Among the territories with a unique landscape in our country, the Tsimlyansk Sands Natural Park stands out. It is located in the Volgograd region on the Tsimlya River, from where its name came from.
On the territory of the sands never overgrow, they constantly form hills and mounds, sandy terraces. The small amount of rain and the local wind regime contribute to this. The lack of moisture does not allow vegetation to grow rapidly - here you can find only those herbs that have adapted to life in the sand for hundreds of years.
general information
Tsimlyansk Sands Nature Park is a state budgetary institution founded in 2003. The organization was created to protect the unique nature that is not peculiar to our region.
The park is located on the territory of the Torm and Zakhar rural councils of the Chernyshkovsky district. The total area of the protected area is about 70 sq. Ha. The park has several zones, divided by functionality:
- environmental protection is land on which no activity can be carried out, and the visit is clearly regulated by local acts. It covers an area of about 48.3%;
- the recreational zone accounts for about 29.1% of the entire territory, it is on it that a park is organized where everyone can relax and enjoy the unique nature;
- the agricultural sector occupies only 2.5%; agriculture is carried out here to meet the needs of workers and visitors to the park;
- the remaining 20.1% is occupied by the buffer zone.
The park also includes two hunting farms - Sotskoye and Balabanovskoye.
Reservoir
Chernyshkovsky district of the Volgograd region is also famous for the presence of its own "sea". Tsimlyansk reservoir began to function in 1952 on the Don River, capturing the Rostov and Volgograd region.
The artificial sea covers an area of about 2700 sq.m. In windy weather, waves on the reservoir reach three meters in height. The climate in the okrug has changed a bit after the appearance of “big” water: spring has become longer and autumn is warmer.
Today, the Tsimlyansk reservoir, this is clearly visible on the map, provides water to more than three million residents of nearby areas. Also, an artificial pond allows you to irrigate the fields, fishing for local residents. There is even a navigable branch.
Interesting about the reservoir
In the process of forming the water storage, several settlements were erased from the face of the earth, the historical Khazar-Sarkel fortress was flooded. The history of the reservoir "overgrown" with legends. Legend has it that in one village people refused to leave their homes, and before starting the water they gathered in the church and prayed to stay alive, and then found themselves under water. Now that the water is leaving, a cross and a glow can be seen in the middle of the reservoir, and some people even hear the singing of the church choir.
There is another rumor about the reservoir that, allegedly, in 1964, two military aircraft collided over the water - a missile carrier and a tanker, which followed to the training ground in the Caspian Sea. During the accident, the missile carrier lost something very similar to a nuclear warhead. A large-scale search was carried out, all the witnesses gave a receipt of non-disclosure, but nothing was found. Therefore, it is still not clear whether the training or real warhead then fell into the water. But the proximity of the nuclear power plant and the alleged presence of a nuclear warhead in the water cause mixed emotions.
Soil and relief
The natural park in the Volgograd region cannot be called rich in the plant world. The relief here is predominantly flat, with formed plateaus, ridges and mounds of sand. In places of lowering sand, islands of deciduous forests are located. The entire territory of the park zone is inaccessible even for special vehicles. Inter-mound territories were "planted" manually with pine trees, so now there are mixed forests.
Despite the so-called scarcity of vegetation, the park has about 247 plant species. Pines, birch, aspen, broom, poplar, and acacia grow here from trees. In some depressions, it is possible to grow sedge, swamp, rush grass and reed. Most areas are covered with feather grass and wormwood. Here you can find wheatgrass and dogrose, currants and hawthorn.
Tsimlyansk Sands Nature Park can “bestow” a person with medicinal herbs - coltsfoot, shepherd’s bag, horsetail, thyme, tansy. On the territory of the protected zone there are even red-listed herbs, mainly 5 feather grasses, rare species of orchids and Russian young, primroses, Schrenk and Bieberstein tulips.
Visitors to the park must come to one of the most important attractions of the park - the huge poplar. Only 4 large men manage to grasp a tree trunk.
Animal world
In Tsimlyansk sands, the flora and fauna are considered scarce, but about 50 species of mammals live on its territory. Partially representatives of reptiles and amphibians are listed in the Red Book of the Volgograd Region.
The main attraction of the animal world is a herd of wild horses. According to recent estimates, it has 148 goals.
Tsimlyansk Sands Nature Park is the “home” for brown hares, ground squirrels, jerboas and foxes. On the sandy and rocky slopes you can meet the steppe viper and snakes, the fast lizard.
Roe and wild boars, hedgehogs and moose, ferrets and pine martens live in the forests. There are a lot of birds in the park:
- tits;
- oatmeal;
- finches;
- Sparrowhawk;
- bustard;
- owls of many species;
- thirst
- white-tailed eagle.
The park has rare insects. This butterfly is a polyommatus steppe coal, podalirium, stag beetle, scarab and steppe horn.
Park area value
On the map of Tsimlyansk reservoir you can see places where you can relax and enjoy the unique landscape. But the park is not only picturesque places, a place of rest and fishing - it is an opportunity to preserve the unique nature from the onset of industry. Tsimlyansk sands provide an opportunity to preserve, although scarce, but still the diversity of the plant world and allow animals to survive. The park allows you to instill in the younger generation a love of nature and an understanding of the ecological value of the territory.