The Kuma River of the Stavropol Territory flows mainly only in this area, which is covered with sand. The name of the stream is associated with this particular feature of it. From the Turkic language the word “kum” is translated as “sand”. The history of the river begins in the I-III centuries BC. Already in these times, historians note the presence of the first settlers on the lands near the basin of the water stream, who were engaged in agriculture, cattle breeding, the first crafts appeared. In the XI-XIII centuries, the Kuma River was equipped with Polovtsian rates; the inhabitants themselves called themselves “Cumans”. Today, the cities of Mineralnye Vody, Budennovsk, the villages of Alexandria and Suvorovskaya, the villages of Krasnokumskoye, Levokumskoye, Soldato-Aleksandrovskoye, Arkhangelskoye and Praskoveya are located along the reservoir. In total, more than 350 thousand inhabitants today live on the banks of the Kuma River.
River geography
Kuma originates from the village of Verkhnyaya Mara, Karachay-Cherkess Republic, on the northern slopes of the Rocky Range (height about 2100 meters). Here, the reservoir can be called a mountain river. In the area of Mineralnye Vody, the stream flows in the plain, where its flow is already more calm. It ends in the Nogai steppe. In the Caspian lowland near the city of Neftekumsk, the Kuma river breaks up into several small branches that move towards the Caspian Sea, but do not reach it. In total, the flow flows immediately in four regions of our country: the republics of Dagestan, Kalmykia, Karachay-Cherkess and in the Stavropol Territory.
Tributaries
The river is 802 km long and its basin is 33,500 square km. In the village of Krasnokumsky (Georgievsky district), a tributary flows into Kumu - p. Podkumk. It refers to the right-bank internal flows. In order to understand which basin a watercourse belongs to, it is necessary to determine where the Kuma River flows into. It is about the Caspian Sea.
In addition, the Daria and Zolka rivers flow into the right side of the reservoir. To the left - Tomuzlovka, Dry Karamyk, Wet Karamyk, Surkul, Dry Buffalo, Wet Buffalo.
Characteristic
The Kuma River feeds mainly on precipitation and snowmelt. From the end of November to the beginning of March it is ice-bound, in March-April the ice melts, the pond spills. In the recent past, in the spring, quite high floods were recorded, and floods are also frequent here. From March to June there is a flood. In summer, the water level can rise up to 5 meters.
The average long- term water consumption is 10.6 cubic meters. m, the average flow rate is fixed at around 0.33 cubic meters. km per year.
A feature of the Kuma River is its muddy waters. This is due to the high content of suspended particles. According to sources, about 600 thousand tons of material is carried out annually. During periods of floods and floods, this indicator increases significantly. In this regard, the Kuma River is used mainly for irrigation of the dry lands of the region.
To the city of Mineralnye Vody, the flow of this stream is predominantly mountainous, and after entering the lowland region becomes more calm.
Water quality
The quality of the water in the stream throughout its length is heterogeneous. At the source, in the mountainous regions, mineralization is noted: here it is mainly of calcium-hydrocarbonate composition. Further along the river, the amount of minerals is significantly reduced, the presence of sulfates is noted. That is why the Kuma River in the Stavropol Territory has poor quality water, close in characteristics to contaminated, unfit for drinking.
Reservoir and canals
On the river near the village of Otkaznoye, the reservoir of the same name was created. After its formation, the turbidity of the water decreased significantly. An artificial pond is considered to be one of the most fishing places. In this regard, throughout the year it carries out trapping, both professional and amateur. There are more than 70 species of fish, most of which are gudgeon, crucian carp, bream, zander 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 and others), where it is processed, after which it is supplied to consumers.