The Vyatka River and its basin occupy most of the territory of the Kirov region. This is the largest and full-flowing tributary of the Kama. The latter, in turn, is reunited with the Volga, and then the path of the water artery lies straight into the Caspian Sea. R. length. Vyatka exceeds 1300 kilometers, and the territory related to it is 129 thousand square kilometers. The sources of the river are in the Verkhnekamsk upland in the north of Udmurtia, and it flows into the Kama below the city of Mamadysh in Tatarstan. Vyatka is distinguished by sharp changes in the direction of the current, which causes a large sinuosity along its entire length. This is a typical river of the plains, following a wide valley. The banks of the Vyatka are mostly gentle. The Vyatka River receives its main water supply from snowmelt. The ice on Vyatka usually rises in early November, and disappears by the end of April. The river has many tributaries, the main ones being: Velikaya, Pizhma, Cobra, Shoshma, Belaya, Moloma, Kilmez and Bystritsa.
Relief of the Vyatka Delta
The Vyatka pool is practicallyperfectly proportioned and symmetrical. The area of the left-bank part is more than 61 thousand square kilometers, the area of the right-bank part is about 68 thousand. In the north, the territory borders on the basin of the Northern Dvina River, and in the west, east and southeast - on the Volga basin, where the Vyatka River flows into. There are many swamps in the upper reaches of the water artery, since the terrain is flat and groundwater is close. Numerous forests grow in this part of the river - up to 90% of the territory. Further, in the lower reaches of the Vyatka, the forest cover is reduced to 40%. In the upper reaches, the width of the river valley extends for 5 kilometers. Downstream near the village of Melanda, where it is limited by high, flood-free banks, it narrows to 750 meters. Below the Atar bend, the river again expands to 5 kilometers. The Vyatka floodplain is mostly swampy and covered with vegetation. Basically, these are meadows with many lakes.
Navigation in Vyatka
Navigation along the Vyatka is difficult, because it is shallow and has a large number of rifts, the depth of which is no more than 45 centimeters in the upper reaches, and no more than 85 in the lower reaches. On the reaches, the depth of the river occasionally reaches 10 meters, but mostly - up to 5 meters. On the rifts, water flows at a speed of 0.9 m/s. But if the water level in the Vyatka River is high, then its speed increases to 1.2 m/s. The fall of the river from the source to the confluence with the Kama is 220 meters. Vyatka is used for timber rafting. In summer, regular navigation is open to the city of Vyatka, in the spring, in high water, to the Kirs pier. The main river ports of Vyatka: Vyatka, Sovetsk, VyatkaPolyany and Kotelnich.
Ichthyofauna of the Vyatka River
The Vyatka River has the highest fishing category. The ichthyofauna is somewhat different in the upper and lower reaches. Common fish for the river are pike, ide, zander, burbot, chub, sterlet, sabrefish, ruff and perch. In the upper reaches there are: minnow, dace, roach, sopa, bleak, sculpin and loach. Sometimes there are catfish, carp, podust and bersh. In the middle and upper reaches there are: silver carp, quicksand, goby. In the reservoirs belonging to the Vyatka basin, there are: golden carp, loach, rudd, lake minnow and verkhovka. In the last decade, silver carp, grass carp, carp and peled have been introduced into the ponds. In the lower reaches, crayfish live in large numbers. Fishing on the river is possible in almost all ways: spinning, boat, fishing rod with a float, donk and fly fishing.
Economic importance of Vyatka
The Vyatka River is of great economic importance for the Kirov region. It satisfies household and drinking and industrial needs. The river carries out local transportation of passengers and goods. Also, Vyatka is a navigable (mineral construction cargo) and raftable river. On the banks of the river there are about 30 large industrial enterprises of the Kirov region, which do not have a beneficial effect on the composition of the water. The Kirovo-Chepetsk Chemical Combine is especially successful in this. Only in the content of ammonium nitrogen over the past 5 years, the indicators have increased significantly. To date, the regional administrationpays close attention to the issue of cleanliness of Vyatka: constant monitoring of discharges into the river and the relief of negative consequences are carried out. But these measures are not enough. A federal program is currently being developed that will keep the water clean in Vyatka.
Recreation and tourism
The Vyatka River is attractive for lovers of hiking and water tourism. In some areas, layers of Permian rocks are exposed, and travelers have the opportunity to inspect grottoes, rocks and caves. A special place of pilgrimage for tourists is a waterfall on the Vyatka River. It has a height of 7 meters. In winter, during severe frosts, the waterfall turns into a fabulous structure, shining in the sun with all shades of blue and green. Experienced tourists implement routes on their own. Beginners are offered several most interesting options: trips to the Pizhemsky Reserve, the Burzhagsky Natural Complex, the Vyatka Around the World, team-building programs, for children - to the Reserve of Fairy Tales, along the forest river Kholunitsa and much more.
