Shilka River - main characteristics and economic importance

2024 Author: Henry Conors | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-12 02:44

One of the largest left tributaries of the Amur - the Trans-Baikal Shilka River - is formed by the confluence of the Ingoda and Onon. It flows in the region of the Amazar and Shilkinsky ridges and is distinguished by its swift temper.

Geography

The general direction of the river is northeast. Only at the end does it confidently turn to the east. The length is 560 km, the width is from 40 to 200 m, the catchment area is 206 thousand km2. Shilka stretches between the spurs of the mountains, only occasionally receding from the channel, forming small valleys. The upper course of the river is characterized by a large number of waterfalls and rapids.

Shilka is fed by many small streams, of which there are about seventy. The most significant among them are Kara, Kurenga, Chacha, Chernaya. The main tributary of the Shilka River is on the left side - this is the Nercha, which flows into the Shilka in several branches and has a length of 580 km.

Hydrology

The water regime of the Shilka river basin has its own peculiarity - the flood period here is 120-130 days. In total, there can be from 8 to 12 floods per year. Some of them seem to overlap each other, and then their duration can be up to 3months. The maximum fluctuations in the water level in Shilka are up to 12.5 m. The river is fed by 80% of rainwater, melting snow and a large number of tributaries also contribute to flooding. The Shilka River spends most of the year (up to 200 days) under ice, completely freeing itself from it only by May.

Flora and fauna

Mountain-taiga landscapes, typical of Eastern Transbaikalia, occupy most of the Shilka River. Dry grass-forb steppes are combined with the mountainous East Siberian taiga. Chestnut soils predominate in their lower part, and chernozems lie above. The northern slopes of the hills at an altitude of about 1000 m are lined with gray forest soils.

The most common plants in the steppe zone are feather grass, serpentine, thyme, stemless cinquefoil, etc. Pine, birch, larch, and cedar predominate in taiga areas. At the same time, most often the northern parts of the slopes are covered with light larches, and pine forests are predominantly located on the southern ones. Cedar can be found only at the very top of the mountain-taiga zone.

The Shilka River is almost completely surrounded by rocky cliffs, so trees and shrubs densely overgrow all flat areas where the channel at least slightly widens and the current becomes calmer. The vegetation here is very diverse.

The bottom surface is varied and covered with pebbles and boulders, so there are often rifts, reaches, pits and even waterfalls on the river. Living well under these conditionsvarious types of fish. Beluga, sturgeon, salmon, chum salmon and taimen live in large numbers in Shilka. One of the richest reservoirs in terms of fish stocks is the Shilka River. A lot of fish are brought to the river by clean and cold mountain tributaries, such as the Unda, Delyun, Boty and many others.

Economic value

Like many rivers in the Far East, the Shilka is of great importance as a transport route. It is navigable almost all the way. However, due to the large number of riffles in the riverbed and the high speed of the current, navigation is often difficult. In the summer, sometimes there are breaks of up to 15 days. The most developed shipping is in the lower reaches - from the mouth to the city of Sretensk. The river is also widely used for timber rafting. Navigation lasts from 160 to 180 days.

Besides this, the Shilka River is a fairly large source of energy resources. The Trans-Baikal Territory is capable of generating millions of kilowatts of cheap electricity due to large and small rivers located on its territory. The development of hydropower resources is the most important task of the water sector in this region.

The Shilka with its tributaries is also important for fisheries. During spawning, fish from the Amur come in schools, rising to spawning grounds in the upper reaches of mountain rivers.

In nearby settlements, favorable conditions are being created for receiving numerous tourists, who have been so attracted to the Far East lately. Photo of the Shilka River, its rocky banks, overgrowntrees of valleys and vast expanses, among which it majestically carries its waters - all this is very impressive and mesmerizing.