area of the mouth of the Luzhesyanka (above Vitebsk), dolomites appear in the riverbed, forming a series of rapids, the largest of which are Krestov, Yastreb, Medvedsk, Tyakova, Verkhovsk, Bervin, etc. The width of the river in this section is already approaching 100 m, the depth is predominantly 1 .2-2.0, at the rapids - 0.3-0.5 m.
Near Vitebsk and below, rapids and sandy shoals are even more common. Here the river flows through an ancient valley. From Vitebsk to the confluence of the Ulla, you can count 33 rapids. In this area, the width of the river valley is about 800 m, the slopes are steep with narrow strips of terraces. The highest current speeds - up to 1.2 m/s - are observed on the Vyazhitsa and Konek rapids. To improve navigation in rapid areas, buoys were built and dredging was carried out, resulting in depths that allowed maintaining a fairway for ships with a draft of 0.6 m.
Daugava embankment in Riga near the building Sun stone(Saules Akmens) in 2008*
Below the Vitebsk rapids, the Western Dvina valley expands to 1.5-1.8 km, and in the Beshenkovichi area, turning in a northwestern direction, the river enters the Polotsk lowland. Here, in the riverbed up to Polotsk, there are separate sandbanks; its width on average is 100-150 m, in some places - about 200, depth - mainly up to 3, in the shallows - 0.8-1.0 m.
Apart from some local dredging and other measures to improve timber rafting and navigation in the area of the Vitebsk rapids and the installation of groynes, we can say that the Western Dvina from its source generally retains its natural state.
Sunset over the Daugava in Riga, 2008*
In the section from Polotsk to Disna the river has no rapids. Below they appear again. The Disnyansky rapids have the following names: Nachsky, Blizne, Rozboynik, Nikolskaya Gol, Minvo and Dog Hole.
In the area from the mouth of Ulla to Daugavpils, the width of the river is on average 100-150 m, in some places - 200-300, the depth is mainly up to 3 m, in rapids areas - about 0.8 m. Above the village of Piedruja there are several islands in the river, and the width of the channel here it reaches 700 m. Below the confluence of the Druya, the channel of the Western Dvina again narrows to 100-150 m.
On the territory of Latvia, the river first flows between the Latgale and Augšzeme uplands, using an ancient valley that was once formed melt water glacier.
But starting from these places, the flow of the river can be illustrated with our photos!
The width of the valley is about 1 km. The river formed several terraces in it, especially well preserved on the concave side of the bends. The site is characterized by significant bank collapses with many springs, small tributaries and streams. There are several shallows and rapids in the channel, for example, the Indrica, Krovatka and Zaklidnya shallows and the long Kraslava rapids formed by boulders. They also have several sand islands. Below Kraslava there are rapids Dvorishte, Ostera, Kaplavas, Alshanskas.
Daugava in the Indritsa area, 2000
On the approach to Daugavpils, the river makes five bends, three large bends below the village of Jaunborne stand out especially. The largest rapids in this area are Krivets. Below Daugavpils, the Daugava flows through the East Latvian Lowland. The character of the river changes dramatically. The banks become flat and low, the floodplain, especially the left bank, expands. In some places in the valleys of the Ilukste and Dviete rivers it reaches a width of 5-6 km. The river bed is sandy. There are sandbanks and islands, for example, opposite the village of Vaikulany. Above the mouth of the Dviete, the Berezovka shoal formed, and below - the island of Glaudanu. These shoals usually cause ice jams to form, resulting in large areas of flooding. The next islands where ice jams often form are Molugols, below the villages of Nitsgale and Jersika, and Plonju, below the village of Dunava.
Further, the sandy bed and banks disappear and gray dolomites are exposed, forming rapids. In some places there are islands in the river. For example, between the cities of Livani and Jekabpils you can count 10 islands, the largest of which is Abelu. In the Jekabpils area there are several inhabited islands in the river, connected by bridges to the banks. Saka Island is approximately 6 km long and 3 km wide. There are about 60 farms on it. The main channel of the Daugava runs along the right side of this island, the left channel - the Saka - passes less than 1/5 of the water flow.
At Jekabpils an exclusively rapid section of the riverbed begins. The Zvanitai threshold is located directly within the city limits. Below the city along the island of Saka are the Pirkazhu rapids, which, occupying a stretch of more than 3 km, consist of individual rapids: Širinas, Guskas, Pečinyas, Greiza, Kanepaites, Ozolnicas, Udupa, Stirniņas. The section ends with the Razbainieku shoal.
Daugava in Stukmani, 2000
If the average drop from Daugavpils to Livana is only 5 cm/km, and near Jekabpils it increases to 25 cm/km, then in the three-kilometer rapids section near Jekabpils the drop reaches 2 m/km.
Water rushes violently down the dolomite steps at a speed of 1.5-2.0 m/s. At these thresholds, at the normal level of the reservoir of the Plavinska HPP, the retaining level becomes pinched out. The pinch-out boundary is located approximately 163.5 km from the mouth. At this level, the Razbainieku shoal and the Stirniņas and Udupa rapids are already backed up, and pinching occurs in the area of the Ozolnicas and Kanepaites rapids; at the same time, the upper part of the Pirkazhu rapids - the Greiza, Pecinyas, Guskas and Širinas rapids - remain outside the influence of backwaters.
Daugava in the Koknese region, 1999
From the rapids of Pirkazhu to the site of the Plavinska hydroelectric power station, at a distance of 56.5 km, the drop of the river in its natural state reached 40 m, on average 0.7 m/km. This large drop is due to geological structure beds.
Daugava near Selpils, 2000
In order to cross the Seli swell, the Daugava to the Staburags rock had to pass through the ancient valley of the waters of the East Latvian Lowland basin, which flowed into Lake Lielupe basin. Here the river cut deeply into the ancient valley. The shores, formed by dolomite rocks, rise to a height of up to 30 m.
This section was one of the most beautiful on the river. Wonderful views opened from the cliffs of Olinkalns and Avotinkalns, from the ruins of the castles of Selpils, Altene and Koknese. The Liepavots spring, the Staburags and Krauklja rocks, the Krustalitsis bend, etc. were covered in historical memory and legends. The high banks were cut by deep erosional ravines, which formed impressive canyons and beautiful waterfalls on the tributaries (Perse River). In this area, the Daugava has several terraces, on the carbonate soils of which many interesting and rare plants grew.
Daugava in Altena, 2000
The width of the river in the area now occupied by the Plavina Reservoir ranged from 135-280 m, the depth at the rapids reached about 1, between them - 3-6 m; The current speeds on the rapids were 1.0-2.0, on the reaches, especially in the lower section, about 0.2-0.5 m/s.
Before the reservoir of the Plavinska HPP was filled, there was a whole line rapids, mainly in the upper part. The famous rapids were below the railway bridge, on the Jelgava - Krustpils road, where above the mouth of the river. Aiviekste began the 2.5-kilometer rapids section of Priedulais with a total drop of 5 m and with individual particularly fast sections, well mastered by raftsmen. They also gave names to the rapids. Priedulais consisted of rapids Lielgailu - Oli, Chuchia, rapids Greiza, Sten, Kukainiu - Oli, Latsis, Zala.
Directly below the mouth of Aiviekste in the Daugava channel, in a small area, a huge pool up to 8 m deep, the so-called Pagars, formed. Behind it, the depth of the river sharply decreased, and opposite the town of Plavinas there was one of the most grandiose rapids - the Roughe step rapids, or Plavinas Rumba with the Velna (Devil's) whirlpool and the Naras (Mermaid) rock.
Beyond Plavinyas began the rapids section of Bebruleya with separate rapids: Brodnya, Pechinya, Vilka, Dambis, Street. The Bebruleya section was followed by separate rapids and rapids: Vedzere, Sobachinya, Olinkrats, Aldiņu narrows, Kapu shoal. In this section, the drop was 10 m. Further, downstream, large rapids were Stuchkas-Grube, Lazdas-Galva, below the Staburags rock - Augshas-Puslis and Leyas-Puslis, the Aizelkshnu rapids, at the mouth of the river. Perse - the Perseus and Zvirbulya rapids, even lower - Radalka.
Daugava in Lielvārde, 2008
This is what the river looked like before the construction of the Plavinas hydroelectric power station. Now, from the Pirkazhu rapids to the hydroelectric dam, the ancient valley is filled with the waters of a reservoir with a calm surface, the normal level of which is 72 m above sea level. The high rocky shores have disappeared.
The place where the Perse River flows into the Daugava near Koknese, 2005
The depth has increased sharply: at Pļaviņas it is now about 10 m, near the Olinkalns cliff, which has now turned into a small island - about 20, at the Staburags rock, almost flooded - about 30, at the ruins of Koknese castle - almost 38 and at the hydroelectric dam - 42 m.
View of the ruins of Koknese Castle, 2008
Downstream, the width of the reservoir gradually increases. The Daugava in this area had high banks (up to 30 m), so flooding of large areas did not occur. The width of the reservoir varies in the upper reaches within 300-500 m, in the middle section - 400-800 m, in the lower reaches - about 1 km and only directly above the hydroelectric dam reaches 2 km.
River bank in Lielvārde, 2001
The depth and width of the reservoir varies somewhat over time due to the drawdown of the reservoir. Under intense conditions of power generation, the discharge occurs up to the mark of 70 m, i.e. 2 m. In such cases, in the area where the reservoir level pinches out, all the rapids of the Pirkazhu rapids come out of the backwater, and the fall along Saka Island becomes natural.
In the spring, before the ice drift, in order to prevent flooding of the town of Plavinas, it is necessary to carry out pre-flood drainage of the reservoir to the level of 67 m. Of course, in such cases, the depth of the reservoir decreases by 5 m, in some places its width decreases somewhat, and in the area where the reservoir level pinches out, the Priedulais rapids are exposed.
Below the Plavinas hydroelectric power station there is the next reservoir of the Daugava cascade - Kegumskoe (length - 42 km). Before the formation of the reservoir in this area, the river bed was constrained by relatively high dolomite banks, especially in the lower part. In the upper part, individual small rapids alternated with stretch areas. Here, above the town of Jaunelhava near the ruins of the Aizkraukle castle, there was the Chuibinyas rapids, above the village of Jumprava - the Winkelmanu rapids and below - the Kazhumates rapids.
Daugava near Aizkraukle Castle, 1999
The main decline was concentrated on the Kegums rapids, on which the hydroelectric power station was built. There were several large islands in this area. One of them, Ozolu, below Jaunelgava, survived even after the reservoir was filled. But the once inhabited islands of Lielvardes and Rembates, 5 km above the dam, are located several meters under water. A new island was formed near Jumprava.
Daugava beyond Jaunelgava, 2008
Due to the high banks and the fact that the level at the Kegums hydroelectric power station dam was raised only by 16 m, big lake not formed. Water has filled the valley cut into the dolomite, and the width of the reservoir, especially in its upper part, is only slightly greater than the natural width of the river. Thus, in the Jaunelgava - Jumprava section, the width of the reservoir is 250-450 m, below Jumprava it increases to 700-900 and near the dam it reaches 1500 m. The depth gradually increases from 8 m at Jaunelgava to 17 m at the dam.
Daugava in Ikskile, 1999
Below the hydroelectric station, the Daugava continues its path along the Central Latvian slope. The river bed here also cuts into dolomites, but the banks are much lower than in the previous section.
Before the reservoir of the Riga Hydroelectric Power Station was filled, there were sections of rapids in the river even lower, for example the Ogres and Slankaines rapids near the town of Ogre; Berkavas rapids near the village of Ikshkile; Aidukrace, Vedmeru-Kauls and Gluma-Kratse, or Reznas-Kauls, above the island of Dole.
The bed of the Daugava near the village of Ikskile during the release of water at the Riga Hydroelectric Power Station, 2008
The island of Dole divided the Daugava into two branches: Galvena - and Sausa-Daugava (left branch). The largest rapids in the Galvena-Daugava branch were Martyņa-Kauls, Livirgas, Lidakas-Kauls, Pendera-Kauls, Rumba, Nozums, Akyu-Kauls, in the Sausa-Daugava branch - Damba-Krane, Berzamentes-Kauls, Impes-Kauls, Kines- Kauls, Sterkelyu-Kauls, Kishu-Kauls, Doles-Augshkauls and Doles-Lejaskauls.
In the section of the river below the Kegums hydroelectric power station there were several inhabited islands: Ogres, Ikskiles, Macitaja, Dole, Martinya, Andreja, etc. The largest of them is Dole Island (length - 8.5, width - 2.4 km).
Dole Island and medieval settlements and castles in the near course of the Daugava. Photo from the Daugava Museum on the island. Dole, 2000
Before the flooding, in the area from the Kegums hydroelectric power station to the lower tip of Dole Island, the width of the river was already significantly greater than in the overlying area. On average it was approximately 400, and at the upper end of Dole Island it reached 700 m or more. The depth at the rapids was less than 1 m, and between them - 3 m or more. The fall along Dole Island exceeded 1 m/km.
Despite the fact that the dam of the Riga Hydroelectric Power Station increased the water level of its reservoir (length - 34 km) by approximately the same amount (16 m) as the dam of the Kegums Hydroelectric Power Station, the surface area of the reservoir of the Riga Hydroelectric Power Station is 42.2 km2, i.e. 17.3 km2 is larger than the Kegums hydroelectric power station (length - 41 km). Already a few kilometers below the Kegums hydroelectric power station, near the mouth of the river. Lachupe, the width of the reservoir exceeds 2 km, then narrows in the area of the town of Ogre to 0.5, but lower, near the village of Ikskile, in some places it reaches 2.5 km. Above Dole Island the reservoir is about 1 km wide, and above the dam the flooded upper part of Dole Island is about 4 km wide.
Dam of the island of St. Maynard in Ikskile, 2008
Since quite large areas of the banks were flooded, the depth of the reservoir is not the same. Along the former fairway of the river, it ranges from a few meters at the downstream of the Kegums hydroelectric power station to 17 m at the dam of the Riga hydroelectric power station. In those places where the width of the reservoir is large, the depth on the flooded floodplain and terraces is in some places insignificant.
Along the banks of the reservoir, quite large areas are protected from flooding by dams (the areas of Ogre, Ikskile, directly above the dam, etc.). If we compare all the reservoirs of the Daugava cascade by average width (the quotient of dividing the surface area by the length of the reservoir), it turns out that the Kegums and Plavins reservoirs have almost the same width - 607 and 612 m, respectively, and the reservoir of the Riga Hydroelectric Power Station is twice as large - 1241 m. Dam The Riga hydroelectric power station crosses Dole Island in the middle; below the Galvena and Sausa Daugava branches remained untouched.
View from Ikskile towards Salaspils at the moment of the release of the river waters at the Riga Hydroelectric Power Station, 2008
Below the island of Dole, the last section of the Daugava begins - the port of Riga. Here, on the coastal slopes, Devonian deposits - dolomites - are no longer found. The river flows through a sandy coastal lowland and is bounded by granite embankments.
Lead waters of the Daugava... View of the Port of Riga from under the Cable-stayed Bridge in 2007*
Before the construction of the port of Riga, when the banks were not strengthened, the channel changed its position several times. Old sections of the channel and branch have been preserved in some places. Back in 1967, when a powerful ice jam formed near the village of Salaspils, the waters of the river flowed along the old branch, which began between the islands of Martinu and Andreya, into Lake Jugla.
Martinsala Island is now here, under the waters of the Daugava, photo from 2008*
Now the small river Pikyurga flows into Lake Jugla along this old channel. Some of these old branches form islands in the area of the port of Riga, for example, Zvirgzdu, Libiesu, Zaku, Lucavas, Kipsala, Kundzinsala, etc.
The island of Zakusala and the branches of the Daugava, 2006*
Remains of the old branches are preserved in Riga in the Pardaugava area near Arcadia Park, and on the right bank in the area of the former hippodrome, as well as in the lower reaches (Vecdaugava), where a large fishing port was built.
View from the television tower on the island. Zaku towards the Old Town of Riga, 2006*
At the Kvadrat plant the river becomes wider and deeper. The width in the area up to the Riga bridges is about 600 m, below, near the cement plant, it decreases to 450, and even lower, near the Daugavgriva, it increases again to 700 m. The depth to the bridge area is about 6-7, and below, before it flows into the sea , - up to 12-15 m.
Some photos of Riga bridges:
Daugava near the Island Bridge, 2008*
Fragments of the Zheleznodorozhny and Kamenny bridges, 2008*
Cable-stayed bridge, 2005*
Information about the depths and difficult places for navigation on the Daugava is given in the research materials of 1886-1888. West Dvina inventory party under the command of engineer N.F. Shelyuta. They note that the upper and middle sections of the river are most suitable for navigation, but even here there are many obstacles to navigation. For the first 150 versts, shoals and sandbanks serve as obstacles to navigation, then rocks begin, of which there are especially many near the village of Krest. Near the village of Sekach, a stone ridge blocks almost the entire river; near the village of Rubi, 20 versts above Vitebsk, there are also many obstacles to navigation. From Vitebsk to the mouth of Ulla there are many shoals and stones; near the town of Disna there are rapids; near the town of Kraslavki (Kraslava) there are rapids, below there are shallows. Between Livenhof (Plavinas) and Jakobstadt (Jekabpils) - 16 rapids and 5 fences; from Friedrichstadt (Jaunelhava) to the island of Dalena (Dole) there are 9 rapids, near the island of Dalena there is the Bolvanets rapid. The 8 rapids of Kokenhusen (Koknese) are considered the largest; the drop on them reaches 1.35 fathoms per mile.
Steamboats on winter lay-up in the Gulf of Agenskalns, 2005*
A complete list of obstacles to navigation on the Daugava is given in Appendix 1.
In the materials of the party, the general picture of the longitudinal profile of the river is presented in the following form. From Vitebsk to Polotsk, over 145 versts along the highway, the longitudinal profile is a smooth straight line with small fractures, of which the largest is located below Beshenkovichi. The average slope of this entire section, related to the highway, is 0.00011, while the highest local slope of 5 versts below Beshenkovichi is 0.00018. Between the 145th and 180th versts the slopes are very insignificant: on average 0.000049; between the 180th and 185th versts (near the town of Disna) there is a rapids place - the Disnyanskie rapids with slopes from 0.0003 to 0.0006. From Disna to the city of Druya, for about 60 versts, there is a smooth surface line of water with a slope of 0.00005-0.00006.
From Druya to the village of Stary Zamok (245-315th verst), the surface profile of the river is a very uneven line with a fall of 539 fathoms throughout this 70-verst section, and the slopes vary from 0.00045 (Krivets threshold) to 0.00003. From the 315th to the 399th verst, the longitudinal profile looks like a very smooth line with slopes of 0.00002-0.00004 and not higher than 0.00007. From the 399th verst to the mouth there is again a rapids section with slopes:
rapids Dubok and Klavki - 0.0004-0.00055; threshold Glinovets - 0.00156; rapids Skovoroda, Kosaya Golovka, Pechina and Mozolovy - 0.00166-0.0011; rapids Green Ruba and Tikhaya Ruba - 0.0022; Brodish threshold - 0.003; threshold Thinking - 0.0015; threshold Gusar - 0.00128; Keggum threshold - 0.00212; rapids Booblet and Skull - 0.00123. In other rapids the slopes are smaller and are usually 0.0004-0.0006.
It should be noted that since the 19th century. Toponymy underwent rather dramatic changes, the names of rapids, shoals, fences, as well as settlements along the river changed; This especially applies to the territory of Latvia. Some objects, mainly in the names of populated places, have disappeared, while many have reappeared. For example, according to N.F. Shelyuta, on the rapids section between Yakobstadt and the village of Adminan (419-424th versts) the rapids were named in turn: Vorozhya, Koleno, Gusak, Frying Pan; on the same section the fences had the following names: Oblique Head , Pechiny, Bekova Tin, Mozolova, Belyan and individual Vorobyi stones. Currently, the rapids area between the town of Jekabpils and the Admineni farm has common name the Pirkazhu rapids, which consist of the rapids Šariņas, Guskas, Pecinas, Greiza, Kanepaites, Ozolnicas, Udupa, Stirniņas and the Razbainieku shallows. As you can see, only the names of the rapids Guskas and Pecinyas have been preserved from the previous names in a slightly modified form, the rest are called differently.
The same thing with the rapids between 433 and 434 versts. Previously, they were called Popuski, Pike Head, Blednivets, Bear's Head, Green Ruba. Now this section has the common name of the Priedulais rapids. Some rapids are called Lielgailiu-Oli, Greiza, Siena, Kukainiu-Oli, Latsis, Zala. The Pike Head is called Chuchia, the Bear Head is Latsis, and the Green Ruba is Zala.
Similar changes are found in the names of other thresholds. In Fig. 1.10 shows the longitudinal profile of the Western Dvina - Daugava in current state, i.e., taking into account the constructed cascade of hydroelectric power stations. Appendix 2 provides a list of all tributaries of the Daugava and a description of the main ones.
Description of the Western Dvina River from source to mouth\\Western Dvina-Daugava. River and time. L.S. Anosova and others; under general ed. V.F.Loginov, G.Ya.Segal. - Minsk: Belarus. science, 2006. - 270 p.
The Western Dvina is a river body of water in the northern part of Eastern Europe, which covers the territories of three countries - Russia, Latvia and Belarus. It has many ancient names, the most common being Eridanus and Rudon. The total length of the channel is 1020 kilometers, the territory of Russia accounts for about 330 km. Flowing from Lake Karyakino, it runs in a southwestern direction, turning to the northwest, passing the city of Vitebsk. The area of the Western Dvina basin is about 90 thousand square kilometers, which allows it to remain among the deepest rivers in Eastern Europe.
Peculiarities
The first mention of the name of the river is found in the chronicles of the monk Nestor, and if we take into account the research of V.A. Zhuchkevich, the hydronym is of Finnish origin, meaning “calm” in translation.
The river basin is formed by twelve thousand small and large rivers. Most large influx– this is the Mezha River, whose length is approximately 260 kilometers. From the scattering of reservoirs surrounding the Western Dvina, lake systems can be distinguished - Braslavskaya, Zasarayskaya and Zhizhitskaya.
The river valley has a relatively rugged, trapezoidal shape. Its width upstream reaches 0.9 kilometers, and in the downstream it is close to 6 km. The floodplain is two-sided. The channel can be called moderately winding, indistinctly branched, but it is observed a large number of rapids, which upon reaching Vitebsk increase in length to twelve kilometers. It is noteworthy that within Lake Coverage, the width of the reservoir hardly reaches twenty meters.
The coastal zone is quite wooded, characterized by the presence of boulders, and the nature of the riverbed is rocky and has riffles.
Since time immemorial, the river has served people as a transport route. It was along this road that the world-famous road called “from the Varangians to the Greeks” passed. Every year the river replenishes the Baltic Sea by 20 thousand cubic meters. kilometers of water.
The surroundings of the river passage in the Tver region are endowed with special attractiveness picturesque landscapes. IN upper reaches prevail conifers trees, in the middle and lower areas birch, aspen and alder plantations prevail. The predominant shrubs are cranberries and lingonberries.
Speaking about the section of the river flowing in the Tver region, one cannot fail to mention the city of the same name, located near the riverbed. The history of the city of Western Dvina goes back about five thousand years, and in its vicinity Slavic settlements centuries ago have been repeatedly discovered.
The flora and fauna of this territory remains virtually untouched in some places, and fishing enthusiasts often have great catches of perch, roach, pike and other species of fish. The ecological cleanliness of the area facilitates the organization of all types of country holidays and tourist rafting on the river from May to September.
How to get there
On the territory of the Tver region on the banks of the Western Dvina there is a city of the same name. His removal from regional center– Tver is 24 kilometers and can be overcome on a personal or public transport along the M10 highway in less than an hour.
In the north of Eastern Europe, in Tver and Smolensk regions Russia, as well as in Belarus and Latvia.
The name comes from ancient Balt. “daug” – “many”, “abundantly” and “ava” – “water”.
The first mention of the Western Dvina is found in the chronicle of a monk. In ancient times, the route “from the Varangians to the Greeks” passed along this river.
The Western Dvina originates on the Valdai Hills and flows into the Gulf of Riga of the Baltic Sea called Daugava. The length of the river is 1020 km (of which 325 km, or 31.8%, is in Russia), the basin area is 84.4 thousand km 2 (42.2%). In terms of basin area, the Western Dvina ranks 2nd among the rivers of the Smolensk (after the Dnieper) and Tver (after the Volga) regions and 24th in Russia.
The relief of the Western Dvina basin is characterized by an alternation of relatively large hills and lowlands. The river basin is located in an area of excess moisture. The annual precipitation is 550−750 mm. On the western slopes of ridges and hills, the amount of precipitation increases to 800−900 mm. Pine and spruce-broad-leaved forests, young birch and aspen forests are common. main feature landscapes of the catchment area - a dense river network (up to 0.45 km/km 2), an abundance of lakes and swamps. The main tributaries: Usvyacha, Toropa, Obol, Drissa, Dubna, Aiviekste, Perse, Ogre (right), Veles, Mezha, Kasplya, Luchesa, Ulla, Disna (left). The lakes are mostly small and of glacial origin.
In its upper reaches, the Western Dvina is a small watercourse with a general direction to the south and then to the north. This is a lacustrine river crossing flowing lakes. Dvinets and Okhvat-Zhadanie. Below the lakes, the river bed widens to 15 m, flows in a relatively deep valley with steep banks on a section of the river 150 km long from the source. In areas where flowing lakes are located. Luka and Kalakutskoye, the Western Dvina valley expands to 3–4 km, in some places up to 10–15 km. Below the lakes, the valley and river bed widen. The height of the floodplain terrace is 7–8 m above the low water level. There is no floodplain. In the moderately meandering, weakly branched river bed there are many rifts formed by accumulations of boulder material, and thresholds in the zones of exposure of bedrock (dolomite) outcrops by the flow.
The average long-term water flow near Vitebsk (Belarus) is 221 m 3 /s (about 6.97 km 3 /year), at the mouth - 678 m 3 /s (about 21.398 km 3 /year). The Western Dvina has a mixed supply: the share of snow supply is 46% of the annual water flow, underground - 36%, rainfall - 18%. According to its water regime, the river belongs to the Eastern European type, which is characterized by high spring floods, low summer low water with frequent rain floods and stable winter low water. The spring flood period accounts for 56% of the annual runoff, and the summer-spring and winter low water periods account for 33 and 11%, respectively. In some years, there are floods caused by thaws. The Western Dvina freezes in the first ten days of December. Freeze-up lasts from December to March. Maximum thickness ice (50–80 cm) is formed in February–March. The river opens up in the first ten days of April. Spring ice drift lasts for several days. average temperature water in June–August is 18.7–19.2°C.
The waters of the Western Dvina are used for water supply and wastewater disposal. Below Velizh the river is navigable in some sections. Upstream the river bed is used for rafting. The river is inhabited by pike perch, perch, roach, bream, golden carp, bleak, silver bream, and pike.
On the banks of the Western Dvina there are the Russian cities of Andreapol, Western Dvina, Velizh.
N.I. Alekseevsky
Western Dvina, a river in the RSFSR, BSSR and Latvian SSR (within the latter it is called the Daugava). Length 1020 km, basin area 87,900 km 2
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Originates on the Valdai Hills, west of the sources Volga, flows into the Gulf of Riga of the Baltic Sea. The relief of the Western Dnieper basin is characterized by an alternation of relatively large uplands (Vitebsk, Gorodok, Latgale, Vidzeme) and wide lowlands (Polotsk, East Latvian, Central Latvian). The pool is located in an area of excess moisture. W. D. begins with a small stream; after passing lakes Dvinets and Okhvat-Zhadanye, it expands to 15 m and flows in a deep valley with steep banks. This character of the valley is preserved almost throughout the entire length of the river; only below 150 km from the source in a small area the valley is poorly expressed (the river passes through lakes Luka and Kalakutskoye). On the coastal plain it flows in low banks. The channel is characterized by numerous rapids associated with the accumulation of boulders and, in places, bedrock outcrops of dolomite. In the lower reaches the river splits into branches. The mouth area is an erosive delta about 35 km long. When it flows into the Gulf of Riga it forms an underwater bar. Tributaries: Mezha, Kasplya, Luchesa, Ulla, Diena on the left; Toropa, Drissa, Dubna, Aiviekste, Ogre are on the right. The diet is mixed, with a predominance of snow and a large proportion of soil. The spring flood is from the end of March to the beginning of June, the summer low water is interrupted by rain floods, and in the fall the floods are more frequent. Winter low water is from December to mid-March, but in some years there are floods caused by thaws. Average flow at the mouth is about 700 m 3 /sec. Freeze-up from December to March. On the W. D. ≈ Plyavinskaya HPP named after. V.I. Lenin and Kegumska HPP; Riga Hydroelectric Power Station is under construction (1972). Navigable in some areas. Connected by the Berezinsky Canal with the Dnieper. On the river ≈ Vitebsk, Polotsk, Daugavpils, Jekabpils, at the mouth - the seaport of Riga.
═ Lit.: Rogov M. M., Romashin V. V., Steinbach B. V., Hydrology of the mouth area of the Western Dvina, M., 1964.
═ K. G. Tikhotsky.
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"Western Dvina (river)" in books
Battles at the Dnieper - Western Dvina line
From Book Two World War on the land. Causes of defeat ground forces Germany author Westphal SiegfriedBattles on the line Dnieper - Western Dvina Encirclement of the Russians in the Uman region In accordance with the directive, Army Group "South" on July 5 again went on the offensive on the line Prut River - the middle reaches of the Dniester River - Zbruch River - Sluch River, with the task of quickly leaving the left flank
Northern flank: attack of the Stumme group on the cities of Andreapol and Western Dvina August 29 – September 9
From the book The Collapse of the Barbarossa Plan. Volume II [Blitzkrieg thwarted] author Glanz David MNorthern flank: the offensive of the Stumme group on the cities of Andreapol and Western Dvina August 29 - September 9 If Timoshenko believed that on August 25 the situation along the right flank of the Western Front had stabilized, he was seriously mistaken. Even though the rear units
25. Western Dvina
From the book Empire - II [with illustrations] author25. Western Dvina Western Dvina, river - Duna (scand. Duna), p. 35 (= (aut.)) Danube (scand. Danubis) (= (aut.)) Don –
From the book Reconstruction of World History [text only] author Nosovsky Gleb Vladimirovich4.12.12. THE NEPRYADVA RIVER ON THE KULIKOVY FIELD AND THE NAPRUDNAYA RIVER IN MOSCOW ON THE KULISHKY FIELD. AND ALSO THE MOSCOW RIVER NEGLINKA The Battle of Kulikovo took place on the Nepryadva River, p.76. This famous river is mentioned MANY TIMES in all the chronicles talking about the Battle of Kulikovo. River
1.13. Dnieper, Don, Danube, Europe, Egypt, Western Dvina
From the author's book1.13. Dnieper, Don, Danube, Europe, Egypt, Western Dvina According to the Scandinavians, the DNEPR river =*= NEPR (Scandinavian NEPR), p. 35 =*= DANPR (Scandinavian DANPR), p. 212. River DON =*= TANAIS, p. 32 =*= TANAQUISL, p. 40, 111 = DANUBE =*= DANUBIS (Scandinavian DANUBIUS), p. 222 =*= DUN (Scandinavian DUN)
The Mecha River on the Kulikovo field and the Moscow River, or the Mocha River - a tributary of the Moscow River
From book New chronology and concept ancient history Rus', England and Rome author Nosovsky Gleb VladimirovichThe Mecha River on the Kulikovo field and the Moscow River, or the Mocha River - a tributary of the Moscow River. According to the chronicle, the Battle of Kulikovo continued throughout the day, after which Mamai’s troops fled and were pressed to the Mecha River (PSRL, vol. 37, p. 76 ), "where many Tatars drowned." And Mamai himself escaped with
2.13. The Mecha River on the Kulikovo field and the Moscow River, or the Mocha River is a tributary of the Moscow River
From the author's book2.13. The Mecha River on the Kulikovo field and the Moscow River, or the Mocha River is a tributary of the Moscow River. According to the chronicle, the Battle of Kulikovo continued throughout the day, after which Mamai’s troops fled and were pressed to the Mecha River, “where many Tatars drowned.” Assam Mamai escaped with a few
The fight at the Dnieper - Western Dvina line. Encirclement of enemy troops in the Uman region
From the book The Protracted Blitzkrieg. Why Germany lost the war author Westphal SiegfriedThe fight at the Dnieper - Western Dvina line. Encircling enemy troops in the Uman region In accordance with the directive for conducting operations, Army Group South again went on the offensive on July 5 from the line: the Prut River, the middle reaches of the Dniester, Zbruch and Sluch rivers. The troops had a task
Appendix 2 The leadership of the Western and Central fronts, armies, corps and divisions that took part in the battles on the Western Dvina and Dnieper rivers in July - August 1941
From the book Agony 1941 [Bloody Roads of Retreat] author Irinarkhov Ruslan SergeevichAppendix 2 Leadership of the Western and Central fronts, armies, corps and divisions that took part in the battles on the Western Dvina and Dnieper rivers in July - August 1941 Western Front Commander - Marshal Soviet Union Timoshenko S.K. Chief of Staff -
Breakthrough of the German defense by troops of the 1st Baltic Front north-west of Vitebsk and crossing of the Western Dvina River
From the book Operation Bagration author Goncharov Vladislav LvovichBreakthrough of the German defense by troops of the 1st Baltic Front north-west of Vitebsk and crossing of the Western Dvina River Combat operations of reconnaissance detachments On June 22 at 5 o'clock after a twenty-minute artillery preparation, reconnaissance detachments (from each
13. Dnieper Don Danube Europe Egypt Western Dvina
From the book Book 2. The Rise of the Kingdom [Empire. Where did Marco Polo actually travel? Who are the Italian Etruscans? Ancient Egypt. Scandinavia. Rus'-Horde n author Nosovsky Gleb Vladimirovich13. Dnieper Don Danube Europe Egypt Western Dvina According to the Scandinavians, the DNEPR River = * = NEPR (Scandinavian NEPR), p. 35 = * = DANPR (Scandinavian DANPR), p. 212. River DON = * = TANAIS, p. 32 = * = TANAQUISL, p. 40, 111 = DANUBE = * = DANUBIS (Scandinavian DANUBIUS), p. 222 = * = DUN
Western Dvina (city in Kalinin region)
TSBWestern Dvina (river)
From the book Big Soviet Encyclopedia(FOR) the author TSBWestern Dvina
From the book Great Soviet Encyclopedia (DV) by the author TSBWestern Dvina Ditch with river water
From the book Other 1941 [From the border to Leningrad] author Isaev Alexey ValerievichWestern Dvina Ditch with river water Dvinsk (Daugavpils). ABOUT key value A particular settlement can often be judged by the presence of an old fortress in it or its immediate vicinity. The Dvina Fortress began to be built in early XIX centuries and preserved
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