The rivers flowing from Lake Baikal. The only river flowing from Baikal

Baikal - the deepest lake, surrounded by high mountains. Many rivers flow into it, but only one flows out. She is called the daughter of Baikal. It is beautiful and full of water and, in addition, very rapid.

General description of the rivers of Baikal

The pool of the Great Lake food has a lot of water streams. These rivers flow from Baikal and flow into it. There are 544 temporary and permanent tributaries. The rivers were counted on maps in 1964. Prior to this, it was believed that there were 336 of them. Moreover, most of them flow from the eastern shores.

The rivers carry 60 cubic kilometers of water to Lake Baikal. It has a small mineralization, since the area around the lake is composed of metamorphic and volcanic rocks. The total catchment area is about 540 thousand square kilometers. The largest flowing and outflowing rivers of Lake Baikal: Angara, Selenga, Upper Angara, Barguzin. They are located so, starting with the most important.

The main tributaries of Lake Baikal

Most of the water - almost half of Lake Baikal - is brought by the river Selenga. Its source is in Mongolia.

The upper Angara flows into the Baikal from the northeast. It flows from the North-Muysky and Delun-Uranian ranges.

Barguzin is another large river that flows into Lake Baikal. By fullness, she loses the Upper Angara. She carries her water from the Barguzinsky range. The height that this river loses when it reaches the majestic lake is 1344 meters.

The rivers flowing from the Khamar-Daban ridge are numerous. This mountain range is strongly dissected by valleys. These are such rivers as Snezhnaya, Langutai, Selenginka, Utulik, Khara-Murin. These water streams have many rapids and waterfalls.

All these are tributaries of a huge lake, but are there any rivers flowing from Lake Baikal? The water stream, originating from this miracle of nature, is the only one. What river flows from Baikal can be seen on the map of this district. This is Angara.

Toponymy of Lake Baikal and its rivers

The name Baikal (according to one of the versions) is translated from Turkic as a "rich lake". Another option, with the Mongolian, is the "big lake". Different translations of names have flowing and rivers flowing. From Baikal, the Angara originates, and its name means "open" (from the Buryat word "hangagar"). Barguzin (and along with it the eponymous ridge, village, bay) is formed from the name of the tribe inhabiting the Baikal region. They are called bargots, and their language is similar to Buryat. Selenga from Evenk means "iron". And from the Buryat she can have such a translation: "lake", "spilling". The shaman's threshold is the base of the Primorsky ridge, blurred by the Angara. The formed ledge is the Shaman stone, revered by the local population. It acquired the status of a protected natural monument.

Angara and the rivers flowing into it

Angara has a powerful current, like other large Siberian rivers. The water flowing from Baikal rushes mainly in the northern and western directions. On its way, it overcomes the Central Siberian plateau, then flows through the territory of the Baikal region and completes its run at the confluence with the Yenisei. Its length is 1,799 kilometers. The Angara owes its powerful flow to Baikal. Its width is more than a kilometer. The only river flowing from Baikal, in turn, feeds on the right side of the Yenisei - the largest waterway in Siberia. The basin of this river includes 38,000 small and large tributaries. In addition, there are more than six lakes in this area. The tributaries of the Angara on the left side are larger: Irkut, Kitoy, Belaya, Biryusa, Oka, Uda. On the right side, the flowing rivers are not so full of water: Ilim, Ushovka, Uda, Kuda, Ida, Osa.

The river bed of this river passes through a territory characterized by harsh climatic conditions. However, ice is established later on it than on other large water streams in Siberia. This is because there is a very strong current. In addition, the waters of Baikal enter the Angara, the temperature of which is warmer. At the source, steam rises above the river. It forms frost in the trees. Every year, waterfowl come here . Here winter black and white gogol, sailors, crumbs. Also in the winter on the Angara is going to two thousand ducks.

Economic use of the river

On the banks of the Angara, cities Irkutsk, Angarsk, Bratsk, Ust-Ilimsk emerged. The only river flowing from Lake Baikal has a very powerful stream. Therefore, hydropower plays an important role in the economy of this region. Three hydroelectric power stations are built on the Angara : the Bratsk, Irkutsk, and Ust-Ilim. The reservoirs have been built with the appropriate names. Together they form the Angarsk cascade. The fourth hydropower station - Boguchanskaya - is under construction.

Before the creation of these power stations and reservoirs, the river was not navigable, as its current was very rapid, and a number of thresholds created a danger for passage. This was a very serious problem in the economic development of this area. Now river transportation has become more accessible, but only in four sections of the river. As a result of human activities, the water in the Angara has become more calm.

Legend of the Angara

There is a legend that tells which river flows from Baikal and why. It says that in these parts lived the hero Baikal. He had 336 sons and only one daughter - Angara. Bogatyr forced his children to work day and night. They drowned snow and ice, and the waters were driven into a deep hollow, surrounded by mountains. But the results of their hard work squandered her daughter on different outfits and other whims. Once Angara knew that somewhere near the mountains there lives an Enisei-handsome man. She fell in love with him.

But the stern father wanted her to marry the old Irkut. That she did not run away, he hid it in a palace at the bottom of the lake. Angara long grieved, but the gods felt sorry for her and freed from the dungeon. The daughter of Lake Baikal broke free and ran quickly and quickly. And old Baikal could not catch up with it. From anger and vexation, he threw a stone at her side. But he missed, and the block fell to the place where the Shaman stone now stands. He continued throwing stones at his fleeing daughter, but each time the Angara managed to dodge. When she ran to her fiance Yenisei, they embraced and together went north to the sea.

Angara is one of the great Siberian rivers, and yet it is unique. This is the only river flowing from Lake Baikal. It provides electricity to the entire Irkutsk region and neighboring territories.