Lozva is the fifth longest river in the Sverdlovsk region with a length of 637 km and a catchment area of 17,800 square kilometers. The channel passes through the swamps of the West Siberian Plain within the Garinsky and Ivdelsky districts and flows into the Tavda. Lozva is considered the most picturesque river of the Northern Urals and is of interest for fishing and water tourism.
The name of the river comes from the Mansi phrase "Lusum Ya", the etiology of which is unknown. The literal translation of this phrase indicates a large number of old women and swampy meadows.
General characteristics of the river
The Lozva River flows out of Lake Lunthusaptur, located on the eastern slope of Mount Ortoten. This place belongs to the Poyasovyi Kamen ridge of the Northern Urals. The source is located at an altitude of 885.1 meters above sea level within the coordinates 61°32' north latitude and 59°20' east longitude.
Lozva is a left tributary of the Tavda and flows into itat the confluence with Sosva. The height of the mouth above sea level is 56 meters, and the coordinates are 59°34' north latitude and 63°4' east longitude.
The slope of the river is 1.25 m/km.
Geography of the river
The route of the Lozva River in the Sverdlovsk region affects both mountainous and flat areas. In the upper reaches, the waters flow at the greatest slope until they reach the foot of the ridge. Here the river changes direction from east to south.
Throughout the Lozva, the speed of the water flow and the nature of the banks change, and therefore it is possible to divide the river into several sections:
- The first 3 kilometers from the source - treeless mountain tundra with dry banks, the current is fast.
- Mountain taiga to the foot of the slope - slower flow, dry shores with taiga forest/
- A section with a calmer flow from the mouth of the Akhtyl tributary - the river becomes flat, the channel winds with the formation of bays and oxbow lakes, sometimes there are damp banks and swampy areas/
- Area with mountain flow - characterized by steep banks that form canyons in some places/
- The flat part of the river (from the village of Burmantovo to the mouth of Lozva itself) is characterized by a slow flow, the channel winds through swamps and forests, forming a large number of oxbow lakes on the way.
Below the confluence of the Ivdeli, the Lozva River passes through a narrow (about one and a half kilometers) valley with steep steep slopes, among which there are rocky 30-80 min height. With access to the West Siberian Plain, the floodplain expands to 2-4 km, and the width of the river valley reaches 4-10 km.
There are no lakes and reservoirs on the path of the Lozva River.
Localities
The following settlements are located on the banks of the river:
- Horpiah.
- Pershino.
- Lycia.
- Winter.
- Ivdel.
- Shaburovo.
- Mityaevo.
- Burmantovo.
Most of the river basin is located on the territory of uninhabited or sparsely populated areas, which leads to a favorable ecological situation.
Water pool
The Lozva River has 45 tributaries, the main ones being:
- Auspia.
- See.
- Ivdel.
- Drank.
- Sulpa.
- Manya.
- Colpia.
- Harpiya.
- Ushma.
- Big Evva.
- Pynovka.
- Northern Toshemka.
The tributaries flowing into the mountainous and foothill parts of the river are characterized by very clear cold water and rich fish fauna. Some rafting routes pass not only along Lozva, but also along Vizhay, the channel of which passes through picturesque natural places.
Characteristics of the channel
The average depth of the river is one and a half meters. On the rifts, it is quite small (0.3), and on the reaches it varies from 2 to 2.5 m. The deepest sections are the pits of the river (up to 6 m). The width of the channel is 30 meters in the upper reaches, 60 in the middle and 80 in the lower. The bottom of the river is predominantly rocky and pebbly.with occasional muddy or sandy areas.
On the mountainous area (from the upper reaches to the village of Burmantovo) the channel has many rifts, pits and rocky outcrops. It is in this part that the Vladimir threshold is located, which is especially difficult for rafting. The section of the river between Burmantovo and Ivdel is calmer. Rifts, pebble reaches and rocky outcrops are much less common here, but still there.
The flat part of the channel (from Ivdel to the mouth) is the longest and deepest (2-3 meters). Stretches and pits are more common here. In this section, the channel is very winding and washes away at the turns of the coast with the formation of bark and tree blockages. Plain Lozva has many branches and oxbows.
Hydrology
The Lozva River is characterized by mixed nutrition (the main source is snow). The average annual water discharge, according to measurements at 37 kilometers from the mouth, is 135.3 m³/s. The average current speed, excluding rifts, varies from 0.5 to 1.2 m/s. The annual runoff is 1,973 cubic kilometers.
The river freezes at the end of October. Ice drift begins in the second or third spring month. The water level in the Lozva River fluctuates significantly throughout the year. The high water is extended and lasts from May to July. Floods occur due to rains in late summer and autumn. The difference between the maximum and minimum levels of the Lozva River in the upper reaches is 2-4 meters, and in the lower reaches - 7-8 m.
Nature
The nature of most of the floodplain of the Lozva River is represented by taiga typical of the Northern Uralsforest with a small interspersing of deciduous species (cedar, linden, larch, aspen). In the upper reaches along the banks there are alpine meadows.
The river itself is quite beautiful, with a wide channel and very clear water. The coastal forests are full of game, berries and mushrooms, making Lozva suitable for occasional stops during the rafting, which can be taken up by fishing, gathering or hunting.
Coastal fauna
The fauna of the floodplain of the Lozva River is typical of the taiga forest. From wild animals there are:
- brown bear;
- marten;
- reindeer;
- moose;
- wolf;
- raccoon dog;
- hare;
- roe deer;
- boar;
- fox;
- flying squirrel (rare Red Book species).
The bird fauna is particularly rich, with more than 130 species.
Ecology
Currently, the ecosystem of the Lozva River is almost not affected by human economic activity. There are very few settlements along the coast, as a result of which the water is not significantly polluted.
The main ecological problem of Lozva is fishing pressure, which has led to a significant decrease in the populations of the ichthyofauna. In this regard, fish farms were organized in the upper reaches, and bans were introduced on catching taimen, sturgeon and red book whitefish.
Alloy
The nature of rafting on the Lozva River depends on the height of the casting. The latter can be done in three ways:
- on a motorboat;
- onhelicopter (landing on the ridge);
- on foot (the most extreme option).
The minimum length of the route is 7 kilometers, and the maximum is 307. The most popular and longest rafting runs from the mouth - Ishma to the village of Burmantovo. If desired, it is possible to continue the route to the confluence of the Ivdel tributary and below, but here the river becomes flat, and the current is much slower. In the presence of a headwind, rafting in this part of the channel is difficult.
Multi-day routes are very common, interspersed with overnight stays on the shore and fishing. Water tourism on Lozva is very well developed.
The rafting route is assigned to the first category of difficulty. Obstacles on the way can be rapids, blockages and "combs" (typical for the upper reaches). The most difficult in the passage of the Vladimir roll.
Fishing
The Lozva River is very rich in ichthyofauna and therefore favorable for fishing. The following types of fish live here:
- ruff;
- minnow;
- dace;
- roach;
- bream;
- ide;
- tugun;
- pike;
- burbot;
- nelma;
- taimen;
- Siberian sturgeon;
- starlet;
- common perch;
- Siberian grayling;
- minnow belladonna.
The river has long established itself as a very fishy place, but for the same reason it became an object for mass catch and poachers, which led to a significant decreasethe number of representatives of the ichthyofauna typical for Lozva. The restrictions imposed by the government have not yet corrected the situation. Fishermen are now seeing a significant decline in the size and quality of their catches.
Catching features
Depending on the location, there are three types of fishing on the Lozva River:
- on the upper mountain area;
- in the upper foothills;
- on the plain (in the middle and lower reaches).
These fishing spots differ in the types of fish and the size of some representatives. So, in the flat part, the pike is much larger (up to 20 kg) than in the upper reaches. Whitefish and sturgeons are found only in the lower reaches.
The first and second sites are inhabited by species that prefer cold mountain waters (grayling, taimen, etc.). Plain Lozva abounds with such fish as ide, dace, nelma, tugun, ruff and perch. In summer, some species migrate upstream.
At present, fishing on the Lozva River is possible only with permits, and catching taimen, grayling and whitefish is prohibited.
The main season starts from the end of June after spawning. At this time, a very good bite is observed on the river.
