This river is the longest in the Altai Territory. Its name comes from the Kyrgyz modified word "ylay", which translates as "muddy". This river, mostly steppe, is very ancient. She carried her waters back in those days when the Scythians lived in these territories.
A caravan route passed along the Alei River from Bukhara to the city of Tomsk. Active settlement of its shores by Russians took place at the turn of the 17th-18th centuries.
Location on the planet and characteristics
The longest river in the Altai Territory - Aley, which is the left tributary of the Ob River - was formed due to the confluence of two rivers: Bulochny and Vostochny Aley. Originating in Kazakhstan and flowing a total of 858 kilometers (according to some sources, 866 km), it flows into the Ob River near the village of Ust-Aleyka in the Altai Territory (Kalmansky district).
In Russia, the Alei River flows along the Priobsky plateau, in the spurs of the Kolyvan and Tigeretsky ridges, and outside the country it flows for several kilometers through the East Kazakhstan region.
Only in the upper reaches of the river has a semi-mountain stream. One of the youngest Russian reserves, Tigireksky, is located here. Most of the way is shallow and calm. The area of the pool is approximately 21.1 thousand square meters. kilometers.
Source and tributaries
The source of the Alei River is, as noted above, in Kazakhstan. It flows for about 5,000 meters through the territories of the East Kazakhstan region. The main tributaries of the river are the Kamenka, Zolotukha, Goltsovka, Transverse, Kizikha, Yazevka, Klepechikha, Chistyunka and Gorevka.
In the area of the middle reaches, the floodplain of the river is crossed by large channels: Bashmachikha (length 15 km), Sklyuikha (62 km), Babylon (40 km). The upper course runs along the spurs of the Tigiretsky and Kolyvansky ridges. The banks and bottom of the river are clayey, so the water always contains clay suspension. The current here has an average speed.
Localities
The valleys of the Aley River and its tributaries are quite densely populated. There are many towns and villages along the coast. There are settlements of Aleysk, Rubtsovsk, as well as large villages and regional centers: Veseloyarsk, Gilevsk, Staroaleiskoye, Shipunovo, Pospelikha.
An irrigation system has been established along the banks of the river to irrigate agricultural fields.
History of the use of the river
In the middle of the 18th century, there were about 40 settlements along the river Aley. The first attempts to use the river as a shipping route were made in the first half of the 19th century. This was due to the need to deliver goods fromfrom the Zmeinogorsky mine to the silver smelter in Barnaul.
The population of the river valley (especially the inhabitants of the Rubtsovsky district) in the middle of the 20th century began to feel the lack of water. In the 70s of the same century, the Sklyuikhinskoye and Gilevskoye reservoirs were built on the section of the upper reaches of the river, which helped to solve the problem. The population of four cities and two hundred rural settlements, as well as industrial enterprises, were provided with important water resources.
Reservoir
The pride of the inhabitants of Rubtsovsk is the Sklyuikha reservoir (“Bowl” in common people), built on the Sklyuikha channel. Start of construction - 1971, completion - 1976. The water surface has an area of 6.5 square meters. km, volume - more than 38 million cubic meters. meters.
The main function of the reservoir is to provide urban water supply during low water periods. Urban water intake under the most unfavorable conditions during the flood period can count on a good supply of settled quality water.
Plants of the Aley River
Many coastal areas in places where there are no industrial enterprises are rich in medicinal ecologically clean vegetation. Here you can meet a wide variety of medicinal plants: birch, blackberry, viburnum, strawberry, quinoa, chamomile, nettle, celandine, bird cherry, apple tree, etc.
The vegetative cover of the Tigirek reserve is also a feature, which is determined by its geographical location and heterogeneity of climatic conditions. Most of the territory is occupied by blacktaiga, which is the oldest formation. The flora of the reserve includes many honey, fodder, medicinal and ornamental plants. Among the medicinal ones, Rhodiola rosea (or golden root), bergenia, maral root and many others are noted. Food plants: spinach sorrel, blueberries, rose hips, viburnum, asparagus and others.
A little about fishing
There are a lot of fish in the Alei, and all of them are found in the Ob basin. Amateur and sport fishing is developed here. Fishing can be practiced all year round, except for the prohibited period in the spring.
Perch, gudgeon, pike, taimen, grayling, roach, bream, silver carp, carp, zander, carp are caught on the river. Crayfish and river minnow live here.
