Chukhloma Lake is a large reservoir of glacial origin, located in the taiga zone of the European part of Russia. It occupies 48.7 km2 of the Kostroma region. This is the second largest lake in the region and is considered a real natural landmark and valuable wetland.
General description and geography
Chukhloma lake is located in the western part of the Kostroma region at an altitude of 148 meters above sea level. The area of the reservoir is quite large, but the depth is quite small - an average of 1.5 meters. The lake is 9 km long and 6-7 km wide. Its shape is almost round.
According to the hydrological regime, Chukhloma Lake is a wastewater. It gives rise to the Vekse River and at the same time serves as a mouth for 17 water arteries flowing into it, but even such a hydrological inflow cannot prevent the gradual shallowing and decrease in the area of the lake, caused by waterlogging.
In the coastal zone of the reservoirone of the cities of the Kostroma region - Chukhloma is located. At a slight distance from the lake there are several other settlements:
- Zasukhino;
- Big fix;
- Nosovo;
- Fedorovskoye;
- Small sanctuary;
- Dudino;
- Belovo;
- Nozhkino.
Currently, the volume of water in the Chukhloma reservoir is significantly inferior to the amount of silt masses, therefore this lake is considered sapropelic - the thickness of the layer of silt deposits at the bottom reaches 10 meters.
Due to the high degree of overgrowth, the reservoir is in critical condition. Land reclamation work is needed to correct the situation.
Meaning
Chukhloma Lake is a real natural attraction. This place has a high recreational, commercial and ecological value. The forests of the coastal zone perform a water protection and anti-erosion role. The lake is a habitat for rare animal species. During the spring migration period, a large number of geese stop here.
The lake is very valuable for scientific research in the field of paleography and ecology. The reservoir currently has the status of a specially protected object.
Chukhloma Lake has good prospects for the formation of a natural park that combines environmental and recreational purposes. Here you can not only admire the picturesque landscapes, but also go fishing well. For local residents, the lake is of great commercial importance.
Hydrology and Landscape
The greatest depth inLake Chukhloma is 4.5 meters, the bottom is muddy and marshy. The water surface is surrounded by flat and heavily swampy low-lying banks, but in some places they are represented by steep slopes. The lake landscape is composed of:
- meadow ecosystems;
- moraine hills cut by erosion;
- lowland swamps;
- black alder, birch and spruce forests.
The natural inflow to the lake is provided by 17 small rivers (Penka, Svyatitsa, Ivanovka, Kamenka, etc.). The waters flow into the Vexa, which is of great regulatory importance for the latter. The construction of a dam on its bed led to a significant change in the hydrological regime of the lake. At present, it has an important water-regulating value for the entire Kostroma basin, but is itself in a catastrophic state due to intense waterlogging.
Water in Lake Chukhloma is characterized by an average degree of mineralization, ranging from 117 to 214 mg/l depending on the season. The anionic composition is dominated by hydrocarbons, while the cationic composition is dominated by magnesium and calcium.
Flora and fauna
Chukhloma Lake is characterized by a high degree of water area overgrowth (up to 95% of the area). Eladea and pondweeds predominate among the higher representatives of the aquatic flora. Phytoplankton has 100 species of algae belonging to different taxonomic groups, including:
- green;
- diatoms;
- blue-green;
- golden;
- pyrophytes;
- yellow-green;
- cryptophytes.
Zooplankton is represented by rotifers and crustaceans. The benthic fauna is dominated by larvae of chrominids and molluscs, however, oligochaete worms and leeches were also found in this biotope. The density of the bottom biomass of invertebrates is 61.4 g/m2 in the open zone of the reservoir and 6.28 g/m2 - in the coastal zone.
The lake cannot boast of a special we alth of ichthyofauna. It is based on several types of not particularly valuable fish species, including:
- ruff;
- roach;
- pike;
- line;
- perch;
- ide.
Fishing on Lake Chukhloma is of great commercial importance for both local residents and visitors. Chukhloma goldfish, nicknamed "bast shoes", is considered a particularly valuable catch. However, at the moment, its numbers are negligible compared to the three dominant species in the lake, which are ruff, roach and perch.
