Meshcherskoe Lake - what awaits the reservoir in the future?

Meshcherskoe Lake - the city lake of Nizhny Novgorod, a monument of nature of regional importance. Earlier, the reservoir connected to the Volga River with a small channel, But at the moment the channel is washed, and its filling is carried out due to the melting of snow and precipitation. The length of the lake is 1.1 kilometers, the width is 170 meters, the maximum depth is 4 meters. From the middle of November, a freeze begins here, which lasts about 4 months. The soil is sand.

The territory of the natural monument refers to the natural zone of coniferous-broad-leaved forests. At the moment, natural vegetation (the same applies to soil cover) has been altered under anthropogenic influence. On an area of 0.035 km ² , waterlogging is noted.

Vegetation near the coastal zone is not homogeneous. The southern coast has an inclination angle of about 20 degrees, and from the side of the boulevard one can observe separately standing trees (maples, poplars, willows). The age of local tree species does not exceed 30 years, in some places the stands are of high density. Closer to the shore, meadow vegetation predominates: clover meadow, wormwood, reed grass, bent grass, and others. In shallow water Meshcherskie lakes (the map of the reservoir reflects their features) are "populated" by forest reeds, reeds and bubbly sedge. In some places the shore is littered, traces of fires are visible. In the eastern part of the reservoir, there is a storm collector, through which the waters of the pass-through communication channel enter the lake.

The northern shore of the lake is enclosed by a concrete barrier 2.5 meters high, as a consequence, practically devoid of vegetation. On the contrary, the situation on the southern side is different, there is a dense strip of sedge, manna and other representatives of the flora of moist zones.

Meshcherskoe Lake - pictures of the reservoir only partly convey its beauty - it is also a zone of natural development of zooplankton, which is characterized by a low biomass value. Its species composition is typical for this part of Russia: rotifers, branchy crustaceans, paddlers and others.

Meshcherskoe Lake is classified as a reservoir of the 2nd fish category. In the literal zone are small areas of the water area, overgrown with aquatic vegetation, which serves as a breeding ground for fish. In the reservoir in general, there are favorable conditions for the habitat and reproduction of fish. It has about 12 species: perch, roach, overhead, char, etc. On the lake, birds of the gull family feed, including a small tern, listed in the Red Book of the Russian Federation and the region.

Meshcherskoe Lake, as already mentioned, leaves much to be desired in terms of overall sanitary indicators of the state of the reservoir. It is especially sad that the indicators of this state (chromaticity, transparency, carbon dioxide content) correspond to similar parameters of most other ponds in the country.

Meshcherskoe Lake still plays an important water protection role for the Volga River, and also serves as a recreational resource for the inhabitants of Nizhny Novgorod. The reservoir is used for swimming, amateur fishing and has aesthetic value in general.