Water resources of the Irkutsk region are quite extensive. They include more than 67 thousand rivers, mineral and underground springs, Lake Baikal, which is the largest on the planet, as well as many other natural lakes and artificial reservoirs.
In the article you will find information about the Ilim River, the name of which is associated with the Yakut word "ilim", which translates as "fishing net".
Geographic location
The river originates on the Leno-Angara plateau in the peaks of the Birch Range, then flows along the Central Siberian Plateau, after which it flows into an artificial lake near the dam of the Ust-Ilim hydroelectric power station.
Before the construction of the hydroelectric power station, about eight kilometers from the mouth, the river was crossed by rapids at the exit of the traps. The bed of the Ilim River has islands, rapids and channels.
A bit of history
The Ilimsky region is rich in historical past. In the twenties of the 17th century, Russian explorers came to the Ilim River. Ataman Ivan Galkin, together with the Cossacks, in 1630 set up a winter hut in that section of Ilim, from where the path to the Lena River was the shortest. By 1647, the settlement was transformed into a prison, and in 1649, the Ilim Voivodeship appeared on this site, which became the first administrative unit in Eastern Siberia. The area of its territory at that time was the space of 15 modern districts of the Irkutsk region.
The Ilim river basin provides the shortest route from the Angara to the Lena basin, which was quite actively used in the period of the 17th-19th centuries. The so-called Lena portage passed from Ilim to the tributaries of the Lena River - Kuta and Muk. It was used for transport links with Yakutia.
There is another interesting historical fact. In the middle reaches of the river, until the reservoir was filled, there was the town of Ilimsk, which was completely flooded after the completion of construction work. Part of the prison and other historically significant objects were transported to the city of Irkutsk.
Nizhneilimsky district
The area borders on Ust-Kutsky, Bratsk, Ust-Udinsky and Ust-Ilimsky regions. The territory covers an area equal to 18.9 thousand square meters. meters, and the population is - 61.9 thousand people. The Taishet-Lena railway, which is a branch of the Khrebtovaya - Ust-Ilimsk direction (460 km), passes through the territory of the Nizhneilimsky district.
The regional center is Zheleznogorsk-Ilimsky, which was granted city status in 1965. Today it is an urban settlement. The distance from it to Irkutsk is 1,224 kilometers by rail.
River characteristics
The river stretches for 589 kilometers, and the basin areaequal to 30.3 thousand square meters. km. The source of the Ilim, which is the right tributary of the Angara, is located on the Leno-Angara plateau. It flows into the reservoir 860 kilometers from the mouth of the Angara.
The banks of the Ilim are wooded, thanks to which the nature in these places is rich in vegetation and very picturesque. In spring and summer, water overflows the banks during periods of prolonged and heavy rains.
The river in the Irkutsk region is a great place for fishing. Lenok, grayling, taimen and many other species of fish are found here. According to the stories of avid fishermen, quite large specimens of river inhabitants come across in the river. Coastal forests are a good hunting ground.
Hydrology
The food of the Ilim River is mixed (snow and rain), there are floods and floods. Water consumption on average per year is 136.2 cubic meters. meters per second at 52 kilometers from the mouth. High water is observed from April to June, accounting for 39% of the annual flow, floods occur in summer and autumn.
Freeze up - October-May, the duration of the autumn ice drift is approximately 22 days.
Tributes and settlements
The main right tributaries are the Tuba and Kochenga, the left ones are the Chernaya, Chora, Ireek, Tola and Turiga.
There are several settlements along the banks of the river: Kochenga, Tulyushka, Seleznevsky, Naumova, Igirma, Shestakovo and Bereznyaki. Zheleznogorsk-Ilimsky is located 16 kilometers east of the river.
Economic use
The river is navigable in the reservoir section. The length of this place is 299 kilometers (starting from the mouth). Before the creation of the Ust-Ilimsk reservoir, the passage of small vessels was possible only 213 kilometers from the Angara. The river is used for timber rafting and water supply to the population.
Iron ore is being mined in the river basin. The mining and processing plant Korshunov works here.
