Don has always fascinated people - wide and powerful, with many tributaries. A huge number of poems and poems are dedicated to him, as well as to the Yenisei. Although there are no questions about which river is longer - the Don or the Yenisei, it is still impossible to compare them - each is beautiful in its own way and each has its own place in Russian literature.
Don has other names besides this one. In ancient Greek times, it was called Tanais or Girgis. The ancient Kypchaks called Don-Ten. The word “don” itself means “many channels” or “river with changing course.”
Where does the Don river flow from and where does it flow into
It used to be that the Don originates in Lake Ivan, but as it turned out, there is no runoff from this reservoir into the river. The real source of the Don is located in Novomoskovsk, where the architectural composition "Source of the Don" is even installed. But due to the proximity of the flowing river to the Shatsky reservoir, many believe that it is the source, but thiswrong.
The river is inferior in terms of catchment area only to the Volga, Danube, Kama and Dnieper, although the length of the Don is relatively small - 1870 km. The power and beauty of the Don is sung in many literary works, as is the Yenisei. The question arises: which river is longer - the Don or the Yenisei? The correct answer is Yenisei. But it is impossible to compare these two rivers, each is unique and leaves a lasting impression.
Which sea does the Don river flow into? in Azov. The riverbed in Rostov-on-Don forms a wide delta with an area of 540 square kilometers. Many channels depart from it: Bolshaya Kuterma, Dead Donets, Bolshaya Kalancha, etc.
Below is considered in more detail where the Don River flows. The diagram shows how many rivers flow into it.
Character of the river valley
Don is a flat river with a wide floodplain, it does not have high rapids and flows slowly. The longitudinal profile pattern is smooth, the average slope is 0.1 ppm. The width of the Don in the lower reaches reaches 15 km.
The right bank of the river has a steep slope. The left bank is low and gently sloping. Accumulations of alluvium can be found at the bottom of the river. Channel with many shallow sandy rifts.
Water regime of the Don River
The river has a fairly large catchment area, but its water content is relatively small. This is due to the fact that the Don flows through the steppe and forest-steppe zone. The main role for the river is played by snow supply, which is almost 70%, rain and soil is small. Likemost of the rivers in this zone, the Don has a high spring flood, during the rest of the year - a low low water.
Throughout the river, the water level varies from 8 m to 13 m.
The average annual consumption at the Don is 2 l/sec/km² (900m³/c).
In November-December, the Don freezes over. Freeze lasts from 30 days in the lower reaches and up to 140 days in the upper.
A characteristic feature of the river is that the flood passes in the form of two waves. The first wave is cold. Meltwater from the lower reaches enters the riverbed. The second wave is "warm", and it carries water from the upper part of the river.
The use of the river in human activities
The Don River plays an important role in the country's economy. To understand why this river is so remarkable, it is enough to remember where the Don River flows into. For almost 1600 km from the mouth, the river is navigable. The city of Liski is located at a distance of 1355 km from the place where the Don flows into the Sea of Azov, and along the way you can constantly meet ships.
In 1952, the Volga-Don Canal was built. It was dug near the city of Kalach, since in this place the bend of the Don River approaches the Volga at a minimum distance of 80 km. The canal was ready in 4 years after the start of construction, no other similar facility in the world was put into operation so quickly. The length of the Volga-Don Canal was 101 km and made it possible to access several seas: the B altic, Black, Azov, White and Caspian.
Near Voronezhthe Novovoronezh NPP, commissioned in 1967, is located. The Rostov NPP was built in 2001, and it is located near the city of the same name.
A reservoir was built on the Don - Tsimlyanskoe. There is also the Tsimlyansk hydroelectric power station. In addition, the waters of this hydrological facility are used to irrigate agricultural land in the Volgograd and Rostov regions.
Animal and plant world of the Don River
Floodplain swamps, meadows, dense mixed forests are located along the Don River. Where does it originate, where does it flow and what can be seen along the banks of the river? Throughout its length, you can meet many representatives of the flora: sedge, reeds, cinquefoil, willow, willow, birch, buckthorn, alder, etc. Representatives of the fauna are very diverse in their species composition. Amphibians: frogs and newts. Reptiles: red-eared and marsh turtles, common, viper. Mammals: ferret, beaver, mink, otter, bats, muskrat. Birds: heron, warbler, stork, raven, sandpiper, duck.
There are about 70 species of fish throughout the Don River. Some are endangered due to human activities. The most common are: bream, rudd, crucian carp, bleak, pike, burbot. Rarely found: catfish, sturgeon, beluga, sterlet.
It is worth noting that strict control over endangered fish species has recently been established. For catching rare species, fines are imposed on violators. In addition, fish are grown in hatcheries, which are subsequently released into the wild.
Environmental problems of the Don River
Question aboutThe ecological problem of the river becomes more and more urgent every year. The most acute issue is the cleansing of waters from domestic waste, oil slicks, which were formed as a result of tanker accidents. The spread of blue-green algae also negatively affects the ecological state of the river, as a result of which some species of fish and plants are endangered.
The water level in the river is decreasing as a result of irrational use.
Recently, projects have been created to solve acute problems concerning the waters of rivers, including the Don. The Sea of Azov (where the Don River flows into) also has a number of problems: water pollution, the disappearance of some fish species and a decrease in water level - shallowing.
