River floods in spring: description, features and interesting facts

2024 Author: Henry Conors | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-12 02:40

River flooding (flood) is a natural and year-to-year recurring process of rising water levels caused by heavy snowmelt in spring (spring flood) or rainfall during the wet season. The "life" of the river is a series of annual cycles, and flooding is an integral part of them. During the flood of the river, the river runoff reaches its maximum values during the period of the most active snowmelt in the river basin or at the peak of rainfall. The spring flood leads to a large discharge of water, which usually makes up a large part of the total annual flow of the river. In our country, a river flood caused by snowmelt causes more damage than a flood caused by heavy rains during the wet season.

What is the difference between high water and other processes occurring on rivers?

One of the main features of the flood is seasonal overregulation. Although the timing of this process may vary, depending on weather conditions, high water is always associated with massive snowmelt in the spring. It is observed every year, and its scale depends on the numberaccumulated snow, rate of temperature rise and river characteristics. In the east of Russia, the river flood is weak in spring, and the main rise in water is observed in the warm season, which is associated with the distribution of precipitation.

A sharp rise in water levels and river floods are also possible during floods, but they occur due to heavy rains, the fall of which is not so clearly dependent on the period of the year. The duration of the flood is much shorter than the duration of the flood.

In contrast to high water, the period of shallowing of rivers in ETR is typical for the second half of summer and the first half of autumn. At this time, the water level in the rivers has been steadily lowered for a long time. Such periods in the "life" of the river are called low water or low water.

How rivers flood

During floods, the rise in water can be significant, which causes the river to overflow along the floodplain and flood low-lying areas. The water level is quite unstable, and this leads to a frequent change in the width of the flood zone. Despite attempts to build houses away from the river, flooding of residential buildings is still not uncommon. With the formation of ice jams, the area of the spill increases dramatically. This is due to the fact that ice during a jam is an obstacle to the free flow of water, which forces it to flow around the jam. On average, the frequency of strong floods is once every few years. Most important for their occurrence is the high snowfall of the past winter.

During floods, approximately 0.3% of the territory of Russia is under water. Spilled water can flood roads, power lines, gas pipelines and other communications. The strongest known flood happened in 2001 on the Lena River. During the flood, the width of the river increased by many kilometers. At the same time, the city of Lensk was almost completely flooded.

Flood protection

In order for the spring flood of rivers to cause as little damage to the economy as possible, large watercourses are blocked by dams and other types of technical structures. If there is a risk of congestion, the ice is set in motion by disruptive measures. In the presence of a high threat of flooding of settlements, timely evacuation of the local population is carried out. As mandatory attributes, residents of settlements located in risky areas are required to carry inflatable boats, food supplies, and communications equipment.

How river floods are predicted

Even before the onset of floods in the river basin, measurements of the thickness of the snow cover are made, forecasts of the temperature regime are calculated, and so on. All this information is processed and analyzed by the meteorological services, which issue a flood forecast.

Features of fishing during the spring flood of rivers

Many anglers prefer to stay at home during the flood season and not go fishing. However, there are opportunities to get a good catch at this time of the year. But conditionsfishing during the spring flood of the rivers differ significantly from those in the rest of the year. And you should not be immediately disappointed: perhaps you just got unlucky the first time. And for those who want to get unusual experiences, it's time to go fishing.

The total mass of fish in the period of high water is the same as in the normal state of the rivers. True, she behaves at this time differently than in other periods of the year. This requires the use of non-standard methods of fishing. Even in muddy water, typical of floods, fish continue to search for food, although with less efficiency than in clear water.

When is the best time for river flooding

Rising water levels and river floods lead to more organic matter entering the water, which is food for fish. The amount of oxygen dissolved in water also increases. Significantly worsen fishing conditions can only be strong spills, when it will be very difficult to find fish. Small spills give fishermen a great chance to catch. The period of rising water should be waited out, waiting for the phase of its decline. This is due to the fact that an increase in the water level is accompanied by a decrease in its temperature, which makes the fish less active. Additionally, this is facilitated by a large number of solid and colloidal particles suspended in water. As the snowmelt weakens, the water temperature rises slightly, which makes the fish more active. In parallel with this, suspended particles settle, and the water becomes a little clearer. The conditions for the life of fish are improving dramatically: it begins to activelylook for food.

The advantage for the angler in the phase of water decline is the ability to get closer to the fish, as well as simplifying the process of catching. A less shy fish allows you to go easy on the choice of gear and pulling yourself out of the water.

If the current is strong enough, then you need to use a heavier rig. If you go fishing during the period of rising water, then you should stick to places with a minimum current and turbidity. The best option for fishing will be shallow areas, where the current is very weak, and the water warms up better.

What gear to use during the flood of rivers

The choice of suitable gear depends on the size of the reservoir, the presence or absence of vegetation, the availability of the coastal zone, weather conditions and other reasons. When running fishing, it is worth using a lead or Bolognese rod with a length of 5-7 meters. Take the coil without inertia, small in size. The diameter of the fishing line will be 0.14–0.18 mm. When choosing a leash, you should focus on a diameter of 0.10–0.12 mm with a length of 25–30 cm.

Bait Features

The main part of the fish during the flood is pressed against the bottom of the reservoir. Therefore, it is there that bait should be delivered. In order for the bait to sink to the bottom, dense balls should be made from it. With a fast flow, bait should be carried out systematically. Its color should be such that it contrasts with the color of the water at depth.

Chopped worm, insects, larvae, bloodworms and maggots are perfect as a nozzle during the spring flood. During floods, it is better to use largebaits, because the fish during this period pays attention primarily to large objects that are easy to see in muddy water and which will give it a lot of energy at a minimum of its own costs. The use of nozzles of plant origin is also allowed.