Kama is the most significant tributary of the Volga. Its source is located on the Verkhnekamsk Upland near the small Udmurt village of Kuliga, 330 meters above sea level. The length of the river is 1805 km. According to one interpretation, the name of the river in translation from Udmurt - "kema" - means "long". The river basin is also significant and is equal to 507 thousand sq. km.
The most interesting tributary
Beginning in Udmurtia, it flows through the territory of several regions and republics, and, as it were, unites the Kirov Region, Perm Territory, Bashkiria and Tatarstan.
The Kama River changes the direction of its course several times throughout its length. In the upper reaches it moves in a northwest direction, and then turns to the northeast. Near the village Loino makes a sharp turn to the south. It becomes rich in water after the confluence with the Pilva, and the left tributary of the Kama - the Vishera - turns it into a wide full-flowing river.
At the confluence with the Volga, where the Kuibyshev reservoir is now, the Kama flowed parallel to the longest river in Europe and separated from itrocky ridge. This mouth does not exist at present. The width of the Kuibyshev reservoir at the confluence of two large rivers reaches 40 km.
The river is fed mainly by snow, rain and groundwater. Freezing starts from the upper reaches of the river in early November and lasts until April. When freezing, a large volume of in-water ice is formed. In spring, ice drift can last from several days to 15 days.
Kama reservoirs
The Kama River is blocked several times by dams, and in these places three large reservoirs are formed. The Kama reservoir arose at the confluence of the right tributary of the Urolka. Its length is almost 350 kilometers, and its width reaches 14 kilometers, with a maximum depth of 30 meters. The dam of the Kamskaya HPP is located in Perm.
The dam of the Votkinsk hydroelectric power station forms the Votkinsk reservoir. With a length of 365 km, its width is 9 km, and its greatest depth is 29 meters.
Near the city of Naberezhnye Chelny, the Kama River is blocked by another dam, which forms the Nizhnekamsk reservoir. Its width reaches 20 km, and its length is almost 185 km. The maximum depth is 22 meters.
The cascade of hydroelectric power stations created on the mighty Ural river almost 1.5 times reduced the speed of its flow. Even the shade of the water has changed: it has become darker and significantly different from the Volga.
Man's use of the river
The Kama River from the Kuibyshev reservoir - the confluence with the Volga - to the city of Solikamsk is navigable. 60 km upstream fromof this city is the village of Kerchevo, which was at one time the world's largest forest raid. But he stopped his work in 1995.
From Perm along the waterway you can get not only to Astrakhan or Nizhny Novgorod, but also to Moscow.
Kama, a river famous for the beauty of its picturesque banks, attracts many tourists who want not only to admire its splendor, but also to join nature. Water, hiking, skiing and horseback trails are very popular. In the upper reaches of the Kama is used for sport fishing. In this regard, the issue of reducing the pollution of the river waters by industrial effluents becomes very relevant.
