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Large and small rivers of the Altai Territory. The main river of the Altai Territory is the Ob. Lake Aya in Altai

The Masha River, 94 kilometers from the mouth, flows along the bank on the left side into the Chuya River. The river begins at the slope of the Maashey-Bash mountains, at the source of the river there is a glacier with the same name.

According to the statistics of the State Water Register of Russia, the Masha River is part of the Upper Ob Basin District. It is a water management section of the Katun River and a river sub-basin of the Biya and Katun Rivers. And also it was the river basin of the Upper Ob River, before it flowed into the Irtysh River.

The river extols a very picturesque and fresh view of the Altai Mountains. The water in it is clean and transparent, and the banks are bordered by small shrubs.

Black Iyus River

Black Iyus is a mountain river located in the north of Khakassia. It flows through the territories of Ordzhonikidzevsky and Shirinsky districts. The river merges with the White Iyus, forming the Chulym River, the right tributary of the Ob.

Inzhul is the left tributary of the Black Iyus.

The length of the river is 178 kilometers, the spillway area is 4,290 square kilometers. Its source is a karst lake, which is located in the eastern part of the Bely Golets mountain of the Kuznetsk Alatau. The mouth is the Chulym River. The source has a height of 1340 meters, the mouth - about 380 meters.

The basin is waterlogged by 5%, forest cover occupies 75% of the territory. In the annual course of the water regime, spring high water, summer-autumn and winter low water can be distinguished. Rain pickups repeatedly break off the summer-autumn low water period. The total runoff of the summer-autumn period is 80-85%. In winter, icing appears with the release of water onto the ice.

The water of the river has a hydrocarbonate chemical composition. For a year, its consumption averages 43.1 meters per second.

Chemal River

The length of the Chemal River reaches 54 kilometers. Covers a decent part of the Altai Territory. There are many settlements along the way of Chemal. The largest village has exactly the same name as the river. There it connects with the small river Kuba, from where, after seven kilometers, they flow into the Katun.

By the way, the very name "Chemal" is translated from Altai as "anthill". This name appeared because of the goats and sheep that grazed in this area more than a hundred years ago. From above, they looked like ants swarming in the grass.

In some places, Chemal is quiet and calm, pleasing to the eye with its calm, in others it seethes and foams. In an area where there is a strong flow in 1935, the Chemal hydroelectric power station was built.

In addition, the Chemalsky district is famous for the purity of its air. Therefore, along the banks of the river there are a huge number of tourist bases and campsites. There are even two sanatoriums: one just for children, and the second for children with tuberculosis.

The famous rivers of Altai are exactly the same property of the region as mountains, glaciers and lakes. The water arteries flowing through the Siberian expanses are also the most important tourist sites. Hundreds of hiking and combined routes run exactly along the Altai rivers, and sometimes along with rafting and crossings from one bank to another.

It is better to talk about the rivers of Altai, covering two regions - the Altai Territory and the Republic of Altai.

Rivers of the Altai Territory

Almost all the rivers of the Altai Territory are the Ob and its numerous tributaries. Unlike the mountainous republic, most of the local rivers are valley and full-flowing arteries, suitable both for navigation and for outdoor activities.

The mighty Ob, one of the largest rivers in the world, originates precisely in the Altai Territory, in the suburbs of Biysk, at the confluence of two mountain Altai rivers - the Katun and the Biya. The entire section of the upper reaches runs through the territory of Altai.

Due to the relatively flat relief, the river is considered a valley with a wide channel and calm waters. Along the entire course on the banks you can find several hundred villages, towns and regional centers of Altai. The largest of the cities on the Ob in the Altai Territory - the capital of the region - Barnaul.

The calm waters of the Ob are deceptive - every spring the river overflows, flooding the right bank, and bringing a lot of worries to the inhabitants of the coastal regions. Due to abnormal precipitation in 2014, the Ob was among the rivers that caused enormous damage to flooded areas.

Throughout the summer, small pleasure boats with tourists and motor ships go along the Ob. The cultural program of tourist destinations is also rich in events - various open-air festivals are often held on the banks of the Ob.

The river that gave its name to the second largest city in the Altai Territory - Biysk. This waterway originates in the Altai Mountains, in the legendary Teletskoye Lake, but most of the river flows through the neighboring region. The total length of Biya exceeds 280 km.

The upper part of the Biya is a typical mountain river, unsuitable for serious navigation, but attractive for fans of kayaking. A large number of rapids and the restless nature of the current only add popularity among local tourists. The lower reaches of the Biya are a full-flowing channel with navigable sections, up to the confluence with the Ob.

Regular navigation along the Biya was discontinued in 2006 due to unprofitability. All cruising boats and motor ships today are tourist ships. The river "comes to life" only during periods of large floods.

The purity of the water in Bie also affected the popularity of the river among fishermen - from amateurs to fishing professionals. Several dozen species of river fish live here, including grayling, taimen and burbot, which are especially revered by Siberian fishermen.

It is believed that the Aley is the longest river flowing through the territory of the Altai Territory. The water artery originates in Eastern Kazakhstan, but it is in Altai that it turns into a full-flowing tributary of the Ob, on the banks of which the city of Aleysk, famous for its farmland, and Rubtsovsk arose.

It was the active development of arable land in the 1930s that made it possible to create several irrigation canals in the river valley with a total length of 50 km, which are still used to supply land for growing wheat and other cereals.

Two reservoirs have been created on the Alei, providing water to several cities and dozens of rural settlements. The river itself is notable, like the Biya, for its regular sporting events - for example, fishing competitions are regularly held here with a bait.

Rivers of the Republic of Altai

The rivers of Gorny Altai are a lot of turbulent mountain arteries that give rise to full-flowing valley rivers. Unlike the rivers of the neighboring region, the reservoirs in the republic have strong currents, many rapids and rocky shores.

River tourism in the Altai Mountains is extreme - the water in most reservoirs is cold even in summer, due to the fact that almost all large rivers are fed by glaciers hidden among the mountain peaks of the Katun and Chui massifs.

Due to the specifics of the flow, many mountainous Altai rivers do not freeze in winter.

The main river of Gorny Altai - Katun - appeared on the map thanks to the Gebler glacier, located on Mount Belukha. It is there that the source of this majestic and, in some areas, very restless river is located.

The total length of the Katun to the place where it flows into the Ob near Biysk is 688 km. And along this entire length, the river passes through all types of the Altai landscape - from high-mountain regions to the flat steppe. Moreover, the inhabitants of Altai remember the stormy mountain nature of the river every spring during floods. Like the Ob, the Katun flooded in 2014, bringing great destruction.

Water tourism on the Katun is in great demand. In addition to the rapids that have their own names, you can also see waterfalls on the river. The total number of such objects is in the thousands. And this despite the fact that even on hot summer days the water temperature rarely warms up above +15 ° C - this does not stop tourists.

There are many cultural sites on the Katun, the most famous of which is the island of Patmos, where the Znamensky Convent is located, which can only be reached by a suspension bridge from the right bank.

Interesting to visit are also such natural objects as the confluence of the Katun Chemal, Chuya and other famous rivers of the Altai Mountains.

In many sources, the Argut is unequivocally called one of the largest tributaries of the Katun. This is a 232 km long river, fed by glaciers, eternal snows of the mountains and streams originating on the legendary Ukok plateau.

It is believed that the Argut is the best river for testing extreme rafting skills in kayaks and other types of boats. Some rapids are considered impassable, and at regular competitions, a number of sections of the river are patrolled by doctors due to high injuries - the current of “boiling” water is so strong here.

The Argut Valley attracts not only thrill-seekers, but also ordinary tourists. On the banks of the river there are many Altai burial mounds, famous stone statues and other attractions. Of the local fauna on the banks of the Argut, snow leopards and other rare animals of Altai are regularly noticed.

The muddy waters of the Chulyshman River increasingly began to attract tourists from all over the world. In reference books, this is the main water tributary of Lake Teletskoye, originating in the high-mountain lake Dzhulukul. And on most extreme forums, the Chulyshman River is an artery impregnable for rafting, flowing through the wild regions of the Altai Republic.

The very “dirty” color of the water in some areas is not due to the human factor, but to the natural washing out of the clay rocks of the channel by the river. Closer to Lake Teletskoye, the waters of Chulyshman brighten noticeably, filling the lake with cleared runoff.

The river valley of Chulyshman itself is very attractive for tourists. Due to the height difference, the vegetation along the banks of the river changes - from dwarf birches to dense taiga thickets.

The Chulcha River is one of the main tributaries of the Chulyshman with a length of 72 km. The stormy mountain artery originates from Lake Itykul, and almost throughout its entire length remains an extremely restless body of water with many rapids, cascades and other unpleasant surprises for those who want to raft along it.

Despite the inaccessibility, the hand is popular among backpackers. They go here in order to see the Chulchinsky waterfall, which the river feeds. Together with all the cascades, its length exceeds 160 meters.

In addition, the Bolshoi Proryv Canyon surrounding Chulcha on one of its sections has become a place of pilgrimage for tourists and photographers from all over the world.

The second most important river in the Altai Mountains after the Katun is the Chuya, which gave its name to the track of the same name - the Chuisky tract, as well as to the mountain range of the same name - the Chuisky Ridge. It is also a watershed for some mountainous regions of the region.

Chuya is a powerful river passing from a mountain stream into a majestic valley channel. Here you can see both canyon landscapes and flat landscapes. The diversity of the river determined not only the places of settlement by people, but also modern tourism. Chuya is one of the centers of sports rafting in Altai; competitions of various classes are held here every year.

On the banks of the Chuya River you can see the legendary sights of Altai. These are the Shirlak waterfall, Bely Bom, the Kalbak-Tash tract, dozens of ancient burial grounds and thousands of rock paintings recognized as the property of the Altai Republic, as well as the river itself.

General information

The relief of the Altai Mountains is diverse, it stands out: sections of ancient plains, alpine-type glacial high-mountain relief, mountains of medium (1800-2000 meters) and low height (500-600 meters), deep basins. The ridges are cut by numerous rivers fed by snow. Stormy water flows flow into the lakes famous for their beauty, lying in picturesque valleys. In the Altai Mountains, the Biya and Katun rivers are born, which, merging, form the Ob, one of the deepest and longest rivers in Russia.

The highest ridge of the Altai Mountains is Katunsky. With its snowy slopes, sharp peaks, picturesque lakes and glaciers, this part of the Altai mountain system looks like the Alps.

The Altai Mountains are famous for their caves, of which there are more than 300, especially in the basin of the Katun, Anui and Charysh rivers. Gorny Altai is the land of waterfalls, the highest of which is the 60-meter Tekelu, which flows into the Akkem River.

The weather in the Altai Mountains is unpredictable, so you should not rely on weather forecasts. Being in the mountains on a warm clear day, you can witness the sudden birth of a cloud and visit its very thick.

The climate of the region is sharply continental with cold winters and warm summers. The weather in any particular place depends on its altitude and the prevailing winds. In the Altai Mountains there is both the warmest place in Siberia and its cold pole. The climate is formed under the influence of arctic masses, warm and humid winds of the Atlantic and the hot air of Central Asia. Winter in the region lasts from 3 to 5 months, one of the coldest places is the Chui Valley, where the temperature drops to -32°. It is much warmer in the southern regions of the Altai Mountains - for example, in the region of Lake Teletskoye, winter pleases with comfortable ten degrees below zero. In spring and autumn, cold snaps and frosts are frequent, lasting until mid-June in the highlands. The warmest month is July with an average temperature of +14 to +16°; in the highlands - from +5 to +8°, here the temperature drops by 0.6° with an increase in altitude for every 100 meters.

In summer, daylight hours in the region last 17 hours, which is more than in Yalta or Sochi.

Gorny Altai is famous for its rich flora and fauna. In a relatively small area of the region, almost all types of vegetation in Asia, Kazakhstan and the European part of Russia grow. Taiga, steppe, mountain tundra and alpine meadows are located on the Altai Mountains of different heights.

Each natural zone is inhabited by animals adapted to certain environmental conditions. Some of them - bears, deer, sable - roam from one area to another. Elk, musk deer, roe deer, ground squirrel, fox, wolverine, squirrel, and ermine are also found in the Altai Mountains. The rarest animal on Earth lives in the highlands - the irbis (snow leopard), as well as the Siberian goat and the red wolf.

In the Altai Mountains, endemic species have also formed that live only here: mountain turkey, tundra partridge, Altai buzzard. Other birds of the region are the gray goose, mallard duck, gray crane, snipe, owl, nutcracker.

Attractions

Lake Teletskoye is a true pearl in the placer of Altai lakes. The purest waters, framed by mountains and centuries-old cedars, alpine meadows and magnificent waterfalls, remoteness from civilization are the sources of the charm of the famous lake.

teletskoye lake

The Ukok Plateau is a protected natural area, a place of concentration of barrow burials of various chronological epochs. Local residents believe that the plateau is the threshold of the firmament, "the end of everything", a special sacred place to which they entrust the bodies of the dead. In many burial mounds, cooled by permafrost, well-preserved household items of great historical value were found. The unique nature of the plateau and the surrounding Altai Mountains inspired the artist Nicholas Roerich to create world-famous paintings. In the village of Upper Uimon there is a house-museum of the painter, where you can see his paintings and buy their copies.

Ukok Plateau

Chemal is a picturesque area of the Altai Mountains, where the Katun carries its waters past rocky mountains that fascinate with their impregnability.

The Katun River near the village of Chemal

Karakol lakes - 7 reservoirs of amazing beauty, stretching in a chain along the western slope of the Iolgo ridge. To admire the lakes lying at an altitude of 2000 meters, you will have to use horses or a specially equipped vehicle.

Karakol lakes

Lower Shavlinskoye Lake is located surrounded by mountains Dream, Fairy Tale and Beauty in the vicinity of the village of Chibit. Pagan idols are installed on the shore of the reservoir.

Lower Shavlinskoye Lake

The discovery of the Denisova Cave, located in the valley of the Anui River in the Soloneshsky District, has become a notable event in world archeology. The remains of a 42,000-year-old man were found in the cave. In addition, the oldest cultural layer of habitation of people who lived in a cave 282,000 years ago was discovered here. More than 80,000 different stone household items, iron products of the XIV century, bronze knives of later periods were found at the site of the ancient man. The cave is accessible to people with any level of physical fitness. Before the eyes of a tourist who is not too lazy to get here, a unique so-called "layer cake" appears, consisting of more than 20 cultural layers formed in different eras of human existence.

Altai cave, one of the deepest and longest in Siberia and Altai, goes down 240 meters, and its length is 2540 meters. This natural attraction, protected as a geological monument of nature, is located in the village of Cheremshanka in the Altai Territory. The Altai cave is actively visited by amateur tourists and professional speleologists.

Mount Belukha, which is part of the Katunsky Range and revered as sacred by local residents, is the highest point in Siberia and Altai, towering 4509 meters above the picturesque valleys of the Ukok plateau. Belukha is located at an equidistant distance from the four world oceans and is the geographical center of Eurasia. Many who have visited Belukha or near it admit that they felt the enlightenment of consciousness and the incredible energy of these places. A special atmosphere reigns here, setting you in a philosophical mood. And this is not self-hypnosis, many scientists claim that powerful bioenergy fields really exist around the mountain. Buddhists believe that somewhere on the top of the mountain there is an entrance to the fabulous land of Shambhala, which only the elite can see. The sources of the main Altai river Katun originate in the Belukha glaciers.

Chapel of the Archangel Michael at the foot of Mount Belukha

Chuisky Trakt is the Novosibirsk-Tashant highway, ending at the borders of Mongolia. After driving along it, you will be able to get to know the Altai Mountains better and see all their diversity.

Chui tract

Other sights of the Altai Mountains worthy of attention:

Lake Aya;
Multinsky lakes;
Kucherlinsky lakes;
Lake Manzherok;
Rock paintings of primitive people in the Kalbak-Tash tract;
Scythian burial mounds of Pazyryk;
Mount Altyn-Tu;
Patmos Island on Chemal with the Church of St. John the Evangelist;
The Tsar's mound - a burial site over 2000 years old;
Valley of the Chulyshman River with numerous waterfalls.

This is only a small part of those natural and man-made wonders that the Altai Mountains are rich in.

Why go

Adherents of sports tourism have known and visited the Altai Mountains for several decades. Mountain rivers of Altai are ideal for rafting. Speleologists descend into mysterious caves, climbers storm mountain peaks, paragliders hover over picturesque landscapes, nature has prepared countless places of stunning beauty for hikers. Equestrian tourism is well developed in Altai, which makes it possible to visit the most inaccessible corners of the region, where you can see the Red Book argali sheep, lakes of unreal beauty, hear the inimitable and heartbreaking cries of deer during the rut.

Fishing in the Altai Mountains traditionally attracts many tourists not only from neighboring regions, but also from the European part of Russia, as well as from abroad. The waters of local rivers are rich in valuable fish - grayling, taimen, whitefish, rainbow trout, burbot, pike and other species.

People go to Altai to get medical treatment and relax in one of the most environmentally friendly places on Earth. The seismically active region is rich in healing thermal springs, local radon waters are especially valued. Belokurikha is the most popular Altai balneological resort, famous for its unique microclimate, modern sanatorium and medical facilities and excellent opportunities for outdoor activities. Vacationers get an unforgettable pleasure walking along the health path along the turbulent river Belokurikha, rushing through the forest gorge. At the service of tourists is a chairlift that lifts the guests of the resort to Mount Tserkovka (height 815 meters), from the top of which a stunning view of the Altai expanses opens.

One of the hallmarks of the Altai Mountains is deer, on the treatment of which the whole medical industry is based on the treatment of antlers. Panty - young, non-ossified antlers of deer, cut only from males in June-July. Male individuals provide a unique healing product, rich in amino acids and microelements, a recognized elixir of health and longevity. To obtain valuable raw materials, deer are bred in captivity - the animals live on a vast territory of the deer, where they are protected from predators and poachers. Only once a year the red deer are disturbed in order to cut off their antlers. On the basis of many marals, medical bases have been created, where vacationers improve their health among mountains and forests, enjoying peace and quiet in the bosom of Altai nature.

In winter, visitors are welcome to the ski resorts of Altai - Manzherok, Belokurikha, Turquoise Katun, Seminsky Pass.

Recently, the tourist infrastructure in the mountainous regions of Altai has been developing rapidly: modern hotels and recreation centers are being built, new excursion routes are being developed, new roads are being laid and old ones are being improved. The number of agencies offering a variety of tours to Altai has grown significantly.

Information for tourists

Finding suitable accommodation in the tourist areas of the Altai Mountains is not difficult - everywhere there are camp sites of different levels of comfort, hotels and boarding houses. Many locals offer private accommodation for a very reasonable fee.

Communication in Gorny Altai is available in all major tourist destinations. It would be useful to have SIM cards of two or three operators with you, because. in some areas, the connection is better with Beeline, and in others - with Megafon.

Going to Altai even at the height of summer, be sure to stock up on warm clothes - in mountainous areas, the night temperature can drop to +5°C.

Popular souvenirs from the Altai Mountains are honey, velvet antlers, pine nuts, teas from alpine herbs, original wooden products of local residents, amulets, national musical instruments and household items.

In places that are sacred to the Altaians, one should not indulge in fun, shouting and littering. Do not flatter your pride - do not leave ugly inscriptions "Here was ..." on the man-made and natural sights of Altai. From tourists, local residents expect respect for their land, ancestors and wildlife.

How to get there

The most convenient way to get to Altai from Novosibirsk is by train or bus to Barnaul or Biysk. From these cities there are several flights a day to Gorno-Altaisk and other settlements in the region. If you are traveling by car, then from Novosibirsk you should go along the M-52 highway (Chuysky Trakt).

Altai, view of the Belukha massif

Formed from the confluence of two rivers - Biya and Katun. At a distance of 500 kilometers, the wide ribbon of the Ob crosses the Altai Territory, forming two giant bends. In terms of its length (3680 km), it is second only to the Lena (4264 km) and Amur (4354 km) in Russia, and in terms of the area of the Ob basin, it is the largest river in our country, second only to five rivers on the planet: the Amazon, the Congo, the Mississippi, the Nile and La Plata.

The Ob and its tributaries Chumysh, Anui, Aley, Bolshaya Rechka, Barnaulka and others have a calm current, wide developed valleys, in which strongly winding channels with sandy stretches adjoin.

The Barnaulka River is a tributary of the Ob River

The name of the great river "Ob" It owes its origin not to the peoples who have lived on its shores from time immemorial. The Nenets living in the lower reaches of the river called it "Salya-yam", which means "cape river". The Khanty and Mansi gave it the name "As" - "big river", the Selkups called the river "Kvay", "Eme", "Kuai". All these names had the meaning of "large river". The Russians first saw the river in its lower reaches, when hunters and merchants went behind the Stone (as the Ural Mountains were then called) together with the Zyryan guides. Long before Ermak conquered Siberia, the region around the Ob was called Obdorsky.

There is a version that the name of the great Siberian river comes from the Komi language, which means “snow”, “snowdrift”, “place near the snow”.

There is also an assumption that the name is associated with the Iranian word "ob" - "water". And such a name for a full-flowing river could well have been given by the peoples of the Iranian-speaking group, who lived in the south of Western Siberia in the period from the early Bronze Age to the Middle Ages.

River Ob

But there is also an ingenuous version that the word "Ob" comes from the Russian "both", that is, "both rivers" - "ob", referring to two rivers - the Katun and the Biya, which merged into the mighty beauty of the Ob.

Biya
The Biya is the second largest river in Altai. It originates in Lake Teletskoye. Its length is 280 kilometers. It is considered navigable throughout its length in high water. In the upper part of the river - rapids, waterfalls, rifts. Merging with the Katun, Biya gives birth to the Ob.

Biya river

Biy's name associated with the Altaic word "biy", "beg", "bii" - "master". According to one of the Altai legends, the words "master" and "lady" sound like the name of Biya and Katun. In his writings, N. M. Yadrintsev wrote that the direction of the flow along these rivers is explained by the fact that a man and a woman wanted to compete, who would run over whom. Katun tried to run across Biy, and then the offended man Biy crossed her path. According to other sources, the name Biya comes from the ancient Turkic "bey" - "river", or the Samoyedic "ba" - "river".

Katun
The Katun flows out of the Gebler glacier at an altitude of about 2000 meters on the southern slope of the highest mountain in Altai - Belukha. In the upper and middle reaches, the river has a mountainous character, especially in summer, when snow and glaciers melt intensively. In the lower reaches, it acquires a flat character, spilling below the village. Maima into channels and channels, and flows along the sloping plain to the north to the confluence with the Biya.

The water in the Katun is cold, its temperature rarely rises above 15 C in summer. The river is fed mainly by melting snow and ice from glaciers. The length of the river is 665 kilometers, in its basin there are about 7000 waterfalls and rapids.

Katun River

On the origin of the name "Katun" there is no consensus. According to one version, the term "katun" is based on the ancient Turkic "kadyn" or "khatun" - "lady", "lady". This is due to the ancient custom of bowing before large rivers, exalting them in their names. In other languages, there are such additions, for example, "oros-khatun" in Yakut - "mother river". During the time of Genghis Khan, the Mongols used the word "khatun" to mean "river". "God-khatun" - "small river", "ihi-khatun" - "big river". There is a version that the word "katun" comes from "katanga" - "water", "river", as the rivers from Western Siberia were called to the Pacific Ocean.

Alley
The Aley is the largest tributary of the Ob in the flat part of the region. In length (755 km), it surpasses the Katun and Biya, but is inferior to them in terms of high water content. Aley originates in the low mountains of the northwestern Altai. This is a river with a mixed type of nutrition (snow and rain), the spring flood reaches its maximum in April. Loop-shaped large bends are characteristic of Aley, in the lower reaches the river has wide clay soil.

Aley River

Chumysh
Chumysh is the right tributary of the Ob. The river originates in Salair, from the confluence of two rivers: Tom-Chumysh and Kara-Chumysh. Although the river is twice as long as the Biya (644 km), the Chumysh is a relatively shallow river. In many places its valley is swampy and covered with mixed forest. The share of snow supply is more than half of the runoff per year, and the maximum flood in Chumysh is in April.

Chumysh River

Lakes of Altai

Picturesque Altai lakes. There are thousands of them in the region, and they are located throughout the territory.

Most of the lakes are located in the Kulunda lowland and on the Priobsky plateau. not without reason Altai is called the land of blue lakes. Small mountain and steppe lakes give natural landscapes a peculiar charm and originality.

The largest lake in the Altai Territory is the bitter-salty lake Kulundinskoe(area 600 sq. km, length - 35 and width 25 km). It is shallow (maximum depth - 4 m), fed by the waters of the Kulunda River and groundwater. To the south of Kulundinsky is the second largest lake - Kuchukskoe(square 180 sq. km). It is completely similar in regime and nutrition to Kulunda and used to be connected to it by a canal.

The Kulunda lakes are all remnants of an ancient sea that existed many millions of years ago in the place of the present plains. Many of these lakes have long been famous for their mineral waters, which have healing properties, as well as healing clays and mud. Gorkoe-Peresheechnoe, Crimson- are places of pilgrimage for residents of the region and numerous guests. on salty Big Yarovoye For many years there has been a health-improving complex on the lake. Salt water, abundance of the steppe sun, picturesque pine forest along the shores of such lakes create unique conditions for recreation.

Lake Big Yarovoe

IN fresh flowing lakes there are many fish, and in the thickets of reeds along the banks - waterfowl. The lakes of the mountainous part of the Altai Territory are very picturesque. They are located in the hollows of the ancient runoff, in the place of the old channels of long-disappeared mountain rivers, which arose during the melting of an ancient glacier.

Altai lakes

One of these lakes Lake Aya , the blue pearl of the low mountains, is known far beyond the borders of the region. There is a health complex on its banks, and you can swim in the warm waters of Ai all summer.

Lake Aya

Unique beauty Kolyvan lake, along the banks of which fanciful castles of granite rocks are piled up. Stone sculptures of fantastic animals can be admired while lying on the sandy beach.

Kolyvan lake

Many of these lakes form a long chain, interconnected by channels and small rivers. Some of these lakes give rise to the left tributaries of the Ob (the Barnaulka River, which flows through the territory of the regional center, originates from such lakes located in the forest near the villages of Peschanoe and Voronikha).

Between the Biya and Chumysh rivers there are small and shallow freshwater lakes. There are lakes on the floodplains of lowland rivers, and in the ancient and modern river valleys there are small elongated lakes - oxbow lakes.

Rivers of the Altai Territory

Ob
The main river of the Altai Territory is the Ob, formed from the confluence of two rivers - the Biya and the Katun. At a distance of 500 kilometers, the wide ribbon of the Ob crosses the Altai Territory, forming two giant bends. In terms of its length (3680 km), it is second only to the Lena (4264 km) and Amur (4354 km) in Russia, and in terms of the area of the Ob basin, it is the largest river in our country, second only to five rivers on the planet: the Amazon, the Congo, the Mississippi, the Nile and La Plata.

The Ob and its tributaries Chumysh, Anui, Aley, Bolshaya Rechka, Barnaulka and others have a calm flow, wide developed valleys, in which strongly winding channels with sandy reaches adjoin.
Barnaulka River- a tributary of the Ob River

The bottom of the Ob is sandy for a large extent. Sometimes rocky rifts and shoals come across, especially a lot of them in the section of the river between Biysk and Barnaul. During floods, the water level in the Ob is high, water floods the right low bank for several kilometers.

The name of the great river "Ob" owes its origin not to the peoples who have lived on its banks for centuries. The Nenets living in the lower reaches of the river called it "Salya-yam", which means "cape river". The Khanty and Mansi gave it the name "As" - "big river", the Selkups called the river "Kvay", "Eme", "Kuai". All these names had the meaning of "large river". The Russians first saw the river in its lower reaches, when hunters and merchants went behind the Stone (as the Ural Mountains were then called) together with the Zyryan guides. Long before Ermak conquered Siberia, the region around the Ob was called Obdorsky.

There is a version that the name of the great Siberian river comes from the Komi language, which means “snow”, “snowdrift”, “place near the snow”.

Biya
The Biya is the second largest river in Altai. It originates in Lake Teletskoye. Its length is 280 kilometers. In the upper part of the river - rapids, waterfalls, rifts. Merging with the Katun, Biya gives birth to the Ob.

The name Bii is associated with the Altaic word "biy", "beg", "bii" - "master".

Katun
The Katun flows out of the Gebler glacier at an altitude of about 2000 meters on the southern slope of the highest mountain in Altai - Belukha. In the upper and middle reaches, the river has a mountainous character, especially in summer, when snow and glaciers melt intensively. In the lower reaches, it acquires a flat character, spilling below the village. Maima into channels and channels, and flows along the sloping plain to the north to the confluence with the Biya.

Alley
The Aley is the largest tributary of the Ob in the flat part of the region. In length (755 km), it surpasses the Katun and Biya, but is inferior to them in terms of high water content. Aley originates in the low mountains of the northwestern Altai. This is a river with a mixed type of nutrition (snow and rain), the spring flood reaches its maximum in April. Loop-shaped large bends are characteristic of Aley, in the lower reaches the river has wide clay soil.

Chumysh
Chumysh is the right tributary of the Ob. The river originates in Salair, from the confluence of two rivers: Tom-Chumysh and Kara-Chumysh. Although the river is twice as long as the Biya (644 km), the Chumysh is a relatively shallow river. In many places its valley is swampy and covered with mixed forest. The share of snow supply is more than half of the runoff per year, and the maximum flood in Chumysh is in April.

Lakes of Altai

Picturesque Altai lakes. There are thousands of them in the region, and they are located throughout the territory.

Most of the lakes are located in the Kulunda lowland and on the Priobsky plateau. No wonder Altai is called the land of blue lakes. Small mountain and steppe lakes give natural landscapes a peculiar charm and originality.

The largest lake in the Altai Territory is the bitter-salty lake Kulundinskoye (area 600 sq. km, length - 35 and width 25 km). It is shallow (maximum depth - 4 m), fed by the waters of the Kulunda River and groundwater. To the south of Kulundinsky is the second largest lake - Kuchukskoe (area 180 sq. Km). It is completely similar in regime and nutrition to Kulunda and used to be connected to it by a canal.

The Kulunda lakes are all remnants of an ancient sea that existed many millions of years ago in the place of the present plains. Many of these lakes have long been famous for their mineral waters, which have healing properties, as well as healing clays and mud. Gorkoe-Peresheechnoe, Raspberry - are places of pilgrimage for the inhabitants of the region and numerous guests. For many years there has been a health-improving complex on the salty Big Yarovoye Lake. Salt water, abundance of the steppe sun, picturesque pine forest along the shores of such lakes create unique conditions for recreation.

There are a lot of fish in the fresh flowing lakes, and waterfowl in the thickets of reeds along the banks.

The lakes of the mountainous part of the Altai Territory are very picturesque. They are located in the hollows of the ancient runoff, in the place of the old channels of long-disappeared mountain rivers, which arose during the melting of an ancient glacier.

Lake Aya

The unique beauty of the Kolyvan Lake, along the banks of which bizarre castles of granite rocks are piled up. Stone sculptures of fantastic animals can be admired while lying on the sandy beach.

Kolyvan lake

The Altai Territory is also rich in mineral springs. Radon springs, which have been used by the local population for medicinal purposes since time immemorial, are especially famous for this. Both in our country and abroad, the famous radon waters of Belokurikha are famous, where numerous resorts and health resorts have been built. The presence of radon waters in the valleys of the Kalmanka and Berezovaya rivers was noted.

Waterfalls are also not uncommon in Altai, like a waterfall on the Shinok River, not far from Denisova Cave, about 70 meters high, until recently it was known only to local residents. Now many people dream of visiting here. At present, there are eight waterfalls and one waterfall on the Shinok River. In 2000, the "Cascade of waterfalls on the Shinok River" nature reserve acquired the status of a natural monument.