Abakan - the river, which is one of the largest tributaries of the Yenisei. It flows through the territory of the Krasnoyarsk Territory and Khakassia. In the upper part, the water artery unites with the Bolshoy Abakan River, their total length is 514 kilometers. The sources of the river are located on the northern spurs of the Western Sayan and the Altai Mountains. It flows into the Krasnoyarsk reservoir near Samokhval mountain. Abakan flows through 5 administrative regions of the Russian Federation: Ust-Abakansky, Beysky, Askizsky, Tashtypsky and Altaisky. The Abakan River is very beautiful, photos show that it is one of the most attractive in the world. In the upper reaches, the Abakan goes along a narrow valley to the village of Bolshoy Manok, then follows the Minusinsk Valley and breaks into branches.
Abakan Current
The water artery flows 360 kilometers through the mountainous area. A map of the Abakan River shows that the border of the flat current is the junction of the Joysky Range with Kirs from the side of Ust-Tashtyp. The width of the river in this place does not exceed 300 meters, and the depth is 3 meters. The speed of the current in this sectionAbakan is quite high - up to 15 kilometers per hour. The shores are rocky, steep, with terraces, on one of them is one of the most beautiful cities of Khakassia - Abaza. In the steppe part of Abakan, the river overflows, and the basin valley increases to a width of up to 17 kilometers. The speed of the river is decreasing and does not exceed 10 kilometers per hour.
Life of Abakan
Basic sources of food are 37% rain, 50% snow and 13% spring water. In winter, the water level is very low. From spring to autumn, it rises, and by cold weather it falls again. The maximum spring rise is up to 6 meters. In 1969, as a result of heavy snowmelt and heavy rains, the Abakan floodplain was flooded in places by 5 meters. In 2014, the flood was even more massive - in the Abaza area, the water rose by 5.8 meters. In winter, the river is covered with ice up to 1 meter thick, which lasts up to 6 months in some years. Freeze-up begins in early November, ice drift - in the second half of April.
Nature Reserve
For tourists, Abakan is a river attractive for real Siberian fishing, the miraculous spring "Hot Key" and the settlements of the Old Believers, in one of which the famous Agafya Lykova lives. Also, the water artery flows through the territory of the Khakass State Reserve. It is a symbol of forests and subsoil untouched by the national economy. Sable is bred and kept here. The banks of the river in this place are covered with cedar forests of the mountain-taiga type. In a rivermany different fish, of which the most attractive for fishermen from all over Russia is grayling. Many plants listed in the Red Book live here. About 50 species of mammals, 139 species of birds and 3 species of amphibians are found in the forests. This river is worth seeing at least once with your own eyes! You will be in awe of the local scenery!
The deteriorating ecology of the river
Abakan River is under threat. The nearby Baikonur cosmodrome pollutes it with very harmful waste: these are the remains of rocket fuel and oxidizers, as well as fragments of Protons. Heptyl gets into the water of the river, and then soaks into the ground. Then, through berries, mushrooms, fish, and so on, it enters the human body. This substance is 6 times more toxic than hydrocyanic acid, it affects the digestive, respiratory, and circulatory systems. Also, the river is endangered by industrial waste from various enterprises located along the banks. Gas stations, agriculture and utilities are not far behind, which pollute the river in large quantities. When the timber is rafted along the Abakan, the bottom is destroyed, and water and winds increase soil erosion.
