Rivers of the Kursk region: description, features and interesting facts

2024 Author: Henry Conors | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-12 02:47

The nature of the Kursk region has long been known for its unique topography and diversity of flora and fauna. The water resources of this territory cannot be ignored either. This article will describe some rivers of the Kursk region.

General information

The rivers of this region are a very extensive network. All of them belong to the flat type and are not particularly full-flowing. Basically, they cover the central and western part of the region (80%), adjacent to the Dnieper basin. This includes the largest rivers, such as the Seim and Psel, with their numerous tributaries. The rest (20%) in the eastern part of the region formed a network that merges with the Don basin. For example, Olym, Tim, Oskol, Kshen. In total, the length of the river network is approximately 8,000 km. You may be interested to know where the rivers of the Kursk region flow, as well as what kind of vegetation surrounds them.

Scenic corners

The type of river system depends on the geographical and climatic features of the area. Central Russian Upland, more precisely, south-its western part, where the Kursk region is located, is famous for its diversity of flora and fauna. This area is characterized by a flat terrain with small hills. Erosive destruction responsible for its formation in this area is mainly caused by the activity of river flows. The rivers and lakes of the Kursk region are a complex of separate picturesque corners, one after another. As a result of the activity of small rivers, many ravines were formed. Forest-steppes are replaced by broad-leaved forests and oak forests. Pine groves also grow here, which are spread on sandy soils. Forests covering the banks alternate with meadows partially plowed for agricultural land.

Mostly natural lakes of this region are formed in the floodplains of some rivers, once flooded. Many of them are oxbow lakes of the Seim River. These include lakes such as Malino, Fitizh, Makovye, Lezvino, Klyukvennoe. The latter was formed on the site of a former peat bog at the beginning of the 20th century. In some places its banks are covered with forest clearings dotted with strawberries and raspberries. Many plants grow here, including those listed in the Red Book. Lake Malino is known as a source of good catch. It is noteworthy that each individual species of fish knows its place in the reservoir. Lake Fitizh, near which the village with architectural sights is located, attracts many tourists in summer.

Feeding rivers

In nature, everything is arranged like thisso that each system can replenish its resources. In order for the riverbeds not to dry out, they need to be fed by underground and surface runoff of the area in which they flow. The starting point of most of them are the sources located in the beams. Often flooded valleys are characterized by swampiness and slow water flow characteristic of such conditions. Rivers form many tributaries, which differ significantly from each other both in the nature of the meanders and in size. The main food for the rivers is melted snow water and, to a lesser extent, groundwater and rainwater. Due to snow reserves, river channels annually miss more than 50% of the annual discharge. Groundwater replenishes rivers by 30%, and rainwater by 15%.

Spring high water

The highest level of the rivers of the Kursk region is reached in spring. In the last few decades, floods have become much less pronounced. The average duration of spring floods is about 20 days. This period varies depending on the size of the rivers and the terrain. On large streams, it can last more than a month, and on small ones - up to 10 days. Near the Seim River, this gap is quite significant, in particular within the lowlands.

The level of water rise begins 6-7 days before the ice breaks. This time usually falls on the end of March - the beginning of April. The movement of ice occurs within 5 days, and on large rivers twice as long. By the end of April, the flood usually ends, and already in May the water level drops noticeably.

The state of rivers in the summer-autumn period

In summer, the rivers of the Kursk region become significantly shallower, and shallow channels dry up altogether. At their lowest level in terms of water level, these streams descend in August and September. However, the climatic conditions of the area can present surprises. Sometimes low water (low) levels of water flows can be interrupted by rain floods associated with heavy rainfall. Often they occur repeatedly and can reach a height of more than 1 m. In contrast to spring, spontaneous floods do not greatly affect the state of rivers characteristic of this time. Although everything can happen in just a few hours or days, depending on the size of the channel, the water level quickly drops to its original level.

When the air temperature starts to drop, the river flows rise a little, and in the second half of November the rivers usually freeze. Floods can also occur in winter due to short thaws. A characteristic feature of the rivers of this region is the thickness of the ice. It can reach up to 0.5 m, and in more severe winters this figure rises to 0.8 m.

Below is more detailed information about the water sources of this area. We will find out where the river Seim flows into the Kursk region, and the article also describes two other popular rivers - Tuskar and Psel.

Where do they go

The bed of the Seim River is located on the territory of Russia and Ukraine, and the watercourse itself belongs to the Black Sea and Dnieper basins. Its source is located on the southwestern slopes of the Central Russianhills. The Seim is considered one of the most famous water arteries of the Kursk region. Where does the River Seim flow into? From the village of Morozovo, Gubkinsky district, located near its source, it goes to the Sumy region and merges with the Desna in the Chernihiv region.

The Tuskar River originates near the village of Novoaleksandrovka (Shchigrovsky district), belonging to the catchment area of the Black Sea and such rivers as the Desna, Dnieper and Seim. Tuskar merges with the latter on the southern side of the city of Kursk, acting as its right tributary.

The waters of the Psel River flow from the settlement of Prygorki on the border with the Kursk region, ending their journey at the Dnieper River. Along the way, Psel flows through the Sumy and Poltava regions, its channel is located within the Dnieper lowland. The river is a left tributary of the Dnieper and enters the Black Sea catchment.

Obviously, the river system is not monotonous. All the rivers of the Kursk region are beautiful in their own way. The description of each of them separately focuses on their features.

Seim

In its size it differs from other rivers of the Kursk region. The Seim is a large tributary of the Desna, the width of which in the lower reaches is up to 100 m. The river bed, 500 km long, is located among picturesque landscapes. The main part of its tributaries (there are 900 in total) is located here. These include Svapa, Kleven and Tuskar. The length of 7 tributaries flowing into the river in the Ukrainian valleys is about 10 km.

In the course of the course, the river forms a large number of meanders. It has different banks, one of which is quite steep and acts as a cliff. However, at the beginning of the journey, both banks are gentle. Due to the fact that the flow of the river has a slight slope, its current is slow, although in ancient times it was navigable. The bottom in the upper reaches of the Seim is loamy, then it changes to sandy loamy, and below it turns into sandy.

There are a lot of fish in the waters of the river and lakes located in the nearby valleys. You can find varieties such as tench and rudd. Of the plants listed in the Red Book of Russia, gladiolus grows here, and in the river itself, a white water lily. Gladiolus meadow is located near the floodplain and adjoins the reserve of the Glushkovsky district near the village of Karyzh. A large part of the coastal area of the river is covered with a pine forest, in which rare species of trees grow: Manchurian walnut, Weymouth pine and Crimean pine.

Psel

The length of the Psel River in the Kursk region is more than 200 km, the rest falls on Ukrainian territory (about 500 km). Of the 25 available tributaries, the most voluminous merge with the river in the middle of its course. The length of the right tributary of the Grun is 55 km. The Khorol River, carrying its waters for 300 km, flows into Psel from the left side. Some places are characterized by high waterlogging.

The Psel river itself is distinguished by its calm flow, spacious sandy banks and diverse vegetation. It is shallow, with a beautiful winding channel and asymmetrical banks. The bottom is mostly sandy, in placesmuddy. There are aquatic inhabitants, of which there are up to 50 species. Hares and foxes are found on the banks, and in the thick of the forest you can encounter roe deer and wild boar.

Tuskar

The Tuskar river flowing through the Kursk region is the third largest among all the tributaries of the Seim. It also forms its own tributaries. The right ones include Nepolka, Again and Kur, and the left - the Vinogrobl River. In the area of the village of Svoboda, Tuskar winds beautifully, covering the entire settlement. The river serves as the border between the Zheleznodorozhny and Central districts of the city. Near the Kirovsky Bridge there is an oxbow lake with the historical name "New Landings", assigned to it in the 16th century. Rovets and Krivets are the most famous of several branches of the Tuskar and formed oxbow lakes.

Interesting facts

In the era of Kievan Rus, the Tuskar River was an integral part of the water chain that began from the Dnieper and lasted to the Volga. Once ships sailed along it, and in the 18th century a port was built and a steam boat was launched. In Soviet times, various sports games and competitions were held on the river, and now it has become a recreation place for local residents.

There is a legend that the Seim River was formed as a result of the confluence of seven shallow streams, hence, as they say, it got its name. Previously, the river was navigable, later various types of recreation centers were built on its banks.

During the time of Peter I, industry began to develop in Kursk, and the city was transformed intolarge shopping center. Over time, agriculture expanded significantly and the first cloth factory appeared. At that time, the Seim River served as a means of transporting its products.

Conclusion

The rivers described above are just a small part of the natural resources of the Kursk region. The scheme of rivers, of course, reveals the full picture of the available water arteries. However, it is worth visiting these places in person to admire the beautiful scenery of the picturesque river banks.