Kuma River: description and photo. The Kuma River in the Stavropol Territory: characteristics, meaning of the name, tributaries Map of the Kuma River and its tributaries

And the Manych River) separates Ciscaucasia from Europe. Therefore, her strategic role hard to overestimate. A few centuries ago, the value of the reservoir was even higher. It was something like a state border for a number of warlike peoples. Yes, and Kuma herself, to match them. It is insidious and does not forgive mistakes... Today, of course, the recreational function of this water stream is more important to us. After all, now he is completely inside Russia. Also densely populated.

general description

The Kuma River stretches for 802 km (the second largest in the Russian Caucasus). On its way - the Republic of Karachay-Cherkessia, the Stavropol Territory and the Dagestan Autonomy. General direction- northeast. The mirror pool is 33,500 sq. km. The greatest width is the Otkaznenskoe "sea" (5.5 kilometers). Average depth- 2 meters. Food - snow and rain. Water consumption - up to 12 cubic meters per second. Tributaries - 7 (river). There are streams. The largest are Podkumok, Zolka, Tomuzlovka and Wet Buffalo.

The Kuma River was "born" together with the Scythian plate. As part of its northern contour. It belongs to the formations of the epi-Hercynian folding (like the entire Northern Black Sea region up to the Caucasus and Crimean mountains). The oldest inhabitants of these rivieras known to scientists are people of the North Caucasian and Maikop cultures. However, they also replaced the aborigines that already existed since the Paleolithic. Those can be safely considered residents of the coast, since the Caucasus was an island! The northern coast of the Kuma-Manych depression was higher, preventing the water of the Hyrcanian Sea from breaking through to the north. The first description of the Kuma River was left by Arab travelers. As a rule, they followed with trade caravans, often passing through the possessions of the Avar, and then the Khazar Khaganates. On Arabic maps, the river already has settlements on its banks. In them, for the next 200 years, a contact ethnic group of Karachays was formed, “born” from Kobans and “black” Bulgars. And in the middle and lower reaches, the Savirs (Siberians) continue to dominate - a mixture of Savromats and Avars. Their power was established to the north of Pyatigorye and in the Nogai steppe as early as the 5th century - at the stage of the formation of the Suvar (Savir) principality.

For some time they were part of the Alans empire. It is interesting that the Savromats themselves at the turn of the "old" and Christian eras have already found settlers here. They were the Scythian tribes, which are direct descendants of the people of the Catacomb culture, mixed with the population of the more ancient Maykop community. Since the 17th century, the Kuma River has been inhabited by only 4 peoples - 2 Turkic (Karachai and Nogai), Russian Cossacks, as well as newcomer Mongols-Oirats (called Kalmyks in the same century). Only in Catherine's time, settlements along the banks were settled by people from the central and even northern provinces. Russian Empire. Such colonization acquires special strategic importance in the era of the bloody Caucasian wars, which are "satellites" of Russian-Turkish armed conflicts. If the Kalmyks were the original allies of Russia, and the Nogai Horde was finally finished off at the turn of the 16th-17th centuries, then relations with the Karachays remained quite tense. Not only in the next 200 years (the time of these political complications), but even in the 20th century! The White Army and the Nazis tried to use the Russian-Karachay contradictions, and Stalin deliberately divided the kindred Balkars and Karachays, creating the multinational KChR and KBR ...

AT last war, in August 1942, the entire Stavropol fragment of the Kuma channel was occupied. The occupation (with executions and robbery) lasted almost 5 months. The liberation of the region was possible due to the summer preponderance of forces in and in the Central Caucasus. Economic use the Kuma River began in the first post-war years. The Kumo-Manych and Tersko-Kuma irrigation canals were “born”. However, irrigation on a small scale was carried out by the Stavropol Cossacks - in tsarist times. But the Otkaznensky "sea" was built only in 1965 - in order to redirect water during a flood (by that time several villages had already been swept away by water). In the 90s, the Budennovsky district of the 26th region was one of the zones of the theater of military operations. We are talking about the Chechen conflict. The militants then even successfully stormed Budyonnovsk itself. In the Ust-Dzhegutinsk region, the focus of a new interethnic war almost ripened (1999). At present, all the territories of the Prikumye are absolutely safe, and at 3 points (Shirokoy Lesu, Zelenokumsk and Kumagorsk) small equipped resort areas have developed.

Source and mouth of the Kuma River

The source of the Kuma River lies at the turn of the Ust-Dzhegutinsky and Karachaevsky districts of the KChR. In terms of relief, this is the northern slope of the Rocky Range. Even more precisely - Mount Gumbashi (2,100 meters above sea level). It is located on the border of glaciation. The nearest village is Upper Mara (distance 5 kilometers). The mouth of the Kuma River is its entry into the Caspian, which looks like a narrowing reservoir-channel. Territorially belongs to the Tarumovsky district of the 5th region. It closely borders on the Kizlyar site of the Dagestan Reserve.

Kuma river basin

In the KChR and adjacent lands of Stavropol, the Kuma River has the most violent temper, noisily flowing from the northern slope of the Rocky Range into the Piedmont Region of the 26th region. The water flow reaches absolutely flat terrain only in the space of Mineralnye Vody. From this fragment of the mountain channel (lone remnants) are visible only from the south side (behind the urban agglomeration of the same name). After the Broad Forest (the largest natural arboretum on the waterway), the Kuma River basin is dressed in a deciduous floodplain only for short stretches. And within the CMS loses it. As for the distance between the banks, it does not exceed 2 meters to Krasny Vostok, and in the above city it is a maximum of 17 meters. From this reservation, the Kuma River basin gradually changes its direction from north to east. In the middle reaches, the reservoir has many meanders. Its speed is still relatively high. Here and there extended thickets appear again (we will talk about them below). On the same fragment, the water flow passes through the reservoir (near the village of Otkaznoy). The width remains the same. Prior to this piece of Ciscaucasia, the course of the Kuma River absorbs the main branches. Extensions of the main channel occur only in dense thickets north of Arkhangelsk (up to 25 meters). In the eastern Stavropol Territory (western Nogai steppe), many erics also appear. Width On the Caspian lowland (beyond Neftekumsk, in the eastern Nogai steppe) it is divided into several thin branches that do not reach the Caspian Sea. In the Levokumsky region of the region, the course of the Kuma River descends into the Kumo-Manych depression (by the way, into the natural border of Europe and the Caucasus, and in some parts of Dagestan and Kalmykia). In the Dagestan autonomy, the flow is already moving in the form of many channels. Part of the water leaves its basin, irrigating areas of agricultural land in this area. The river surface is turbid. During the year, the river carries out 600 tons of suspended soil.

Sights of the Kuma River

Tract Wide Forest

The source of the Kuma River, and even more so the Red East, lie relatively close to this place. It is the lower terrace of the northern slope of the Rocky Range. In the center - the "estate" of the reserve, the village of Ugolnaya Dacha (on Lake Bekeshevka). Along the river, the massif extends for 5 kilometers, although on the sides of it it is much longer both in the latitudinal and in the meridian direction. The arboretum consists of thickets of pine, hornbeam, acacia, Caucasian oak and pear. Willow by the water. Streams fall into the riverbed in waterfalls.

Stanitsa Bekeshevskaya

6 kilometers below (moving through the same idyllic places) the Kuma River brings us to the elongated whole named in the title. "Our" hydrographic object leaves the canyon here to the last rift. The channel is squeezed only by large emerald hills. For the first time, a shore with sand appears (already behind the residential sector, on the last rapid). Beyond its line, the depth and width begin to appear near the river, the speed decreases. Bekeshevskaya is lined with poplar and ash. It was founded in 1825 by order of General Yermolov. Don Cossacks (Khopyor Regiment) settled here. Later, Little Russians began to settle. After 30 years, the settlement was almost completely burned down by enemy Circassians. The brand of the village is a bright temple of the Nativity Holy Mother of God. The toponym comes from the Cossack word "beket" - "picket" (patrol detachment). Today, this settlement is almost 7 kilometers long, has its own bus station and 4 embankments of the park, which do not have any architectural or sculptural delights. An impressive building - a huge recreation center built from monumental red rubble.

Stanitsa Suvorovskaya

And here the rafting on the Kuma River continues with an exit to the spacious feather grass steppe. A rural municipality was founded by the same Khopersky regiment and was also subjected to Circassian devastation. However, over time, it grew more than the first - up to 8.75 kilometers. In terms of population, it is equal to a small city in central Russia. And by status - the center of the settlement, covering two more administrative divisions. It is distinguished by the presence of Greeks (a third of the population) and a large Armenian diaspora. The “Christian Brothers” were settled here by decree of Nicholas I from the zone of compact residence of Muslims (in which they were often attacked). Like its neighbor, Suvorovskaya moved away in the 60s of the last century Kuban Army. According to legend, once it was a resting place during one of Suvorov's campaigns. Hence the name. In 1902, a 5-domed temple made of red brick appeared here. He is a stanitsa "business card" today. As well as the famous military sports club involved in historical reenactment. Sometimes you can even see Roman legionnaires. The churches of Thomas the Apostle and Panteleimon the Healer appeared in the northwestern part. Currently, there are tragic domestic conflicts between representatives of the Greek community and the descendants of the "Kuban-Don" Cossacks. Do not approve of T-shirts with the inscription "I am Russian" and the local Armenians. Be careful in choosing clothes.

Kangly village and Kumagorsk resort

The Nogais once lived not only in the steppe of the same name, but also to the west. Their village Kangly has survived to this day. In 1866, the right of the Nogais to their small homeland was officially recognized. Before that, they were persecuted by the local Cossacks (although there were 3 times fewer Cossacks). The Kuma River is located here in wider banks, overflowing in spring up to 400 meters. The attraction should be considered the Cathedral Mosque. The Kumagorsk resort (a forest belt on a single Kokurtly plateau with a combined sanatorium and a regional hospital) is located 1200 meters to the north (behind the bridge over the Kuma). Nearby (if you go in the opposite direction) there is a railway platform of the same name. The place is known for a couple of mountains-laccoliths (Dagger and Kum-mountain). Beneath them is the exit of mineral springs, on the use of which the treatment in institutions is based. From the top of the Dagger one can see Pyatigorye, KChR, Lake Kumagorskoe, steppes of Novoselitsky and Kochubeevsky districts of the 26th region. On the eastern slopes mined natural stone. Another "highlight" is the building of the balneological clinic itself. It (together with the surrounding landscaped area) is more like Versailles. The local water restores tissue elasticity. And after complex operations, people from all over the CIS are rehabilitated here. The clinic was founded in 1773. Then for the first time they began to break flower beds and landscape parks on the green plateau of Kokurtly.

City of Mineralnye Vody

At the “start” of the middle course, where the Kuma River will be decorated with preserved green areas for some time, we are the first to be met Mineral water. It is “city-station-bus-station-airport”. "Transport Gateway to the Central Caucasus". Along the runway, we already see the nearest hill of Pyatigorye - Zmeyka. This panorama is the "symbol" of the city. They christened it according to mineral springs (they surround it from the south, east and west). What else will a MV traveler remember? The Prikumskaya (opposite) part of the residential quarters is distinguished by the fact that the reservoir separates the railway station Center from the large Levokumka microdistrict. This is an ordinary private sector, connected by 2 bridges. There are no good bathing spots. The river itself maintains a width of 10-12 meters (“standard”) and winds heavily between courtyards and cottages.

Debri tract

Leaving the just described anthropogenic landscape in the outskirts of the Evdokimovsky microdistrict, the Kuma River enters a huge forest stretching along the railway. To the center of the village of Alexandria. Its diameter in this section is 10 kilometers. This nickname was given to the reserve by residents of the surrounding residential areas. Its area is almost 3,895 hectares. It consists of thickets of oak, Tatar maple, hazel, ash and wild pear. Such vegetation will also be typical for the rest of the Kum region up to the Nogai steppe (transition to a semi-desert). Main value undergrowth is recognized - gradually disappearing medicinal and decorative flora. From the bush there is dogwood and euonymus, hawthorn and blackthorn. Part of the space is occupied ecological trails. There is a recreation area, fenced with a chain-link fence. In autumn, when Kuma becomes shallow, locals like to run over it in jeep competitions.

Stanitsa Aleksandriyskaya

We also recommend stopping the transport use of the Kuma River in this corner. The Cossack town was founded in 1783 or 1784. Named after Alexander Nevsky. On the western side, the Debri reserve adjoins the village. From the east - a field of sunflowers. In the north, there is an agricultural plain (there were once 7 collective farms around, one vineyard, even a station was named after him). Well, you are just mooring from the south. Embankment promenade - forest park 200-300 meters wide. 3 bridges (2 hanging) are thrown across the river basin. There are 3 memorable landmarks - the Cathedral of the Archangel Michael, the Eternal Fire and the gray Palace of Culture.

Krasnokumsky Forest

In this reservation, parking on the Kuma River is welcome. On the outskirts of Krasnokumskoye, Podkumok flows into the described basin. At this "crossroads" and located another coastal thicket. The forest is a favorite place for picnics among residents of the village of Krasnokumskoye, the village of Podgorny and even the town of Georgievsk. Because the local river coast is quite bathing. And in this 7.5-kilometer more often there is a lake. And in addition to Podkumka, there are 3 rivers and a full-flowing stream. Thickets are very dense.

Morozovsky Forest and Otkaznenskoye Reservoir

Behind Abundant, Novozavedenny and Soldato-Aleksandrovsky, the course of the Kuma River is dressed in a narrow but dense floodplain. And immediately after the confluence with Zolka (where artificial ponds are visible from all sides), the Otkaznenskoe Sea awaits the guest, named after the village behind it. But the settlement itself received such a speaking nickname due to the fact that the settlers were first offered another place. And when they insisted on their own, the new village of "refuseniks" was registered on the map accordingly. However, even from the territory of the village of Soldato-Aleksandrovsky, a new thicket “haunts” the “waterman”. This refers to the Morozovsky Forest (the nature of the vegetation in it is similar to all the previous ones). The landscape reserve on the outskirts is being illegally built up by businessmen from Soldato-Aleksandrovsky - luxury cottages for sale. The fact is that only 2 springs are under strict protection here. On the outskirts of as many as 3 quarries. They are used for swimming and fishing. An elongated cape of a bizarre shape protrudes into the Otkaznenskoye reservoir (dimensions 5.5 by 3.2 kilometers, depth up to 3 meters). It is through him that Kuma enters this lake. There is a forest on the peninsula. The reservoir enters here with a width of 18 m, and exits with a width of 3 meters. But behind Zelenokumsk, it will expand to 25 m. The rest of the edge goes into the bare steppe. There is a water intake station - decorated with a building of the century before last, which was recently renovated. From the side of the dam, the coast is reinforced with "concrete", along which the road passes. The reservoir holds 131 cubic kilometers of water. During a flood discharge, it passes 120 cubic meters / sec. The northeastern shore is the streets of the village of the same name, behind which grows a small Middle Forest. Behind him is Zelenokumsk.

The village of Zelenokumsk

Rafting on the Kuma River continues to be difficult here (stream width 2.5 - 3 meters). But kayaks go through any. In spring, in this agglomeration, the river "gets fat" up to 20-25 meters. Zelenokumsk looks like a small town in size (almost 9 kilometers long). And yet the nature of the building reminds that this is a village. It was formed through the efforts of Count Vorontsov in 1783. He bought these then cheap barren lands in order to resettle retired soldiers who had shown themselves heroically. The village was originally called Alexander-Vorontsovsky, alluding to the Russian feat that was beyond the strength of foreigners (always associated with Alexander Nevsky) and to the benefactor himself. The Bolsheviks called him Soviet. Having got rid of the influence of history and politics, the inhabitants themselves christened their small homeland in a new way, reminding visitors that they were on the Kuma River and that it was green around (Arkhangelsk-Orlovsky Forest begins outside the city). There are 2 road bridges, 2 equipped parks and the same number of children's holiday camps. There is an equipped beach patch (the speed of the current will not allow the weak to swim) and a larger forest belt. That is why the Stavropol residents recognized Zelenokumsk as a "children's resort". Here is another reason - the adjoining of quarters to the chain of high hills of the northwestern coast of the Kuma, from where a wonderful panorama opens. From the other side, the last (weaker) hillock will appear only in the village of Nina (this is further along the course). Just on that very slightly elevated shore we observe the last forest zone. And about it will be below.

Arkhangelsk-Orlovsky forest and the village of Arkhangelskoye

Here in front of us is the 25-meter Kuma River. Fishing is also possible from a rubber boat. In the spring, the distance between the banks can be up to 50 meters. Here the river begins to be dismantled into canals. Fields everywhere. The forest tract is relic. It is named after people from the Oryol province living in the village of the same name. Opposite cow pasture.

Another village is sandwiched between two parts of the green massif. It was founded by peasants from other central provinces. The toponym is taken from the "title" of the Archangel Michael. The foundation dates back to 1839. Inside - a solid park of ash, acacia and poplar. The settlement is exactly 6 kilometers long. Downstream (a kilometer from Orlovka) the transition to the semi-desert zone begins. The visitor sees rarely standing acacias, reminiscent of the African savannah. The herbage also becomes low and poor. Any ups and downs are left behind. The river valley is still deepened. But weakly.

Budennovsk-Praskovey agglomeration - the "capital" of the Nogai steppe

Here the Kuma River enters a full-fledged kingdom on the border of the steppe and semi-desert - the Nogai steppe. For this, the Nogais called her "sand" ("godfather"). In Kuma, the hydronym was remade by the Cossacks. The biotope is distinguished exclusively by grass and wormwood herbage. Merciless hot dry winds are menacingly sweeping across the Nogai steppe. The landscape is no different from the landscapes of the Volgograd left bank, Astrakhan region, Kalmykia and Caspian Dagestan. On clays and loams, there are 3 types of poplar (near the water). But more often in places only bare soil is visible. On the west side Budennovsk. He was named so in honor of the famous commander of the Civil War. Initially (in 1795) the place was named after Karabagly. It was still a Horde settlement of Armenians, who later served as trade intermediaries between the Nogai Horde and the Astrakhan Khanate. Interestingly, before the Mongol-Tatar rule, there was a great city of Madzhar (Old Madzhar) nearby. Here it is already shrouded mainly in legends, not chronicles. One of the stories ascribes to him the presence of inhabitants who knew how to mint a coin. Therefore, the khans set up a mint of the same name here. And in general, they favored this place in every possible way. Let's go back to the end of the 18th century. Emperor Paul gave permission to merchants to turn the "bazaar" into a city, giving it the name of the Holy Cross (this autocrat was very fond of the culture of the crusaders). In 1873 there were already 3 Armenian churches and almost 4,000 inhabitants. And after 10 years there was an influx of Russian and Ukrainian colonists, whose number in 1910 exceeded the number of autochthons.

Later, by order of Stalin, the Dargins were also settled here. Now the economy is based on the production of petroleum products (oil is produced to the northeast). This is high quality polyethylene. Inside there are a dozen memorials dedicated to the mournful events of 4 wars at once - the Caucasian, Civil, Great Patriotic and Chechen. Now Budyonnovsk is not far from the Holy Cross in size. All the same 8 km. However, on the other side of the river, Armenians also planted vineyards. Near the town in 1781, a satellite village of Praskoveya appeared, the “kingdom of winemakers”. It is separated from the first one not only by the river (through which the bridge goes), but also by a wide section of the canal system, almost 3 km wide. The winery has evolved into CJSC "Praskoveyskoe". The brand of the farm is the Levokumsky Steady grape variety. It is not covered for the winter. Excursions to the described enterprise and the purchase of souvenirs are possible.

City of Neftekumsk

In recreation areas near the designated settlement, parking lots on the Kuma River reveal to us an arid wasteland. Closer to the Kizlyar Bay, it will turn into a sandy “sea”, covered by rather modest (saline) vegetation. The very name of the city suggests that oil was found here. Geological exploration and the first developers, in the absence of houses, lived in the yurts of the Kirghiz (they roamed here then) and Kalmyks. The Nogais no longer had yurts and lived like Russians - in huts (engaged in arable farming and gardening). Their village was called Kamysh-Burun. The construction of the oil workers' settlement began with him. In 1953. It remains so even now. It produces 1 million tons of oil per year. And the town is also interesting for the stunted forest plantation along the highway and the “Asia” stele, made in the Tatar (Nogai) folk style. This is really Asia, because urban settlement. lies on the right bank of the “geographical” Kuma-Manych depression. We emphasize the presence of a colorful replica temple, a pair of memorial complexes of the Great Patriotic War and a snow-white sculptural group of Oilman and Geologist (figures of a man and a woman).

Protected Kizlyar Bay

The mouth of the Kuma River borders on the site of the Dagestan GZ. They are only a kilometer apart. The protected area is called "Kizlyar Bay". The shallow waters of the sea harbor of the same name are inhabited by birds of the Red Book - pink flamingos, curly pelican, small cormorant, loaf, herons, cranes and swans (many varieties). Above them, the same rare white-tailed eagle is circling. Hundreds of species of feathered fauna stop here on the migration. In addition, sword grass, chilim (water chestnut), water lily and lotus grow right on the water's edge. The water is inhabited by a thorn (a species of sturgeon), Caspian trout and white salmon. It remains to be added that big land» is distinguished here by a variety of reeds and the predominance of lush meadows. While a dozen kilometers (along the R-215 highway) begins sandy desert. The boundary between sea and land is constantly changing. It is sometimes unclear where the reed is - on land or already in the sea. This is another "brand" of the protected area. There are no roads to this place. Directions only. But, walking along one of the "threads" - channels into which Kuma turns, you still get here.

Tourism and recreation on the Kuma River

The Kuma River is first in a temperate continental, and then in a sharply continental (arid) climate. This means summer comes early. In the environment of the landscapes described above, you can move around in any vehicle designed for summer or winter racing. In terms of relief, the river flows through mountainous locations, where staying may well involve climbing famous peaks and visiting mapped and already equipped caves. We are talking about the Ust-Dzhegutinsky region, where extreme people know cavities in the mountain range between the Kuban and Kuma (dissected by the tributaries of these rivers into high plateaus). The fact is that they contain 7 caves studied by adventurers: Cadet Dorbun, Through, Wolf, Hanging, Warm, Deaf, Turtle. There are also many less popular ones. Large stretches of forest in the upper reaches and the beginning of the middle reaches attract other people. Pickers of berries and mushrooms, fans of picnics and campers. It remains to add that throughout the river is crossed by railway tracks and several highways - Ust-Dzheguta - Kislovodsk, Essentuki - Suvorovskaya, A-165, Suvorovskaya - Mineralnye Vody, R-217, A-167, Georgievsk - Budennovsk, Neftekumsk - Zelenokumsk , and also R-215.

In the most successful recreational areas, the Kuma River has recreation centers on the banks:

"White Krucha";
"Ruslan";
“Issykul;
"Field Camp";
"Forest Tale";
"Turquoise".

Horseback riding on the Kuma River is a noble traditional pleasure for these places. Special clubs exist in Mineralnye Vody and Budyonnovsk. Hiking captures popular routes laid by "hikers" along the river. In Ust-Dzhegut, becoming a rider, taking part in an unforgettable adventure, is really possible thanks to Khasan Salpagarov, a horse breeder and riding instructor. You can get to the Nogai region of Dagestan by horse from Tarumovsky - from Kochubey. We emphasize that the toponym Kochubey is found in the Stavropol and Dagestan steppes more than once. The fact is that Ivan Kochubey was something like Chapaev for these places - he boldly cut down the White Guard corps of General Chernozubov with his flying detachment. Nowadays, many holidaymakers, once in the saddle, associate themselves with this dashing hero.

A beach holiday on the Kuma River is available literally on any part of its middle channel, and in the lower reaches - in the reservoir or Lake Kizikoy (there is no longer a river in the usual sense of the word in the Nogai steppe and semi-desert). As for the upper reaches, their water areas will “let in” only experienced and physically strong swimmers. But even they are already at risk.

Event-driven rest on the Kuma River concerns voyages to Budennovsk and the villages of Stavropol (both "Terek" and "Kuban-Don"). After all, it is here that such annual events as the “Blessed Caucasus” and the October “Pokrov” take place. And the Caucasian Mineralnye Vody has its own entertainment - the September festival of aeronauts. Dagestan Nogais (Prikumsky and Prisulaksky, who are called Kumyks) are revered for the main event of Sabantuy. It is sure to be arranged even in such provincial settlements as Kumskoy, Rybachy and Andratinsky (there are no other settlements in the Dagestan Prikumi).

In the Malokarachaevsky district of the KChR (the village of Krasny Vostok), Abazins live compactly - a people of Adyghe-Abkhazian origin (Adyghe in appearance). She got here "according to the Stalinist distribution." From the mountains of Bambaki (border of the KChR, Abkhazia and the Caucasian state biosphere reserve, the massif is located 150 kilometers to the west). The main date in the life of the Abaza is the holiday of the first furrow. He gathers relatives and kunaks for competitions in shooting and horse riding. Usually the holiday is organized by the leadership of the Abaza diaspora.

Of great interest among the Russian masses is rafting on the Kuma River. The pros start it where the water is still in the canyon - in the just described village of Krasny Vostok. The very desperate ones go higher - to an uninhabited area where Kuma merges with the Tamchi-Su stream. And then they experience sensations from all thresholds. Here the stream is at least 6-7 meters wide. Above Kuma is a stream. In this location, "water workers" intersect with mountain trekkers and climbers going to bald Gumbashi. From the Upper Mary, the ascent is convenient - it begins on a quite tolerable road. Gumbashi is a pass to which they go in jeeps along Podkumka. It's easier to walk along Qom. As for amateurs (both rafters and kayakers), they prefer to start from the Stavropol Territory - more often they come from the tributary under the name Podkumok. It is on the outskirts of the village of Krasnokumskoye. Of course, the inhabitants of Mineralnye Vody get on the water in their city.

Fishing and hunting on the Kuma River

Your needs for "river hunting" can be fully satisfied by the Kuma River. Fishing is associated here with pike, crucian carp, ruff, perch, pike perch, top fry, barbel and bream. Catfish was spotted in the Otkaznensky reservoir (there are spawning segments in it that fall under the protection regime from April to June). The river mouth has a deep water protection zone, as it is part of a protected area. There are many catch points on the Kuma River. Fishing, they say, goes well in the Stavropol Bekeshevskaya (at the last rift), Krasnokumskoye and Orlovka, further to the reservoir. In the spill of Kizikoy (in Dagestan, in front of the mouth itself). There are almost no "Red Book" fish here. They also rejoice at the indicated fishery in the Piedmont region of Stavropol, usually stopping in the Shirokoye Lesu or Bekeshevkskaya - the most picturesque places on the presented river. In dangerous gorges, on the rapids of the Ust-Dzheguta region of the KChR, it is inconvenient to fish. But on the border with the 26th region, peasants with fishing rods are already visible - the natives of the village of Krasny Vostok. This point is truly magnificent because of the scenery. Here they simply forget about the fish. Judge for yourself - emerald and bright (from high meadow grass and flowers) hills, a deep descent into the floodplain (which will hide you from the wind and cold), as well as noisily rushing water in this low canyon simply fascinate travelers. Very beautiful

While praising fishing on the Kuma River, visitors enthusiastically recall local hunting. There are only 5-6 hunting farms on the water stream itself, since the banks are built up either with residential areas or are surrounded by recreation intended for the recreation of the population.

Those that are available are ready to give you the right to shoot a wild boar, fox, wolf, elk, beaver. Gopher, marten and brown hare. And also black grouse, quail and capercaillie, ducks and wild goose. Herons, swans, grebes (duck relatives), cranes, owls and all birds of prey were included in the Red Book. As well as flying squirrel and near-water furs (mink). Bears and deer have not been seen here for a long time. After all, they really do not like the arid climate. The exception is the Karachaevsky district of the KChR (near the source). There is still a deer here.

Protection of the Kuma River

The protection of the Kuma River is mostly concerned with the fight against garbage. As mentioned at the very beginning of the longread, its water line is overpopulated. Farms, large villages, villages, equal in size to medium-sized cities, as well as 4 urban agglomerations - all of them cause littering of the virgin floodplain. The protection of the Kuma River within the second half of the middle reaches is also associated with water treatment plants. Zelenokumsk, Budennovsk and Neftekumsk are developed industrial centers that are part of petrochemical complex Russia. They have a by-product. And in Mineralnye Vody there is simply a lot of garbage. This is a transit hub. In addition, one of the mineral water distilleries dumps waste from far from environmentally friendly production into Kuma. Fires break out in the area of the Debri Forest Reservation during hot summers. Saving trees is part of conservation measures. Both at the top and in the central segment, the water "artery" will not survive without bank protection works. In the spring, a huge stream is simply not kept in the river "body". Floods often occur, the worst of which took place even before the construction of the Tersko-Kuma and Kumo-Manych canals. But even in 2002, the natives of Mineralnye Vody suffered a flood misfortune. In Soldato-Aleksandrovsky, the river litters itself, catching elements of the infrastructure that has come to hand. In the 5th region, the protection of the Kuma River is taking care of its full flow. And it depends on the patency of the channels. They constantly have to carry out dredging. Not only that, even here the Kuma water is recognized to some extent as polluted. But it ends up in the Caspian Sea. Subbotniks, penalties for the management of enterprises, explanatory work for the population and dredging are the only weapons in the fight for the river.

We really hope that this description of the Kuma River has opened for you some new opportunities for recreation in the North Caucasus, which have not yet been mastered by most operators, hoteliers and tourist instructors. Set up your own resort. G. Gumbashi, Nogai steppe, semi-desert and desert also have charm.

KUMA, a river in Russia, flows in Karachay-Cherkessia, Stavropol Territory, along the border of Dagestan and Kalmykia. It originates on the northern slopes of the Rocky Range of the Greater Caucasus at an altitude of 2100 m. The length is 802 km, the basin area is 33.5 thousand km 2. When exiting to Caspian lowland the channel is divided into branches, the waters of which usually do not reach the Caspian Sea.

In the upper part of the stream (from the source to the mouth of the Podkumok River), the banks are high and steep, flowing in a narrow valley, almost devoid of a floodplain, significantly expanding from the village of Suvorovskaya. The pebble sediments that make up the channel in the very upper reaches gradually turn into large sandy ones, and in the area of the confluence with Podkumok - into silt-sandy ones. In the middle and lower reaches, it has a wide valley, gradually losing its distinct outlines. The floodplain expands in places up to 10 km, below the village of Urozhaynoye, floodplains appear on it. The channel (width 15-30 m) is composed of loess-argillaceous, loamy, sandy-loamy and sandy deposits, in some places it is embanked. The main tributaries are the Darya, Podkumok, Zolka (right); Tamlyk, Dry Karamyk and Wet Karamyk, Tomuzlovka, Wet Buffalo (left). In total, there are 1266 watercourses in the Kuma basin with a length of more than 10 km.

The type of food is mixed. The share of rainfall (to the village of Aleksandriyskaya) accounts for 49% of the annual runoff, groundwater - 29%, snow supply - 22%. Downstream, the share of melt water is significantly reduced. Spring floods and high floods in the warm part of the year are typical. Most low levels observed in late summer - early autumn or winter. The range of fluctuations in water levels in the Qom during the year is on average from 1.0 to 2.5 m. 3 /s in the lower reaches. Most of annual runoff (70-73%) passes during spring and summer, autumn and winter - about 15 and 13%, respectively. The waters of Kuma are highly turbid, the flow of suspended sediments is about 200-600 thousand tons / year. Freezes on average at the end of December - in the 2nd half of January, opens in the 2nd half of February. The total duration of freeze-up is 30-60 days.

Kuma waters are widely used for irrigation. The Malka-Zolka, Tersko-Kumsky, Kumo-Manychsky and other canals were built. Below the mouth of the Zolka River, the flow of the Kuma is regulated by the Otkaznensky reservoir. Dredging works are carried out in the middle and lower reaches. Water quality varies from “slightly polluted” upstream to “very polluted” and “dirty” downstream. The main pollutants are nitrite nitrogen, copper and iron compounds, sulfates. On Kuma (downstream) there are large cities Mineralnye Vody, Zelenokumsk, Budyonnovsk, Neftekumsk.

Kuma (Kabardian-Cherk. Gum, Abaz. Gvym, Karach.-Balk. Gum suў, Chech. GӀum - “sand”, “sandy”, Kuma. Kum) is a river in the North Caucasus.

The length is 802 km, the basin is 33.5 thousand km².

Main tributaries: right - Podkumok, Zolka, Daria; the left ones are Tomuzlovka, Dry and Wet Karamyki, Wet Buffalo.

Etymology

The name is mainly derived from the Turkic word "kum" ("sand"). In its lower reaches, the Kuma really flows through the sands. In the 11th-13th centuries, Polovtsian headquarters were located along its banks, which is why some identify the name of the river with the self-name of the Polovtsy - "Kumans".

Characteristics

Kuma originates on the northern slope of the Rocky Range, in the east of Karachay-Cherkessia. Kuma is a wild mountain river. With access to the plain, it acquires a calm character with many meanders (eriks). When entering the Caspian lowland, it breaks up outside the city of Neftekumsk into several branches, which, as a rule, do not reach the Caspian Sea.

They feed the river mainly precipitation. The average annual water consumption is 10-12 m³ / s near the village of Suvorovskaya. The water of the Kuma is highly turbid (about 600,000 tons of suspended material is carried out per year) and is widely used for irrigation (Tersko-Kumsky and Kumo-Manychsky canals). The runoff in the middle and lower reaches is regulated by the Otkaznensky reservoir (near the village of Otkaznoye). During the summer low water period, Kuma is disassembled for irrigation in the rich Kuma Valley (from the village of Suvorovskaya to the city of Neftekumsk).

Freeze lasts from late November - early December to early March. High spring floods have been typical in the past.

Settlements

The following settlements with more than 10 thousand inhabitants are located on Kum: the village of Suvorovskaya, the village of Aleksandriyskaya, the village of Krasnokumskoye, the village of Soldato-Aleksandrovskoye, the city of Zelenokumsk, the village of Arkhangelskoye, the village of Praskoveya, the city of Budyonnovsk, the village of Levokumskoye, the city of Neftekumsk and several dozen smaller settlements total strength 350 thousand people.

Reservoir and canals

A reservoir of the same name was created on the river near the village of Otkaznoye. After its formation, the turbidity of the water decreased significantly. An artificial reservoir is considered to be one of the most fishy places. In this regard, trapping is carried out in it throughout the year, both professional and amateur.

There are more than 70 species of fish here, among which the majority are gudgeon, crucian carp, bream, pike perch and perch. In addition to the reservoir, two irrigation canals were built on the Kuma stream - Kumo-Manychsky and Tersko-Kumsky.

Water is also transferred through them to the basin of several rivers (Vostochny Manych, etc.), where it is processed, after which it is supplied to consumers.

DESCRIPTION OF THE KUMA RIVER - STAVROPOLIE

Since ancient times, the population settled along the banks of the river. Thus, Zelenokumsk, Budennovsk, the villages of Bekeshevskaya, Su-vorovskaya, Aleksandriyskaya, Podgornaya, the villages of Prikumskoye, Abundant, Novozavednoe, Soldato-Aleksandrovskoye, Otkaznoye, Pokoynoye, Levokumskoye, Vladimirovka, Harvest, Praskoveya appeared on Kuma.

The Kuma flows from the southwest to the northeast, crossing various high-altitude zones, which determines the diversity natural conditions in her watershed. In the upper reaches, it flows in canyons, distinguished by high and steep banks, striking with the primordial-severe wildness of nature. To the village of Suvorovskaya Kuma is a foothill river with a moving pebble-sand bed. During the flood period, it forms many branches. Below the village of Suvorovskaya Kuma takes on the features of a steppe river. Flows in one sleeve. It has relatively high and steep banks. On the section of the middle reaches it has a wide valley. The entire lower course of the Kuma River is located at 45 degrees north latitude, that is, literally halfway between the equator and north pole.

To the village of Praskoveya Kuma flows in one channel. After entering the Caspian lowland, it is divided into a number of branches that flow through the marshy area, between the forest and reeds, narrow and muddy streams. Below the village of Vladimirovka, Kuma, having collected its waters, again flows in one channel, but does not reach the very mouth, its water for the most part usually does not reach the Caspian Sea.

This suggests that there were huge forests in the Kuma valley. Even in the 70-80s of the XVIII century in Qom there was a significant more water, and dense forests grew along its valley up to the present Budennovsk. The waters of Kuma have been widely used for irrigation since ancient times. In the past, these were ditches, eriki, the water from which was used to water gardens, vineyards and orchards. Irrigated agriculture received the widest development after the construction in 1960 of the Tersko-Kuma and in 1964 of the Kumo-Manych canals. Near the village of Levokumsky Kuma receives the waters of the mountain Terek through the canal. Mixing of waters has a beneficial effect on lowering the mineralization of the Kuma, increasing its runoff in the lower reaches.

The Kuma River is the second largest river in the North Caucasus, and the first among the rivers of Stavropol. The length of the river is 802 kilometers. In length, it is second only to the Kuban (870 kilometers). The area of the basin is 33.5 thousand square kilometers, which exceeds the area of such European countries like Albania (29 thousand sq. km) or Belgium (30.5 thousand sq. km). Kuma originates below the glaciation zone on the northern slopes of the Rocky Range, on Mount Kumbashi (Gumbashi) (2100 meters above sea level). From here begins its largest tributary - Podkumok.

Since ancient times, the population settled along the banks of the river. So, in Kuma, Zelenokumsk, Budennovsk, the villages of Bekeshevskaya, Su-vorovskaya, Aleksandriyskaya, Podgornaya, the villages of Prikumskoye, Abundant, Novozavedennoye, Soldato-Aleksandrovskoye, Otkaznoye, Pokoynoye, Levokumskoye, Vladimirovka, Harvest, Praskoveya.

The Kuma flows from the southwest to the northeast, crossing various altitudinal zones, which determines the diversity of natural conditions in its catchment area. In the upper reaches, it flows in canyons, distinguished by high and steep banks, striking with the primordial-severe wildness of nature. To the village of Suvorovskaya Kuma is a foothill river with a moving pebble-sand bed. During the flood period, it forms many branches. Below the village of Suvorovskaya Kuma takes on the features of a steppe river. Flows in one sleeve. It has relatively high and steep banks. On the section of the middle reaches it has a wide valley. The entire lower course of the Kuma River is located at 45 degrees north latitude, that is, literally halfway between the equator and the North Pole. To the village of Praskoveya Kuma flows in one channel. After entering the Caspian lowland, it is divided into a number of branches that flow through the marshy area, between the forest and reeds, narrow and muddy streams. Below the village of Vladimirovka, Kuma, having collected its waters, again flows in one channel, but does not reach the very mouth, its water for the most part usually does not reach the Caspian Sea.

According to long-term observations, the river freezes in the area between Bekeshevskaya village and Vladimirovka village. Ice phenomena begin mainly on December 12-15 and continue until the end of February.

The river is fed mainly by snow and rain. The presence of these two zones of runoff formation influenced the features of the water regime of the river. Snowmelt in the steppes causes an annual spring flood, which lasts from three to four months.

In order to protect themselves from spills, the inhabitants of the right bank in the nineteenth century began to pour earthen ramparts. Today, in the area of the city of Budennovsk, you can see the remains of these earthworks. To regulate the flow of water in Kuma in the second half of the twentieth century, the Otkaznensky reservoir was built between the villages of Soldato-Aleksandrovskoye and Otkaznoye. During a flood, it takes 32 million cubic meters for storage. water.

The waters of the river are characterized by high turbidity - a mass of silt, clay and sand particles. In terms of turbidity among the rivers not only of the plain Ciscaucasia, but also of the entire European part of Russia, Kuma occupies a record place.

Hence, apparently, its name. Some researchers translate the word "Kuma" from Tatar as "flowing through the sand." The word "Kum" is also in other well-known geographical names: Karakum - black sands, Kyzylkum - red sands. And the Kuma River, rather, could be called Peschanka or Peschanaya. Yes, and the mountain, from under which streams flow that feed the river, also has the word “kum” in its name - Kumbashi, which means Sandy Head.

The Turkic peoples have another name for the river - "lost in the sands." Only in exceptionally high-water years (1886, 1898 and 1921) did the Kuma reach the Caspian Sea and flow into the Kizlyar Bay. Its usual water intake is the floodplains located east of the village of Urozhaynoye and occupying an area of 420 square kilometers.

On the maps of the sailors of the ancient Romans and Greeks, Kuma was called Idon, among the Ossetians - Udon, the Circassians called it Gumiz, that is, Old Kuma. It can be assumed that in ancient times the river was more abundant than in subsequent centuries. Some researchers claim that even the runaway Don Cossacks-schismatics made large ships on Kum, put them on wheels and dragged them to the Caspian Sea. This suggests that there were huge forests in the Kuma valley. Even in the 70-80s of the 18th century, there was much more water in Qom, and dense forests grew along its valley up to the present Budyonnovsk. The waters of Kuma have been widely used for irrigation since ancient times. In the past, these were ditches, eriki, the water from which was used to water gardens, vineyards and orchards. Irrigated agriculture received the widest development after the construction in 1960 of the Tersko-Kuma and in 1964 of the Kumo-Manych canals. Near the village of Levokumsky Kuma receives the waters of the mountain Terek through the canal. Mixing of waters has a beneficial effect on lowering the mineralization of the Kuma, increasing its runoff in the lower reaches.

The right tributaries of the Kuma River are the Darya, Gorkaya, Podkumok, Zolka. The left tributaries include Tamlyk, Surkul, Dry Karamyk, Wet Karamyk, Tomuzlovka, Buffalo.

FISHING ON THE KUMA RIVER

Flashing. Catch: 1-3 kilograms (chub 350 gr)

Weather: Sun during the day. It is cool +10 in the morning, by the afternoon the temperature has risen to +24 degrees.

Towards noon a light breeze blew.

Tackle: Spinning 2-11 240

Coil 2000

Fishing place:

Was at the confluence of the rivers Kuma and Podkumok

In the morning I took my daughter to school and slowly drove towards the village of Krasnokumskoye. I fished there successfully about 10 years ago, I decided to check how things are going there now. Moving downstream after the confluence of the rivers, he caught fish. I used different baits, especially after catching a chub, a maximum of two changed the bait. The largest chub had a weight of 380 grams. In the place where he was caught, several individuals with a mass of up to kg were spinning, but after this one sat down, we made a lot of noise and scared the rest. Then a breeze blew which drove the foliage into the water, after which it became uncomfortable to catch because the fallen leaves hung on the hooks of the wobblers. And even the transition to oscillating baubles did not help. After that I packed up and went home. In principle, the exploration was a success. More on video.

Detailed description of the place:

From the bridge with Kangly on the federal highway, to the railway bridge with. Kangly.

Weather, state of the reservoir:

Sunny up to 30 degrees, a slight breeze, the water has a transparency of 40-50 centimeters.

Fishing method: lure

My tackle:

Graphiteleader - Rivolta 6112L Daiva Revros 2000 Monofilament 0.16

My lures:

Various wobblers

What fish did you catch: chub

My catch:

3-5 kilograms

The most big fish

chub, 250 gr.

Detailed fishing report

And so here it is a clean river, a sunny day, and plus a day off. First, various things, etc. then we drive home along the highway towards Kanglov, I

ready in advance with a backpack (in which there are waders), a spinning rod and a bag of lures, I fall out of the car at the turn towards the village of Slavyanovsky

and move under the bridge which is located on the federal highway across the Kuma River in the area with. Kangly. Today I will move downstream until I get bored .... And so the spinning is charged and the baits begin their demolition dance. Well, we didn't have to wait long for bites. Small chubs lined up in a queue, and it didn’t matter to them what kind of pimanki were used. Therefore, I stuffed the entire arsenal of lures into a backpack behind my back, and left myself a small box with 12-15 wobblers. In total, during fishing, which is 3.5 hours, I stomped through the water for about 3 km. I found three points where there was a chance to take a large individual.

But fortune has turned its back. The first large chub, not even like that, but this is how the first large chub was prevented by a trifle that overtook him, grabbed the bait and made a bunch of somersaults as if it were not a chub, but a trout .... The second large stupidly drove the wobbler into a snag, and he swam away. It was as if I wasn’t at the other end of the tackle, he swam where he wanted and allowed me to stupidly hold on to the spinning .... And the third of the large ones just stupidly pricked himself and got off ...

Of those whom I held in my hands before drowning, there were chublets up to 250 grams. At first, I took pictures of everything in a row, but after 40 minutes I got tired of it. Chub were caught with a frequency of 2-3 minutes in the photo of the next fish .... and I went fishing and not taking pictures. Moreover, the camera lay in the backpack, all the photos were taken with the phone. A camera with a flexible tripod for trophies, and there were none today. Met bored fishermen on the shores. One asked about success, in general, he had been sitting for an hour along the shore, there were 4 donkeys, a total of zero. I will say that the hero’s hand was tired of stabbing :) already after two and a half hours, the tiredness of taking the fish off the hooks gave her the opportunity to free herself by walking next to her on the water.

In principle, with a weakened fishing line, the chub were released quite quickly from 5 to 15 seconds on average. I caught only 50 small chub ... I took a picture of 20 pieces. There were 8-10 less pleasant chub gram for 200, the rest were smaller. The average size is about 100-150 grams. It seems that he didn’t walk very many kilometers on the water, but already at 17:30 he called his wife to come after me, and he moved towards me. On the other hand, fishing was successful because 1) I didn’t swim, 2) I didn’t lose a single bait, 3) I had a huge bunch of bites and fights.

Place - region / district: Dagestan

Weather, state of the reservoir:

Mainly cloudy

Fishing method: Donka / Feeder / Picker

Nozzle, bait:

Creeps out

What kind of fish did you catch: carp

My catch:

more than 10 kilograms

The largest fish is carp, 3 kg.

Detailed fishing report

Hello everyone! A small report on the trip to Kuma! We left on April 9 at 23 00 at 6-00 were in place! They decomposed pumped up the boats! And they took them to the old fish. Acceptance because there is little water and the canal near the base is empty! the bite is bad!

By the evening they brought Niva to tow the boats and the clutch was gone on it !!! It was decided to pull to Kochubey tomorrow! In the morning the guys went to catch, we pulled! The car that was pulling in the middle of the steppe drove into the mud and got stuck! I didn’t catch the phone, I went for a tractor to Kutan and there they almost ate a Huge dog. The owner went out and said no equipment, go to another Kutan at a distance of 7-9 km, came back and brought it back (many thanks to Magomed for help)

Niva was pulled dry by hand and towed to Kochubey by 24 at night (many thanks to Denis and Andrey and everyone who participated in the evacuation) Mitsubishi (the driver spent the night in it in the steppe) pulled out the Tractor on the morning of April 12. I spent the night in the car in front of the service station in the morning the Master came (thanks Ali) and by lunchtime I went back to Biryuzyak! We loaded up and went home! We planned to be at home for Easter, but that's how it turned out! The guys caught 70-80 kg of roach and 20-30 kg of carp in half a day of fishing!

Place - region / district: Stavropol Territory

Detailed description of the place:

Below the bridge of the federal highway Kavkaz district with. Kangly.

Weather, state of the reservoir:

Large black clouds move across the sky, sometimes thunder is heard. There is practically no wind. The water level is below average, after rains the water is slightly cloudy, visibility is 70-80 cm.

Fishing method: lure

My tackle:

Banax Ultra 240 2-11 + Daiwa Revros 2000 + monofilament line 0.16 GR Fish Vega 210L + Shimano Catana 1000RA + fluorocarbon 0.18

My lures:

Since he moved far from the car, he used one bait - the Asakura S-Hornet 4 wobbler

What fish did you catch: chub

My catch:

1-3 kilograms

The biggest fish is a chub, 400 gr.

Detailed fishing report

The trip was in order to train my wife, or rather to put her casting. We left the house at about 14:30 and stayed on the pond for about 2 hours. Chub activity is above average. My wife had a Kosadaka Roger SF wobbler and she was caught 3 small chub, when she got bored with this business, I broke away and moved 100 meters downstream, where the largest specimen of 410 grams was caught.

I rush to the car, my wife takes a couple of pictures and the chub returns (like everyone else) to its native element. It's time to leave: (Immediately, while my wife's camera is catching another chub, one more photo and go home. All other pictures were taken with a smartphone, so the quality may not be ICE.

TRIBUTIES OF THE KUMA RIVER

PODKUMOK RIVER

Podkumok - a river in Karachay-Cherkessia and the Stavropol Territory of Russia, the largest right tributary of the Kuma. Length - 160 km. The basin area is 2220 km². The average water flow near Georgievsk is 5–7 m³/s.

It originates from Mount Gum-Bashi in Karachay-Cherkessia. It flows into the Kuma in the village of Krasnokumskoye, Georgievsky district, Stavropol Territory.

The nature of the flow of the river is mountainous, as it crosses the mountainous region of Pyatigorye. Freezing is not formed. The stock is not regulated. High water - April-June, low water - August-November. Sometimes there are severe floods, as in 1977 and June 2002.

The main tributaries are Karsunka, Eshkakon, Alikonovka, Berezovaya, Bolshoi Essentuchek, Bugunta, Yutsa.

There are several large settlements- the cities of Kislovodsk, Essentuki, Pyatigorsk and Georgievsk, the urban-type settlements of Svoboda and Goryachevodsky, the villages of Essentukskaya, Konstantinovskaya, Lysogorskaya, Nezlobnaya, the villages of Uchkeken and Krasnokumskoye, the village of Podkumok. As a result, more than 70 km of Podkumok flows within the settlements of the Caucasian Mineralnye Vody region, with a total population of about a million people, which greatly affects the pollution of the river. The underflow waters of Podkumka are used for drinking and household needs in some of the settlements.

Near the village of Bely Coal (now a microdistrict of the city of Essentuki), in 1903, on Podkumka, the first hydroelectric power station (HPP) "White Coal" was built on the territory of Russia, which is currently mothballed.

Historical information

In 1780, at the confluence of the Zolotukh (Zolotushka) and Podkumka rivers, the Constantinogorsk fortress was founded on the so-called "Dry line" of the Caucasian line - the future city of Pyatigorsk.

ZOLKA RIVER

Zolka (Bolshaya Zolka) (Kabard-Cherk. Dzelykue) is a river in the Republic of Kabardino-Balkaria and in the Stavropol Territory. It originates at the northern foot of the Dzhinalsky Range in Kabardino-Balkaria. The middle and lower reaches of the river are located in the Stavropol Territory. The mouth of the river is located 508 km along the right bank of the Kuma River. The length of the river is 105 km, the catchment area is 945 km².

Water registry data

According to the State Water Register of Russia, it belongs to the Western Caspian Basin District, the water management section of the river - Kuma from the confluence of the Podkumok River to the Otkaznensky hydroelectric complex, there is no river sub-basin of the river - there is no sub-basin. The river basin of the river is the drainless regions of the interfluve of the Terek, Don and Volga.

TOMUZLOVKA RIVER

Tomuzlovka is a river in the Stavropol Territory, a left tributary of the Kuma River. Five tributaries flow into Tomuzlovka: Dubovka, Kalinovka, Zhuravka, Schelkan ravine, and Gryaznaya ravine.

On the right bank of the Tomuzlovka River, in 1977, Kh. A. Amirkhanov discovered the Zhukovskoye locality near the Zhukovsky farm. The monument is located at an altitude of approx. 80 m above river level (approx. 300 m above sea level). Due to the absence of foliar voles in the composition of the fossil fauna, scientists have established an upper age limit for it at the level of the Olduvai paleomagnetic episode, respectively, the age of a few archaeological finds was estimated at 2 million years.

Tomuzlovka originates on the Prikalausky heights, where powerful springs beat. The river flows through the steppe plain in a narrow valley with a steep left and smoother right slope. Near the village of Alexandrovskoye, the channel runs through sandstone terrain, forming a stone cornice with caves and bizarre boulders and rocks resembling fantastic animals. Among them stands out a stone block in the form of a giant frog, with its head held high, facing the west. Bus passengers always stop at this place to admire the amazing sculpture.

Traveling in the Tomuzlovka area, you can meet other, even more bizarre sculptural works of nature.

Before the active development of the surrounding lands by the peasants, a swampy floodplain forest grew along Tomuzlovka. At the beginning of the 20th century, during times of heavy floods, along the river across the Kuma from the Caspian Sea, small shoals went to spawn sturgeon fish. There were many wild boars in the reeds. The pelicans have arrived. Due to the felling of trees for buildings, fuel and other needs, nothing remains of the forest by now.

WET BUFFALO

Wet Buffalo, in the upper reaches of the Buffalo and Malaya Buffalo - a river in the Stavropol Territory, a left tributary of the Kuma. The length of the river is 151 km, the area of its drainage basin is 2490 km².

The town of Blagodarny is located on the river. It is a seasonal river - in the absence of rain, it dries up in the lower reaches.

On the map of 1773, compiled by A. I. Gildenshtedt, and on the plan of the Madzhar settlement dated 1790, the river and its estuary are designated as “Baibala”. The name comes from one of the Turkic languages. Lake Baibala of the same name is located in Kazakhstan.

Five tributaries flow into the Wet Buffalo:

Kharitonova Balka,

Kopanskaya Balka,

stone beam,

dry buffalo,

Long Balka.

Wet Buffalo Estuary - Lake Buffalo - a picturesque freshwater body of water with an area of 740 hectares, now located within the city of Budyonnovsk. The lake consists of two parts, partitioned off by dams.

In shallow water along the coast, it is overgrown with reed marshes. Freezes in winter at -10 °C, is a favorite object for winter fishing. There are crucian carp, rudd, pike perch, perch, bottom goby, bleak, roach, crayfish. Industrially bred silver carp, carp. The depth is not more than 2.80 m, plus the height of the silt can reach up to 2 meters. There is a beach, a yacht club. Near the lake there is a chemical plant "Stavrolen" with its settling tanks along the shore.

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SOURCE OF INFORMATION AND PHOTO:

Team Nomads

Resources of surface waters of the USSR: Hydrological knowledge. T. 8. North Caucasus/ ed. D. D. Mordukhai-Boltovsky. - L .: Gidrometeoizdat, 1964. - 309 p.

Kuma River on AquaExpert. RU

General map of the Russian Empire of 1745

Kuma river. Geography of the USSR.

Resources of surface waters of the USSR: Hydrological knowledge. T. 18 .. Issue. 2. Volga region / ed. I. S. Bykadorova. - L .: Gidrometeoizdat, 1963. - 83 p.

Geographical encyclopedic Dictionary: geographical names- Kuma River / Ed. A. F. Treshnikova. - 2nd ed., add. - M.: Soviet Encyclopedia, 1989. - S. 489. - 210,000 copies. — ISBN 5-85270-057-6.

https://fion.ru/

Popchikovsky V.Yu., Kuznetsov V.L. etc. Tourist sports routes. M., Profizdat, 1989, 192 p.

Rivers of the North Caucasus.

The Kuma River originates in Karachay-Cherkessia. Then it flows in our area. Previously, water was used for food, washed in it. But now....

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Kuma River

The Kuma River is located in the North Caucasus. The total length of the river reaches 802 kilometers, and the total area of the catchment basin is 33.5 thousand square meters. km. Main tributaries: Zolka, Tomuzlovka, Podkumok, Dry and Wet Karamyki, Daria, Dry Buffalo. The Kuma River originates on the northern slopes of the Rocky Range of Karachay-Cherkessia at an altitude of 2100m above sea level. In the upper reaches it flows in high and steep banks, in the middle reaches it has a wide valley. Upon reaching the Caspian lowland, the channel is divided into a number of branches, the waters of which usually do not reach the Caspian Sea. Source of the Kuma River

Food is mainly snow and rain. The waters of the Kuma River are characterized by high turbidity. The river freezes in late November - early December, opens in early March. High spring floods are typical. There is a lot of water in Qom at the beginning of summer, during the melting of snow in the mountains. At this time, the river often overflows, sometimes flooding the villages.

The name is mainly derived from the Turkic word "kum" (sand). In its lower reaches, the Kuma really flows through the sands. In the 11th-13th centuries, Polovtsian headquarters were located along its banks; the Polovtsians called themselves “Kumans” after the name of the river. The Kumyks who now live in northern Dagestan also bear the name given to them by the river. The Ossetians called the river Idon. The winding channel is often framed by vast terraces up to 15m high. These terraces are an amazing sight: a kind of clay giants of bizarre shapes, undulating along the river bank.

My excursion to the Kuma river.

Animal world. Hedgehogs live in the steppes, steppe polecat; in the floodplains - reed cat and wild boar; on the lakes of the Kuma valley - waterfowl. Of the birds, the most characteristic are: larks, quail, gray partridge, bustard, steppe eagle. The fox and the wolf live in the steppe and the forest.

Flora In the coastal forests, a variety of deciduous trees, in the floodplains of the river - herbs, many wildflowers.

The general sanitary and toxicological indicators of the harmfulness of water pollution in the Kuma River are currently quite high due to the increased content of copper compounds and organic compounds. This is due to the entry into the water of unorganized effluents from a number of livestock farms and other agricultural enterprises, both directly in the river. Kumu, and into the water of the main tributaries (R. Surkul). Within the city, the lack of proper sanitary cleaning of the territory, the insufficient percentage of the provision of the territory with storm sewers and the necessary level of improvement, leads to increased pollution of the water of the Kuma River. Kuma River in Mineralnye Vody

- Location - Height