The Kuma River of the Stavropol Territory flows mainly only in this area, which is covered with sand. The name of the stream is connected precisely with this feature of it. From the Turkic language, the word "kum" is translated as "sand". The history of the river begins in the I-III centuries BC. Already in these times, historians note the presence of the first settlers on the lands near the basin of the water flow, who were engaged in agriculture, cattle breeding, and the first crafts appeared. In the XI-XIII centuries, the Kuma River was equipped with Polovtsian headquarters; the inhabitants themselves called themselves "kumans". Today, the cities of Mineralnye Vody, Budennovsk, the villages of Aleksandriyskaya and Suvorovskaya, the villages of Krasnokumskoye, Levokumskoye, Soldato-Aleksandrovskoye, Arkhangelskoye and Praskoveya are located along the reservoir. In total, more than 350 thousand people live on the banks of the Kuma River today.
Geography of the river
Kuma originates from the village of Upper MaraKarachay-Cherkess Republic, on the northern slopes of the Rocky Range (about 2100 meters high). Here the reservoir can be called a mountain river. In the area of Mineralnye Vody, the stream spills into the plain, where its course is already calmer. It ends in the Nogai steppe. In the Caspian lowland near the city of Neftekumsk, the Kuma River breaks into several small branches that move towards the Caspian Sea, but do not reach it. In total, the flow flows in four regions of our country at once: the republics of Dagestan, Kalmykia, Karachay-Cherkess and in the Stavropol Territory.
Tributaries
The river is 802 km long and its basin area is 33,500 square km. In the village of Krasnokumsky (Georgievsky district), a tributary flows into the Kuma - the river. Podkumok. It belongs to the right-bank internal streams. In order to understand which basin the watercourse belongs to, it is necessary to determine where the Kuma River flows into. We are talking about the Caspian Sea.
Besides, the Darya and Zolka rivers flow into the right side of the reservoir. To the left - Tomuzlovka, Dry Karamyk, Wet Karamyk, Surkul, Dry Buffalo, Wet Buffalo.
Characteristic
The Kuma River is fed mainly by precipitation and snowmelt. From the end of November to the beginning of March, it is ice-bound; in March-April, the ice melts, and the reservoir overflows. In the recent past, rather high floods were recorded in the spring periods, and floods are also not uncommon here. From March to June there ishigh water. In summer, the water level can rise up to 5 meters.
The average long-term water consumption is 10.6 cubic meters. m, the average runoff is fixed at around 0.33 cubic meters. km per year.
A feature of the Kuma River is its muddy waters. This is due to the high content of suspended particles. According to sources, about 600 thousand tons of material is carried out annually. During periods of floods and floods, this figure increases significantly. In this regard, the Kuma River is used primarily for irrigation of the region's arid lands.
Before the city of Mineralnye Vody, the flow of this stream is predominantly mountainous, and after entering the flat area it becomes calmer.
Water quality
The quality of the water in the stream is not uniform throughout its length. At the sources, in mountainous areas, mineralization is noted: here it is predominantly of a calcium-hydrocarbonate composition. Further along the river, the amount of mineral substances decreases significantly, and the presence of sulfates is noted. That is why the Kuma River in the Stavropol Territory has poor water quality, close in characteristics to polluted, unsuitable for drinking.
Reservoir and canals
A reservoir of the same name has been created on the river near the village of Otkaznoye. After its formation, the turbidity of the water decreased significantly. An artificial reservoir is considered to be one of the most fishy places. In this regard, throughout the year it is carried out trapping, and asprofessional as well as amateur. There are more than 70 species of fish here, among which the majority are gudgeon, crucian carp, bream, pike perch and perch.
In addition to the reservoir, two irrigation canals were built on the Kuma stream - Kumo-Manychsky and Tersko-Kumsky. Water is also transferred through them to the basin of several rivers (Eastern Manych, etc.), where it is processed, after which it is supplied to consumers.
