The Ob has never been such a river on which the inflow of flood waters passes in winter, as is typical for some rivers in the European part of Russia. Usually this phenomenon is typical for the spring months. The first wave of the leash, which raises the water level in the Ob, occurs in March. The thaw begins at about the same time every year, rarely when winter lingers in Siberia until April.
First water level changes
Whether the flood will be heavy depends on the ambient temperature, how snowy the winter was and how long the warming lasted. With a uniform, not abrupt rise in temperature, the snow melts gradually, and the melt water has time to go into the ground (provided that at the end of winter there were no severe frosts and the ground was not too frozen). If it gets warmer sharply, then the melted water has no choice but to flow into the river, right onto the ice. Due to this, it collapses, ice drift begins. The channels are still tightly closed, so the water has nowhere to go, and it changes its course. During this period, most residents of cities and settlements located in the Ob region begin to monitor the water level. Information about the changes is constantly broadcast on loc altelevision and radio channels, is prescribed in print and online media. In those settlements where there is a high risk of flooding by leash waters, a “combat readiness” mode is introduced, and information about the water level in the Ob River is updated and reported to citizens several times a day. For critical changes - hourly. In many settlements, for such a period, loudspeakers are turned on on the streets, which broadcast almost around the clock. However, the spring flood rarely poses a threat, after all, there are not so many melt waters. A more serious danger is the second wave of floods - May.
The snow is melting in the mountains
It's no secret that the waters of the Ob are fed by a dozen small mountain streams descending from the mountains and foothill regions of the Altai Republic. In these areas, the period of snow melting falls on mid-May, and that's when the second flood wave begins. If there was a lot of snow, then the volumes of flood waters can be more than impressive. Employees of the Ministry of Emergency Situations know about this, therefore, preparation for a leash in "dangerous" villages begins in advance, especially if the forecast is unfavorable. When the water level in the Ob River rises very quickly, dozens of small villages in the suburbs of Barnaul are under the threat of flooding. One of them is the long-suffering village of Zaton, which “floats” almost every year.
On three islands
The inhabitants of this village, which is located on three islands, have all household appliances in their houses on special stands, in caseflood. But even this measure sometimes does not save. Just last year, there was a record water level in the Ob, Barnaul and the entire Altai Territory watched with a shudder what was happening in Zaton. But for Zatonovites, everything is simple: they keep boats and oars on the roofs of outbuildings, at home - nonsense and other waterproof shoes. During the flood period, these people are always ready with bags with provisions, clothes and documents: an emergency evacuation can begin at any moment. But there are those who do not leave even when the water reaches the windowsills of houses: they move to the roofs.
Ztonovites do not see anything supernatural in their lives: over the long history of the village, they have become accustomed to such an existence. But no one in the city knows better than them in a flood situation: ask them at any time of the day about the current water level in the Ob, and they will answer without hesitation.
No heating in Novosibirsk
In the Novosibirsk region, residents do not so closely monitor the water level in the Ob, Novosibirsk rarely floods. The “fault” for this in the good sense of the word is the Novosibirsk reservoir. In the spring, when the natural influx of flood waters fills the reservoir to critical levels, the collection in the reservoir is increased to the downstream. Thus, the Ob in the Novosibirsk region remains within its banks and rarely goes beyond them.
Fishing forecasts
Why are fishermen interested in what the water level is in the Ob? The answer to this question is obvious. This depends on the choicefishing spots, necessary fishing equipment, biting. In general, only two phenomena significantly affect the water level in the Ob: the discharge of the level at the Novosibirsk hydroelectric power station and the inflow of water from the Altai mountain rivers. Spring flood waters significantly worsen the quality of water, it becomes cloudy, and there are a lot of small and large debris on the surface. In such an environment, fishing for spinning and float gear will not work, the bite will be poor. If the water stays at the same level for several days, then the bite may improve. But the sharp decline in the level of fish is also not to their liking.
During an emergency, rescue workers generally do not recommend fishermen to go to the river. The water level in the Ob may begin to rise sharply: in just a few minutes, the place where it was possible to wade may be deeply drowned.
