Chukhlomskoye Lake is a large pond of glacial origin located in the taiga zone of the European part of Russia. It occupies 48.7 km 2 of the Kostroma region. This is the second largest lake in the region, which is considered a real natural attraction and a valuable wetland.
General Description and Geography
Chukhlomsky lake is located in the western part of the Kostroma region at an altitude of 148 meters above sea level. The area of the reservoir is quite large, but the depth is very small - an average of 1.5 meters. The lake is 9 km long and 6-7 km wide. Its shape is almost round.
According to the hydrological regime, Chukhlomskoye Lake is a wastewater. It gives rise to the Veksa River and at the same time serves as the mouth for 17 water arteries flowing into it, but even such a hydrological influx cannot prevent a gradual shallowing and a decrease in the area of the lake caused by waterlogging.
In the coastal zone of the reservoir is one of the cities of the Kostroma region - Chukhloma. At a slight distance from the lake there are several other settlements:
- Drought;
- Big fix;
- Nosovo;
- Fedorovskoe;
- Little priesthood;
- Dudino;
- Belovo;
- Nozhkino.
Currently, the volume of water in the Chukhlomsky reservoir is significantly inferior to the amount of silt mass, therefore this lake is considered sapropelic - the thickness of the layer of silt sediments at the bottom reaches 10 meters.
Due to the high degree of overgrowing, the reservoir is in a critical position. Reclamation work is needed to remedy the situation.
Value
Chukhloma lake is a real natural attraction. This place has a high recreational, commercial and environmental significance. Forests of the coastal zone perform a water protection and anti-erosion role. The lake is a habitat for rare species of animals. During the spring migration, a large number of geese stop here.
The lake is very valuable for scientific research in the field of paleography and ecology. The reservoir currently has the status of a specially protected facility.
Chukhlomskoye Lake has good prospects for the formation of a natural park that combines environmental and recreational goals. Here you can not only enjoy the picturesque scenery, but also go fishing well. For local residents, the lake is of great commercial importance.
Hydrology and landscape
The greatest depth in Lake Chukhloma is 4.5 meters, the bottom is silty and muddy. The water surface is surrounded by flat and very swampy lowlands, but in some places they are represented by steep slopes. The lake landscape consists of:
- meadow ecosystems;
- moraine hills dissected by erosion;
- lowland swamps;
- black alder, birch and spruce forests.
The natural inflow to the lake is provided by 17 small rivers (Penka, Svyatitsa, Ivanovka, Kamenka, etc.). Water flows out in Vex, which is of great enormous regulatory importance for the latter. The construction of the dam on its channel led to a significant change in the hydrological regime of the lake. At present, it has an important water-regulating value for the entire Kostroma basin, but is itself in a catastrophic state due to intense waterlogging.
Water in Lake Chukhloma is characterized by an average degree of mineralization, varying from 117 to 214 mg / l, depending on the season. In the anionic composition, bicarbonates predominate, while in the cationic composition - magnesium and calcium.
Flora and fauna
Chukhlomskoe Lake is characterized by a high degree of overgrowing of the water area (up to 95% of the area). Among the highest representatives of the aquatic flora, the Eladai and Pest are predominant. Phytoplankton has 100 species of algae belonging to different taxonomic groups, including:
- green
- diatoms;
- blue green;
- golden;
- pyrophytic;
- yellow green
- cryptophytic.
Zooplankton is represented by rotifers and crustaceans. Larvae of chrominids and mollusks dominate in the benthic fauna, however, small-worm worms and leeches were also found in this biotope. The density of bottom biomass of invertebrates is 61.4 g / m 2 in the open zone of the reservoir and 6.28 g / m 2 in the coastal.
The lake cannot boast of a special wealth of ichthyofauna. Its basis is composed of several species of not very valuable fish species, including:
- ruff;
- roach;
- Pike
- line;
- perch;
- ide.
Fishing on Lake Chukhloma is of great commercial importance for both local residents and visitors. A special valuable catch is considered to be Chukhloma goldfish, nicknamed "bast shoe". However, at present, its abundance is negligible compared to the three dominant species in the lake, which are ruff, roach and perch.