The Nugush reservoir and the neighboring national park are favorite vacation spots in Bashkiria. The reservoir, often referred to as the "sea" or "lake", is surrounded by picturesque ranges. In the immediate vicinity of the mountains, surrounded by forests, amazing natural monuments of the Southern Urals, there are recreation centers, campsites, children's health camps and places for unorganized tourists who prefer to come to Nugush as “savages”.
The main hydrographic features of the Nugush River and the reservoir
Nugush - the right tributary of the river. White, flowing into the Kama. Translated from the Turkic name of the river means "clean stream". The origins are in the Yurmatau ridge on the territory of the Beloretsky district. The length of the channel before flowing into the Belaya River is 235 km. The tributaries of Nugush, ensuring its full flow, are the rivers Small Mugush, Uryuk and others.
It is amazing that surrounded by industrial regions, this corner of pristine nature has been preserved. The Nugush reservoir belongs to the Bashkiria National Natural Park, it limits 80 km of its territory from the north-west. The upper reaches of Belaya are located east of the South Ural Reserve, and the middle course of the Nugush falls on the territory of the Shulgan-Tash Reserve.
The appearance of a reservoir in this area is associated with the construction of a dam in 1965 and the launch of a hydroelectric power station in 1967. Over a 2.5-kilometer long dam, 400 million cubic meters of clean water is stored. The man-made lake is stretched from the north-east to the south-west, its length is 20 km, and its width is 5 km. The average depth of the reservoir is 15.8 m, the maximum reaches 30 m. The Nugush hydroelectric station regulates the level of the river during floods, the reservoir serves to supply the population and enterprises of the cities of Salavat, Ishimbay, Sterlitamak, Meleuz.
Nugush reservoir: how to get there by car
The path to the Nugush reservoir for many travelers begins with a trip to Ufa. Arriving in the capital of the Republic of Bashkortostan from the European part or from the east - from Magnitogorsk and Chelyabinsk, you need to travel about 250 km to the south - towards Sterlitamak and Salavat. It is better to pass these cities bypass roads in order to get to Meleuz - the administrative center of the homonymous district. About 35 km to the north-east to the village of Nugush. Those travelers traveling from Orenburg arrive in Meleuz and from there they are already heading to the reservoir.
Nature in the vicinity of the reservoir
Bashkiria National Park is located in three districts of Bashkortostan (Meleuzovsky, Kugarchinsky and Burzyansky). The area is 823 km 2 , of which 25 km 2 are in the Nugush reservoir. The western slopes of the Southern Urals descend into this region, there is a picturesque interfluve of the Belaya and Nugush rivers, the Bash-Alatau, Yamantau and others ridges rise.
Mountain forests and water bodies of the Southern Urals are important components of a unique natural complex. Its entire territory is a site of ancient folding with an amazing geological history. About 400 million years ago, an extensive paleo-ocean stretched here, in which volcanic island arcs resembling modern Kuril Islands rose. The remains of these islands are preserved in the Magnitogorsk region, and the consequences of later geological processes - karst craters, caves, rocks - can be seen in the vicinity of the reservoir. Mountain ranges and forests provide reliable natural protection against cold air masses and winds.
Rest on the Nugush reservoir
The bottom and in some places the coast of the man-made lake is strewn with stone chips crumpled in waves of various shapes and sizes. On many coastal sites, tourist camps have been built; there are holiday homes with equipped sandy beaches and campsites. Water sports fans are offered here:
- windsurfing - entertainment, “hybrid” between sailing and conquering waves on a surfboard;
- try your hand at kiting - flying a "kite";
- rush with the wind behind the boat on a wakeboard;
- ride a jet ski and a boat.
If you are lucky, then in the summer on the water surface of the Nugush reservoir you can watch how the participants of the Bashkortostan sailing championship compete. Various types of entertainment and rental of necessary equipment are offered at the recreation center on the Nugush reservoir. Boat trips along rivers and a man-made lake, rafting, horseback riding and hiking along the mountain paths of the Southern Urals surrounded by wildlife are popular among tourists.
Recreation facilities on the banks of the reservoir and in the settlements of Meleuzovsky district
Good accommodation is one of the main conditions for a great holiday. On the banks of the Nugush reservoir there are about 30 tourist facilities designed for travelers with different incomes. The well-groomed territories of the complexes are surrounded by forests and mountains, bordering the Nugush reservoir on all sides.
The recreation center "Nugush" is attractive because it is located on the side of the Bashkiria National Park. Good conditions for accommodating tourists are created in a cozy building, those who wish can rent residential cars "Quad", designed for two people. The recreation center “Lesnaya skazka” offers accommodation in two-story houses, “Solnechnaya” provides campers with campsites, “Birch” - spacious cottages and wooden houses. Most equipped beaches belong to recreation centers and sanatoriums, where there are dining rooms, water activities, sports grounds, rental points for boats and catamarans. Parus Chalet offers not only summer, but also winter types of recreation: snowmobile rides, snowkiting, sledges, skis and skates for rent.
Protected areas in the vicinity of Nugush
In the tourist booklets, the Nugush reservoir is called "Mountain Tale", "Pearl of Bashkiria." In these places, it is possible to combine beach vacations with eco-tourism, sports, get acquainted with national cuisine. Many people include in their holiday program a visit to the Bashkir National Park, located almost on the border of the mountain complexes of the Southern Urals and the steppe zone. In the east, the Shulgan-Tash nature reserve adjoins the park. The creation of the Bashkiria National Park in 1986 pursued several goals. One of them was streamlining the recreational use of the beautiful mountain landscapes of the Southern Urals. Unorganized campsites of tourists, amateur routes caused great harm to the vulnerable nature of the Urals. With organized visits, it is easier to provide quality relaxation and reliable protection of unique natural monuments.
Gorge Kutuk - a landmark of the Nugush reservoir
In the Bashkiria National Park, nature has created many places that tourists enjoy visiting. The Kutuk tract, limited by mountain ranges, the Nugush and Belaya rivers, is located at a distance of 20 km east of the village of Nuguz. Here is the longest cave of the Urals - Kutuk-Sumgan, there are other interesting structures created by the main architect - nature (karst tunnel, endangered rivers, karst lake). As a result of karst processes, the miraculous “Cuperl Bridge” arose. The name of the natural monument was given by the name of the river, which disappears in the underground channel. A narrow limestone “bridge” 30 m long is the remainder of the collapsed vault of a washed out cave. Behind it, the river forms a cascade of waterfalls 3 and 15 m high.
Vacation Reviews
A visit to the Nugush reservoir and the territory of the Bashkiria National Park is a good type of recreation surrounded by mountains and forests. Organized water activities, interesting land excursions and travel by boat, boat. Tourists are especially attracted by its environmental and aesthetic value of the Nugush reservoir. The reviews of travelers who visited the left bank with tourist bases and the right where the "savages" rest, differ mainly in the description of the accommodation methods. You can put up a tent in the forest, bring a boat or a boat with you, leave the car in the parking lot. Many tourists note the large size of the reservoir, appreciate its cleanliness, are happy about the opportunity to fish, ride a boat, a water bike. One of the main tips of those people who have already rested on the shores of Lake Nugush, concerns the features of beaches and the bottom. It is better to worry in advance about special shoes with a backdrop, in which you can go into the reservoir and swim.