The Aldan River, Yakutia: description, characteristics and location

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

In a significant part of the territory of Yakutia, also occupying the north of the Khabarovsk Territory, one of the largest tributaries of the Lena, the Aldan River, flows. According to one version, in translation from the Tunguska, its name means “fish”, according to another, it is an Evenk word and is translated as “side”, that is, a lateral inflow.

Geography

The river originates from the northern side of the Stanovoy Ridge. This is not far from the border of Yakutia and the Amur region. Flowing through the Aldan Highlands in a narrow rocky channel, it forms a large number of rifts and rapids. From the place where the Timpton and Uchur tributaries flow into the Aldan, the river breaks out into the valley, then flows along the intermountain plain. The lower course of the Aldan branches into several branches, forming long channels and many islands. Within the catchment there are a large number of lakes (more than 50 thousand), the largest of which is considered to be Big Toko.

That part of the territory of our country, where the Aldan River is located, is characterized by rather harsh climatic conditions. Already in October, the reservoirs are covered with ice. Aldan is no exception - icestays on the river for at least seven months, freezing begins only in May.

The length of the entire length of the river is 2273 kilometers. In terms of runoff, this is one of the largest rivers in Russia. For the Lena River, this is almost a third. The area of the Aldan River is about 730 thousand square kilometers.

Hydrology

The flood period lasts from May to July. At this time, the water level rises by 10 meters, its consumption is up to 48 thousand cubic meters. m/s. Floods still occur from August to September. Winter consumption is small - no more than 4% per annum. The river is fed mainly by rain and snow. According to its chemical composition, the water is bicarbonate-calcium, the presence of dissolved s alts in it does not exceed 0.3 g/l.

Tributes of the Aldan River

There are 275 large and small tributaries along the entire length of the river, the total length of which is at least 10 kilometers.

The largest is Uchur, its water discharge at the mouth is 1350 cubic meters. m/s. This is the right tributary of the Aldan, 812 km long. Translated from Evenki, Uchur means "whirlwind", "loach". Almost along its entire path, the river is practically squeezed by mountains, so its channel is too winding.

Maya is known as another big river in Yakutia - a tributary of the Aldan with a catchment area of more than 170 sq. m. It stands out among all the Amga in length, flowing almost parallel to the Aldan from the very upper reaches. Its bottom is littered with pebbles, and on the upper sections you can see beautiful waterfalls and stone canyons, which is very attractive for tourists and those who love outdoor activities.

Among other tributaries fed by the Aldan River, the most famous are Timpton, Notora, Tumara, Barai, Tompo.

Flora

The river basin is located in the taiga zone. The soil cover is not the same. On the right and left sides of the pool, it has significant differences. So, in the right part on the slopes of the watershed, mountain-bald and permafrost-podzolic soils prevail on the tops of the ridges. On the floodplain terraces, permafrost-taiga soils are most common.

In those places where the Aldan River flows, the vegetation cover has some differences compared to the rest of the Central Yakut Plain. Instead of meadow, steppe and marsh landscapes, coniferous-deciduous forests dominate. Forest-forming species are pine, spruce, birch, larch and cedar slate. Spruce dominates only in the southern part of the basin. Pine forests occupy small areas on the sloping tops of the ridges. Also, many rare and endangered plants grow in the Aldan river basin.

In August - September, locals gather a good harvest of mushrooms in this area. Milk mushrooms, russula, and aspen mushrooms predominate among them.

Fauna

Amphibians are mostly represented by the Siberian frog and viviparous lizard. Of the birds, the dipper, the black crane, and the black mallard live in these parts. As well as wild grouse, kingfisher, jay, gray thrush - birds that are practically not found in other regions of Yakutia.

Wild reindeer, musk deer, vole, pika live in the southern basin of the river. In the Siberian dwarf pine, there is a high abundance of brownbear, and where the river occupies mountainous areas that do not freeze in winter, otters are very common.

The Aldan River is famous for its rather large variety of fish. It is not for nothing that Yakutia is a popular region among amateur fishermen. The river is very rich in fish - perch, taimen, grayling, Siberian roach, pike, sturgeon.

Economic use

On the territory of the basin of this river there are large deposits of minerals, such as coal, gold, mica. Aldan is the most important water artery that ensures the export of products of mining enterprises, as well as the import of various goods for residents of settlements and enterprises located along the river. The main marinas are the villages of Khandyga, Ust-Maya, Eldikan and the city of Tommot. For 1600 km Aldan is navigable.

Dalstroy's labor camps once occupied these lands. Today, considerable stocks of fish and natural attractions, which the Aldan River is famous for, attract the attention of tourists and fishermen.

The land attracts with its amazing untouched beauty and grandeur. Lakes and gorges, streams falling from cliffs, rocky banks of a huge river are simply mesmerizing.

History

It has been established that for the first time a human foot set foot on this earth around 40 millennium BC. The first people who lived here were engaged in hunting bison, mammoths, who inhabited the river basin at that time. Then, for unknown reasons, they disappeared, and after 30 thousand years, another population appeared in these places, whichhunted reindeer and elk. Currently, about a hundred sites dating back to the Bronze and Iron Ages have been found along the banks of the Aldan River.

Crossings

The existing bridge crossings in the narrow part of the river are wooden decks. In shallow water, the transition from one bank to another is often carried out by wading. In winter, the crossing takes place on ice, and in summer there is a ferry.

And he doesn't have a strict schedule. The ferry operates only during daylight hours and at full load. In the off-season, there is no crossing at all. Today, the construction of a new bridge along the federal highway across the Aldan River is being completed, its total length is 970 meters.