The Irkut River is a tributary of the Angara flowing from Lake Baikal. It is considered one of the largest watercourses in Eastern Siberia. The river bed passes through Buryatia and the Irkutsk region. Its length is 488 km.
Briefly about the main thing
The river originates in the East Sayan. The source is located on the highest peak of the Nuksu-Daban mountain junction - the city of Munku-Sagan-Sardyk. It flows from the Ilchir reservoir, which is located at an altitude of 1850 m. The lake resembles Lake Baikal in shape, has an oblong shape, but much smaller in size. It is 6 km long and 1 km wide. Irkut (a river in Russia), descending from the slopes of the mountain, has the name Black Irkut, and connecting with its tributaries - the Middle and White Irkut. It is after this that it forms into a large, full-fledged water stream. Black Irkut flows along the slopes of the Upper Sayan in the direction from north to east through the Tunkinsky valley. It breaks through the mountains, forming the Zyrkazun gorge. Throughout its length, Irkut accepts its large tributaries - the Bolshoi Zangisan, Zun-Muren, Tunku and Bolshaya Bystrya rivers.
The mouth of the Irkut River
The river in Irkutsk flows into the Angara. The reunion of the two water flows occurs within the city limits. At the confluence of the mountain river Irkut and the low Angara, you can see an unusual natural phenomenon. It is clearly visible from a bird's eye view. Irkut reduces the speed of the current in the area of its mouth, but does not immediately mix with the waters of the Angara. Throughout the Bratsk reservoir both rivers flow side by side: one strip is the yellow sandy waters of Irkut, the other is the turquoise waters of the Angara. The total catchment area is 15 thousand square meters. km
Black Irkut
Irkut is a river, which is conditionally divided into 3 districts. They differ among themselves in the course, nature of bottom sediments, coastline and surrounding landscapes. Before the confluence of the tributaries of the Middle and White Irkut, the river is a typical mountain water stream. This site is almost inaccessible, as it is located high in the mountains. The banks of the river are rocky, high, and the current is fast. The water is cold and clear, and the fish are not found due to the rapid flow. The bottom is rocky, unstable, therefore Black Irkut is not suitable for fishing. This site reaches the borders of the Tunka Valley. Starting from this place, Irkut slows down its course, becomes calmer, and its channel expands significantly.
Irkut River in Buryatia
The Tunkinskaya depression, together with the Khamar-Daban mountain range, is part of the Buryatia natural reserve - a national park. The purpose of its creation was the ecosystem in this region. It is practically unbroken and quite diverse.
This valley is surrounded by the slopes of the Tunkinsky Loach. Some peaks have a height of 2000-3000 m. The highest point of the mountain range is Strelnikova (3216 m). This section of the East Sayan is often compared with the Alps for the similarity of relief and landscape. Irkut is a river (photo below), passing through the gorges. In the east there is such a place where the mountain range is broken, and it is there that the channel of the water stream is laid. Thanks to the valley, the bottom of the river changes, it becomes muddy. There are deposits of mica, so the water acquires a characteristic luster, but loses its transparency due to silt deposits. This section of the river passes through the territory of Buryatia and ends near the border of the Irkutsk region, not far from the village. Tibelti.
The shores near Irkut in this part are gentle, densely covered with vegetation. On the coast you can find many settlements: Guzhira, Mondy, Torah, Dalakhai, etc. In total, 16 settlements are located on the river, including the administrative center of the Irkutsk region.
Use of the upper sections of the river
Residents of villages due to their proximity to water have the opportunity to engage in agriculture and cattle breeding. On this site, tributaries adjoin Irkut, filling it with water. In total, about 50 large and small rivers and 13 small lakes flow into it.
Irkut is a mountain river, but only in the upper two sections. Frequent rapids and rifts, a steep winding channel and fast current attract extreme sports lovers to these places. On this section of the river you can engage in rafting and other types of water tourism. Alloys are divided into sports categories: “Upper Irkut” - 4 k.s., “Lower Irkut” - 2 k.s. (c. - alloy category).
Features of the river closer to the mouth
The last section of the river is flat. It passes along the borders of the Irkutsk region and ends at the confluence with the Angara. The width of the channel reaches its maximum values: from 150 m to 250 m. The last value corresponds to the mouth. The average depth fluctuates around 1-2 m, the maximum - 6 m. For a long time in the lower reaches of Irkut were engaged in rafting and raft runs. This part of the river is part of the Baikal Reserve - a nature reserve, the purpose of which is to preserve the pristine cedar forests.
Climate
Irkut is a river that is completely located within the temperate climatic zone. The climate is continental. This site is characterized by sharp temperature fluctuations. Winter is cold and frosty, summer is moderately hot. The warmest month is July. During this period, the thermometer rises to the level of + 19 ... + 22 ° C. And the water can warm up to +15 ° C in the lower reaches, and up to + 7 ... + 9 ° C in the upper reaches of the river. The coldest months of the year are December and January. The average air temperature drops to -15 ... -17 ° C. In the period from October, when the first frosts begin, Irkut freezes. He opens in early May. The average annual rainfall in the adjacent territory: 400 mm in the lowland areas and 600 mm in the mountainous. Most falls in the summer and falls in the form of rain. But the nutrition of the Irkut River is mostly snowy. Melt water fills its channel and tributaries. But due to the rains there is only a partial replenishment.
The inhabitants of the river
Irkut is a river with a rich water world. However, according to this criterion, it is divided into several sections. For example, in the upper reaches, due to the large mountain currents, almost no fish are found, and in the lower reaches there are a lot of them in the lower plains. Fishing is well developed. In the waters of Irkut there are river perch, taimen, Siberian roach, grayling, burbot, catfish, and bream. There are 16 species in total. Of the amphibians, one can meet the Siberian frog, the Mongolian toad and the Siberian lugfish. Reptiles are also widespread: common mollusk, patterned snake , viper.
The animal world is also quite diverse. In the forests on the coastline, you can meet such predators as a bear, a wolf and artiodactyls - moose and roe deer. And from small animals there are a lot of squirrels and hares.
Hydronym
The hydronym of the river is of Mongol-Buryat origin. Translated, the word "Irkut" means "energy", "strength." The city of Irkutsk received such a beautiful name thanks to this river. It is known that at the beginning of the XVIII century, on the drawings of the Siberian cartographer S. Remezov, this water flow was already designated as “Irkutz”.