Irkut River in Buryatia

The Irkut River is the tributary of the Angara flowing out of Lake Baikal. It is considered one of the largest waterways in Eastern Siberia. The river bed passes through Buryatia and Irkutsk region. Its length is 488 km.

Briefly about the main

The river takes its beginning in the Eastern Sayan. The source is at the highest peak of the Nuksu-Daban mountain node - Munku-Sagan-Sardyk. It flows out of the Ilchir pond, which is located at an altitude of 1850 m. The lake, in outlines, resembles Baikal itself, has an elongated shape, but is much smaller in size. In length it stretched for 6 km, and in width - for 1 km. Irkut (the river in Russia), descending from the slopes of the mountain, has the name Black Irkut, and connecting with the tributaries - the Middle and White Irkut. After that, it is formed into a large full-fledged water stream. Black Irkut flows along the slopes of the Upper Sayan in the direction from the north to the east through the Tunkinsky valley. Breaks the mountains, forming Zirkazun gorge. On the whole length of it, Irkut receives its large tributaries - the Bolshaya Zangisan, Zun-Mourin, Tunku and Bolshoy Rapid rivers.

The mouth of the Irkut River

The river in Irkutsk flows into the Angara. The reunion of two water streams occurs within the city limits. At the confluence of the mountain river Irkut and the plain Angara one can see an unusual natural phenomenon. It is well seen from a bird's eye view. Irkut reduces the speed of the current around its mouth, but does not immediately mix with the waters of the Angara. Throughout the Bratsk reservoir, both rivers flow "side by side": one strip is the yellow sandy waters of Irkut, the other is the turquoise waters of the Angara. The total catchment area is 15 thousand square meters. Km.

Black Irkut

Irkut is a river, which is conditionally divided into 3 districts. They differ among themselves by the current, the nature of the bottom sediments, the coastline and the surrounding landscapes. Before the confluence of tributaries of the Middle and White Irkut, the river is a typical mountain water stream. This site is almost inaccessible, as it is high in the mountains. The banks near the river are rocky, high, and the current is rapid. The water is cold and transparent, and the fish are not found because of the rapid flow. The bottom is rocky, unstable, so for fishing Black Irkut is not suitable. This site reaches the boundaries of the Tunka Valley. Starting from this place, Irkut slows down its current, becomes calmer, and its bed considerably expands.

The Irkut River in Buryatia

Tunkinskaya depression, together with the mountain range Khamar-Daban, is a part of the nature reserve of Buryatia - the national park. The purpose of its creation was the ecosystem in this region. It is practically not broken and is quite diverse.

This valley is surrounded by the slopes of the Tunkinsky Goltsy. Some peaks have a height of 2000-3000 m. The highest point of the mountain range is Strelnikov (3216 m). This site of the Eastern Sayan is often compared with the Alps for the similarity of terrain and landscapes. Irkut River (photo below), passing through the gorges. In the east there is a place where the mountain chain is torn, and it is there that the channel of the water flow is laid. Thanks to the valley, the river bottom changes, it becomes muddy. There are deposits of mica here, so the water acquires a characteristic luster, but loses its transparency due to silt deposits. This part of the river passes through the territory of Buryatia and ends near the border of the Irkutsk region, not far from the village. Tibelti.

The banks of Irkut in this part are sloping, densely overgrown with vegetation. On the coast you can find many settlements: Guzhir, Mondy, Torah, Dalahay, etc. There are 16 settlements on the river, including the administrative center of the Irkutsk region.

Use of the upper parts of the river

Residents of villages due to their proximity to the water have the opportunity to engage in agriculture and cattle breeding. On this site, Irkut is adjoined by tributaries, filling it with water. In total, it discharges about 50 large and small rivers and 13 small lakes.

Irkut is a mountain type river, but only on the upper two plots. Frequent rapids and rapids, a steep winding channel and a rapid current attract extreme sports fans to these places. On this part of the river you can engage in rafting and other types of water tourism. Alloys are divided into sports categories: "Upper Irkut" - 4 c., "Lower Irkut" - 2 c. (Cs - category of alloy).

Features of the river closer to the mouth

The last section of the river is flat. It takes place along the borders of the Irkutsk region and ends with a place of confluence in the Angara. The width of the channel here reaches its maximum values: from 150 m to 250 m. The last value corresponds to the mouth. The average depth varies in the area of 1-2 m, the maximum - 6 m. For a long time in the lower reaches of the Irkut were engaged in rafting and rafting. This part of the river is part of the Baikal Nature Reserve - a nature reserve, the purpose of which is the preservation of untouched cedar forests.

Climate

Irkut is a river that is completely located within a temperate climatic zone. The climate here is of continental type. Sharp temperature fluctuations are typical for this area. Winter is cold and frosty, summer is moderately hot. The warmest month is July. During this period, the thermometer's column rises to + 19 ... + 22 ° С. And water can warm up to +15 ° C - in the lower reaches, and up to + 7 ... + 9 ° C - in the upper reaches of the river. The coldest months of the year are December and January. The average air temperature drops to -15 ... -17 ° С. In the period from October, when the first frosts begin, Irkut freezes. It is revealed in early May. Average annual precipitation in the adjacent territory: 400 mm - in the plains and 600 mm - in the mountain areas. Most of it is in the summer and falls out in the form of rain. But the Irkut River feeds mostly snow. Meltwater fills its channel and tributaries. But due to the rain, only a partial replenishment takes place.

Inhabitants of the river

Irkut is a river with a rich water world. However, according to this criterion, it is divided into several sections. For example, in the upper reaches because of the large mountain current, there is practically no fish, and there are a lot of it in the lower reaches of the plains. Fisheries are well developed. In the waters of Irkut river perch, taimen, Siberian roach, grayling, burbot, catfish, bream are found. In all, there are 16 species. Among the amphibians one can find a Siberian frog, a Mongolian toad and a Siberian angler. Reptiles are also common : Shield-humerus ordinary, patterned skid, viper.

The animal world is also quite diverse. In the forests on the shoreline, you can meet such predators as a bear, a wolf and artiodactyls - moose and roe deer. And small animals have a lot of protein and rabbits.

Hydronym

The hydronym of the river is of Mongol-Buryat origin. In the translation, the word "irkut" means "energy", "power". The city of Irkutsk received such a beautiful name due to this river. It is known that at the beginning of the XVIII century on the drawings of the Siberian cartographer S. Remezov this water flow was already designated as "Irkutsk".