The Ilek River (a tributary of the Urals): where is it located, description and characteristics

2024 Author: Henry Conors | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-12 02:43

Ilek is the largest river flowing into the Urals with a length of 623 km and a catchment area of 41,300 square kilometers. The channel passes through the territories of the Aktobe and Orenburg regions. The first region belongs to Kazakhstan, and the second - to Russia.

Etiology

The etiology of the Ilek River has not yet been determined. The most plausible version links the origin of the name with words from the Bashkir, Kyrgyz, Tatar and Chagatai languages.

General description of the river

Ilek is a very picturesque quiet river with a wide valley, originating on the Bestobe ridge and flowing into the Urals. The source is formed by the Karaganda and Zharyka rivers, which merge on the northwestern slopes of the Mugodzhar mountains. The height of this place is small - 400-500 meters above sea level.

Among the tributaries of the Urals, the Ilek is the largest in terms of length and drainage basin, but is inferior to the Sakmara in terms of annual flow rate. The river has 75 tributaries, among which 9 main tributaries can be distinguished with a length exceeding 14 kilometers.

Main tributaries of the Ilek River

Right	Left
Small Hobda	Karabutak
Great gerbil	Sarak-Saldy
Vetlyanka	Hobda
Little gerbil	Tamdy
	Ikkyrashan

Geography

The river begins its course in the Aktobe region of Kazakhstan and crosses the state border twice. The middle part of the channel passes through the territory of Russia. In the lower reaches, the river again returns to the Aktobe region, where it flows into the Urals.

In the upper reaches, the trajectory of the channel moves first to the west, and then to the north-west, skirting the Poduralskoe plateau. This direction is maintained even after the first border crossing. In the middle reaches, the Ilek passes through the southern part of the Orenburg region.

There are only 4 cities on the banks of the river:

• Alga.
• Kandyagash.
• Aktobe.
• Sol-Iletsk.

Ilek village is located near the mouth.

Characteristic of the water channel

The bed of the Ilek River forms a wide valley, which includes two floodplain terraces. Its size is almost comparable to the Urals. Along the course, the channel forms many channels and oxbow lakes. The river is characterized by a homogeneous landscape of predominantly steppe nature. The exception is the upper reaches, located on the territory of the Mugodzhar mountains.

The width of the channel strongly depends on the season. So, in the spring, the Ilek floods heavily, almost completely filling the floodplainterraces. The width of the river valley is not uniform. In the upper reaches it is 500 meters, and at the mouth - 3-4 kilometers. The nature of the coast is sheer. The width of the channel in the upper part of the river varies from 20 to 30 m, in the middle - 80-150 m, and in the lower reaches - from 150 to 170 m.

On the territory of the Orenburg region, the Ilek River has an average depth of 1-2 m, and a maximum depth of 4-6 m. On sandy rifts, it does not exceed ten centimeters, and on reaches it varies from 0.9 to 1.9 m. In the summer months, these values are significantly reduced. In areas of pits, the depth can reach 4-6 m.

Nature

The nature of the Ilek floodplain is very diverse and picturesque. Due to the fact that the river was practically not affected by human activities, many biotopes inhabited by rich fauna have been preserved in it almost unchanged.

Found in the coastal zone:

• butter-sedge forest;
• estuaries;
• floodplain lakes;
• wetlands;
• sand dunes;
• meadow and steppe areas;
• loess cliffs and ravines;
• sandy shores, islands and spits;
• reeds and shrubs.

Most of the riverbed passes through the plowed steppe, but there are also virgin areas and forest belts. Meadows and low hills are less common. The woody vegetation of the floodplain is quite abundant. To the main views of the river valleyinclude:

• willow;
• anguish-leaved elm;
• oak;
• poplar;
• aspen.

Alder and oak grow here in smaller quantities. Shrub forms are represented by viburnum, blackberry, blackthorn and wild rose. The herbaceous flora is especially diverse, including very rare species (Korzhinsky's licorice, Schrenk's tulip, etc.).

The upper reaches of the Ilek River in Kazakhstan, which are located on the slopes of the Mugodzhar mountains, are very picturesque. At the very source, the channel passes through a steppe rich in grassy vegetation, along which white blocks of limestone are scattered. Downstream, the landscape of the river valley begins to resemble a series of numerous canyons: sand hills rise on the sides of the river at a distance of several kilometers. Many rare birds live in these places (white-tailed eagle, curly pelican, etc.).

The river has a rich ichthyofauna. The following species of fish live in its waters:

• ide;
• roach;
• chekhon;
• catfish;
• chub;
• asp;
• ear whitefish;
• carp;
• thick era;
• suspend;
• zander;
• perch;
• dace.

Sometimes a migratory beluga enters the river. Fishing is available in the middle part of the channel, passing through the territory of the Orenburg region. In the lower reaches, the river runs along the state border. If you wish, you can get to the upper reaches, but for this you need to go to Kazakhstan.

Hydrology

The Ilek River is fed mainly by melting snow. A significant contribution is also madeground water. Tributaries play a less important role in nutrition.

Ilek is characterized by a slow flow. The annual runoff is 1.262 km³, more than half of which occurs during the spring flood. The rest of the time falls on a deep low water, which is very stable. The long-term average water discharge is 40 cubic meters per second (measurements were made at a point 112 kilometers away from the mouth).

The flood in the river is very stormy, but does not last long (no more than seven or eight days). It comes in the second half of April, during the ice drift. Sometimes this happens in the first decade of the month. Ilek freezes in the second half of November.

Climate

The climate of the Ilek basin is sharply continental, characterized by long winters and stable snow cover. The average temperature during this period is minus 15-16 degrees, and when the Siberian anticyclones penetrate, the thermometer can drop to minus 42. Such weather causes a long icing of the river.

The average daily temperature rises above zero only in the second half of March, and frosts begin from the end of October. The snow cover lasts for about four months (from mid-November to the transitional period from March to April). Summer in the Ilek basin is dry and hot, accompanied by dry winds and dust storms.