Agrakhan Bay is an ornithological area of international importance. It has become so due to the presence of rich vegetation and warm shallow water. This is the territory of nesting and passage of rare birds. Agrakhan is a spawning place for valuable species of fish.
Gulf of the Caspian Sea
The western coast of the Caspian Sea is the place where the Agrakhan Bay is located. It occupies a fair part of the coast. It is separated from the Caspian Sea by the Uchkos Peninsula (Agrakhan Peninsula). Throughout the length of the bay is different. At its narrowest point, at the entrance to the Caspian Sea, it is about 800 m. At its widest, it is several kilometers. In the north, the depth reaches 4 m. The southern part of the bay, which has actually become a lake, is shallow. It is completely overgrown with reeds, it has a large number of swampy islands. Parts of the bay are separated by the Terek channel.
In the northern part of the Agrakhan Bay, the water is highly desalinated, and in the southern part it is fresh. The Terek River, which flows into the bay, flows into it with a large number of channels andsleeves. The bay is also fed by the waters of canals and collectors.
Historical facts
In relatively recent times, by historical standards, the bay was a large and deep part of the Caspian. On the shore of the bay in 1721, a fortress of the Holy Cross was built with berths for ships. Peter I himself visited these places in 1722, when he accompanied the troops of his Persian campaign. Having familiarized himself with the situation on the spot, he gave the order to carry out work to clear the bottom of the bay. For these purposes, on his orders, 500 Cossack families were resettled here in 1724. However, Peter's plans were not implemented.
Later the bay becomes less and less navigable. The Terek and Sulak rivers heavily silted it with sediment. In 1914, the channel of the Terek shifted to the south as a result of the so-called. Kargolin breakthrough. This led to the fact that the river began to flow into the middle part of the Agrakhan Bay. The Terek delta was constantly growing, and in the mid-50s of the last century, with its sediments, it divided the bay into two parts. This led to the formation of the so-called. Agrakhan cross, which served as a discharge of the river into the bay. The southern and northern parts of the bay were connected through the Terek delta.
There was a problem of complete siltation. Moreover, the continued drop in the level of the Caspian Sea could lead to the fact that the Agrakhan Gulf would cease to exist altogether. In order to prevent this situation, in 1968 a cut (channel) was built through the Uchkos peninsula, which was supposed toto discharge Terek water directly into the Caspian Sea. The construction of the slot caused the complete separation of the southern part of the bay from the northern one. At present, the southern part of the bay is completely dependent on the waters of the Terek, which it feeds with its channels. The drainage waters of the Dzerzhinsky Canal also enter this part of the bay. In order to somehow regulate the water level and discharge high waters from here during the flood of the rivers, the so-called Gorlovsky gates have been created, through which excess water is transferred to the Yuzbash canal.
Real Gulf
The dam separates northern Agrakhan from the Terek. This part of the bay was strongly surrounded by collectors; it actually became the largest lake in the Republic of Dagestan. The northern part of Agrakhan is a series of small lakes that turn into shallow sea water.
The coast of the bay, which was developed in the recent past, has become a sparsely populated land. In the northwest of the coast there is a small village of Starotechnoye. There are a number of residential buildings on the neighboring island of Chechnya.
In the south side of the bay there is a large settlement Novaya Kosa (Republic of Dagestan, Babayurtovsky district).
The northern coast is heavily indented by the channels of the Terek, as well as irrigation canals. This area is flat. From the east, the coast of the bay is also a flat area, but with numerous dunes.
Climate features
At the location of the Agrakhan Bay, the climate is quite severe. Summerdry and hot weather. Winter is moderately mild. There is little rainfall throughout the year. The hottest months of the year are July and August. The average air temperature for the year is about plus 12 degrees. In winter, it does not fall below 20 degrees below zero. Ice does not form on the surface of the bay. Only sometimes freeze-up is recorded in the reservoirs of northern Agrakhan.
Animals and flora of the bay
Due to the fact that the Agrakhan Bay has relatively warm waters and an abundance of food, its shores and water surface have become the largest and most important places in the west of the Caspian for nesting, stopping places for migratory birds, as well as areas where waterfowl and near-water birds winter. Comfortable floodplains interspersed with open stretches are favorite habitats for cormorants, herons, swan, goose, ducks, and coots. S alt shores and shallow waters abound with clicks.
In total, about 200 species of various birds have been recorded in the area of the Agrakhan Bay.
Ornithologists have recorded that recently northern Agrakhan has become the largest wintering place in Russia for a very rare bird listed in the Red Book - the curly pelican. In the immediate vicinity of the Chased Gate, as well as near the village of Staroterechnoye, thousands of flocks of these birds are often noticed. Due to the fact that floodplain thickets and floodplains are impassable, they have also become a habitat for the Caucasian red deer, which has actually disappeared in the rest of Dagestan.
Boars, wolves, otters settled on the shores of the bayraccoon dogs, jungle cat.
Northern Agrakhan, despite the fact that the hydrological regime is very unfavorable, is still an important place for spawning and growth of valuable commercial fish of the Caspian Sea. Until now, perch, bream, catfish, kutum, mullet, pike perch are found in abundance here.
The flora of the Agrakhan Bay is unique. In addition to common coastal plants, on its shores and in the bay itself, you can find rare (relic) representatives of the plant world, namely, white water lily, Hyrcanian walnut, pemphigus, Sylvia floating, mountaineer amphibian.
Nature protection measures
In 1983, on the territory of the bay in the Babayurtovsky district of the Republic of Dagestan, the Agrakhansky reserve was created. It has the status of state-natural. The area is 39,000 hectares. The main task is to preserve and restore rare and valuable animals that are endangered, as well as their habitats. In 2009, he came under the supervision of the structures of the state reserve "Dagestan". Its protection is carried out by specially created inspection units. Border units of the FSB of Russia also participate in its protection.
The value of the Agrakhansky reserve is very important for the conservation of endangered species, namely:
- animals - red deer, jungle cat, Caucasian otter, bandaging;
- birds - curly pelican, lesser cormorant, spoonbill, loaf, white-eyed pochard, white-tailed eagle, long-legged buzzard;
- fish - Caspianlampreys, thorns, Ciscaucasian spikes, barbel damask mai, brown trout.
But the Agrakhan Bay of Dagestan is also a place of rest not only for residents of the republic, but also for citizens of Russia and abroad. Here you can perfectly hunt and fish, as well as enjoy the beautiful views of the bay.
Those who chose the places of Agrakhan as a vacation in Dagestan on the Caspian Sea are guaranteed to provide themselves with a lot of positive emotions and impressions.
