Agrahan Bay is an ornithological territory of international scale. It became so due to the presence of rich vegetation and warm water in shallow waters. This is the territory of breeding and migration of rare birds. Agrahan - a place of spawning of valuable fish species.
Bay of the Caspian Sea
The western coast of the Caspian Sea is the place where the Gulf of Agrahan is located. It occupies a considerable part of the coast. It is separated from the Caspian Sea by the Uchkos Peninsula (Agrahan Peninsula). Throughout the width of the bay is different. In the narrowest place, at the entrance to the Caspian Sea, it is about 800 m. In the widest - several kilometers. In the north, the depth reaches 4 m. The southern part of the bay, which has actually become a lake, is shallow. It is completely overgrown with reeds, it has a large number of swampy islands. Parts of the bay are separated by the channel of the Terek.
In the northern part of the Agrahan Bay, water is highly desalinated, and in the southern - fresh. The Terek River, which flows into the bay, flows into it with a large number of channels and branches. Also, the bay is fueled by the waters of canals and reservoirs.
Historical facts
In relatively recent historical times, the bay was a large and deep part of the Caspian. On the shore of the bay in 1721 built the fortress of the Holy Cross with moorings for ships. Peter I himself visited these places in 1722, when he accompanied the troops of his Persian campaign. Having familiarized himself with the situation on the spot, he gave the order to carry out work on cleaning the bottom of the bay. For these purposes, by his order, 500 Cossack families were relocated here in 1724. However, Peter's plans were not realized.
Subsequently, the bay becomes less navigable. The rivers Terek and Sulak very silted with sediment. In 1914, the Terek riverbed shifted south as a result of the so-called. Kargolinsky breakthrough. This led to the fact that the river began to flow into the middle of the Gulf of Agrahan Bay. The Terek Delta was constantly growing, and in the mid-50s of the last century, it divided the bay into two parts with its sediments. This led to the formation of the so-called. Agrahan cross, which served as a river discharge into the bay. Through the Terek delta, the southern and northern parts of the bay were connected.
There was a problem of full siltation. Moreover, the continued decline in the level of the Caspian Sea could lead to the fact that the Gulf of Agrahan would cease to exist at all. In order to prevent this situation, in 1968 a cut (channel) was built through the Uchkos Peninsula, which was supposed to discharge the Terek water directly into the Caspian Sea. The construction of the slot caused the complete separation of the southern part of the bay from the northern one. Currently, the southern part of the bay is completely dependent on the waters of the Terek, which it feeds with its canals. Also, drainage waters of the Dzerzhinsky canal come to this part of the bay. In order to somehow regulate the water level and the discharge of high waters from here during the flood period, the so-called Gorlovsky locks were created, through which excess water is transferred to the Yuzbash canal.
Real gulf
A dam separates northern Agrahan from the Terek. Collectors encircled this part of the bay; it became virtually the largest lake in the Republic of Dagestan. The northern part of Agrahan is a series of shallow lakes that pass into the shallow sea.
The coast of the bay, which was developed in the recent past, has become sparsely populated lands. In the north-west of the coast there is a small village Staroterechnoye. On the neighboring island of Chechnya, there are a number of residential buildings.
In the southern side of the bay there is a large settlement New Spit (Republic of Dagestan, Babayurt district).
The northern coast is heavily indented by the Terek channels and irrigation canals. This territory is flat. From the east, the bay coast is also flat terrain, but with numerous dunes.
Climate features
At the location of the Gulf of Agrahan the climate is quite severe. In summer, dry and hot weather. Winter is moderately mild. There is little rainfall throughout the year. The hottest months of the year are July, August. Air temperature, average for the year - about plus 12 degrees. In winter, it does not fall below 20 degrees below zero. Ice does not form on the surface of the bay. Only sometimes ice freezing is recorded in the reservoirs of northern Agrahan.
Flora and fauna
Due to the fact that the Gulf of Agrahan has relatively warm waters and an abundance of food, its shores and the water surface have become the largest and most important nesting and stopping places for migratory birds in the western Caspian, as well as areas where waterfowl and near-water birds winter. Convenient swimming pools, which are interspersed with open reaches, are the favorite habitats of cormorants, herons, swans, gooses, ducks, coots. The salt marshes and shoals abound in cliques.
In total, about 200 species of various birds were recorded in the area of the Agrahan Bay.
Ornithologists note that recently northern Agrahan has become the largest wintering place in Russia for a very rare bird listed in the Red Book - a curly pelican. In the immediate vicinity of the Chekanny Gate, as well as near the village of Staroterechnoye, thousands of flocks of these birds are often noticed. Due to the fact that floodplain thickets and floodplains are impassable, they became the habitat of the Caucasian red deer, which actually disappeared in the rest of Dagestan.
Boars, wolves, otters raccoon dogs, a reed cat settled on the shores of the bay.
Northern Agrahan, despite the fact that the hydrological regime is very unfavorable, is still an important place for spawning and growth of valuable commercial fish of the Caspian Sea. Until now, perch, bream, catfish, kutum, mullet, and pike perch are abundant here.
The flora of the Gulf of Agrahan is peculiar. In addition to the common coastal plants, on its shores and in the bay itself, one can meet rare (relict) representatives of the plant world, namely, a white water lily, hyrcanic nut, pemphigus, floating sylvia, amphibian mountaineer.
Nature conservation measures
In 1983, the Agrakhansky nature reserve was created on the territory of the bay in the Babayurt district of the Republic of Dagestan. It has the status of state-natural. The area is 39,000 ha. The main task is to preserve and restore rare and valuable animals that are threatened with extinction, as well as their habitat. In 2009, he came under the supervision of the structures of the Dagestan State Nature Reserve. The implementation of its protection is carried out by specially created inspection units. Border units of the FSB of Russia also participate in its protection.
The value of the Agrahan reserve is very important for the conservation of endangered species, namely:
- animals - red deer, reed cat, Caucasian otter, dressing;
- birds - curly pelican, small cormorant, spoonbill, loaf, white-eyed dive, white-tailed eagle, buzzard;
- fish - Caspian lamprey, spike, Pre-Caucasian spike, barbel damask mai, trout.
But the Agrahan Bay of Dagestan is also a place of rest not only for residents of the republic, but also for citizens of Russia and abroad. Here you can perfectly hunt and fish, as well as enjoy beautiful views of the bay.
Having chosen the places of Agrahan as a holiday in Dagestan on the Caspian Sea, they are guaranteed to provide themselves with a lot of positive emotions and impressions.