Dagestan is an incredibly beautiful mountainous republic, sandwiched between the Greater Caucasus and the shores of the Caspian Sea. This article will focus on the nature, geography and rivers of the republic. In particular, about the Sulak River, a real water pearl in the south of Russia.
General features of the nature of Dagestan
The Republic is located in the extreme southwest of Russia. Geographically, it is interesting in that it borders (if we take into account the sea borders) with five states: Georgia, Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan. The northern part of Dagestan is represented by lowlands (or the so-called Nogai steppes), the southern part by foothills and mountains of the Greater Caucasus. The climate of the territory is temperate continental and quite arid.
The nature of Dagestan, despite the small size of the region, is incredibly beautiful and diverse. Steppes and mountain peaks, harsh rocks and waterfalls, canyons and the purest rivers - all this can be seen within one republic!
Dagestan is located in several natural and floristic zones at once. Semi-desert species grow in the north of the republic. With the advancement to the south, they are replaced by juicymeadows and forests. Alpine-type plant formations are found in the highlands. In general, there are about 4.5 thousand plant species in this region, a quarter of which are endemic.
Lakes and rivers of Dagestan
More than 6200 rivers are in the republic. All of them belong to the Caspian basin. However, only 20 of them carry their waters to the vast sea-lake. The rest go to irrigate agricultural land or get lost in the Caspian lowland.
About 90% of all rivers of Dagestan are classified as mountainous. Their valleys are narrow and deep, the speed of the current in them is very high. Thanks to this, they do not freeze even in the most severe winters. The largest river in Dagestan is the Terek. Its total length is 625 kilometers. The second largest in the republic is the Sulak River.
Within Dagestan there are several hundred large and small lakes. The largest (and most famous) of them is Lake Kezenoy-Am. This is the deepest body of water in the North Caucasus (the maximum depth is 72 meters). The lake has an important recreational and touristic value.
Sulak River: general information
“Sheep waters” – this is how the name of this watercourse is translated from the Kumyk language. The total length of the Sulak River is 169 kilometers, and the catchment area is about 15 thousand square meters. km.
The source of Sulak is the confluence of two other rivers: Andean and Avar Koysu. Both of them originate on the slopes of the Caucasus Range. In the upper reaches, the Sulak River carries its waters through a deep and incredibly beautiful canyon. Then she crosses the Akhetla Gorge, after which herthe valley widens considerably. In the lower reaches, the river forms a rather large delta and flows into the Caspian Sea.
Sulak feeds mainly on melted snow waters. High water in the river is observed from May to September, and low water (minimum water level) - from December to March. The indicator of water turbidity in the lower reaches of the Sulak is 100 times higher than in its upper reaches.
On its way, the Sulak River receives the waters of a large number of small tributaries. The largest of them are Akh-Su, Tlar, Chvakhun-bak and Maly Sulak.
Economic use and recreational potential of the river
Sulak is often referred to as the energy pearl of the North Caucasus. After all, it is on this river that the largest hydroelectric power station in Dagestan, the Chirkeyskaya, is located. One can only envy its employees. After all, the hydroelectric power station is located in an incredibly picturesque place! In addition to the Chirkeyskaya, five more hydroelectric power plants of smaller capacity operate on the Sulak River.
Clean waters of Sulak are used to supply the city of Kaspiysk and Makhachkala. In the 70s of the last century, the Chirkey reservoir (the largest in Dagestan) was built on the river. Due to numerous outcrops of crystalline rocks, its surface has a beautiful azure hue.
Of course, Sulak is also used for recreational and tourist purposes (fishing, water and hiking). Of great interest to many tourists is the Sulak Canyon, the maximum depth of which reaches 2 kilometers! It is quiet and almost deserted here, only lone eaglesbeautifully circling high in the sky over the abyss of a rocky canyon.
