This river is the longest in the Altai Territory. Its name comes from the Kyrgyz altered word "ylai", translated as "muddy." This river, for the most part being steppe, is very ancient. She carried her waters back to the days when the Scythians lived in these territories.
A caravan route passed along the Alei river from Bukhara to the city of Tomsk. Active settlement of its shores by Russians took place at the turn of the 17th-18th centuries.
Location on the planet and characteristics
The longest river in the Altai Territory - the Alei, which is the left tributary of the Ob River - was formed due to the confluence of two rivers: the Bread and Eastern Alei. Originating in Kazakhstan and flowing a total of 858 kilometers (according to some sources, 866 km), it flows into the Ob River near the village of Ust-Aleika in the Altai Territory (Kalmansky District).
In Russia, the Alei River flows along the Priobskoye plateau, in the spurs of the Kolyvan and Tigeretsky ranges, and outside the country, it flows several kilometers along the East Kazakhstan region.
Only in the upper reaches of the river has a semi-mountain stream. Here is located one of the youngest Russian reserves - Tigireksky. Most of the way is shallow and calm. The basin area is approximately 21.1 thousand square meters. kilometers.
Source and tributaries
The source of the Alei River is, as noted above, in Kazakhstan. It flows approximately 5,000 meters through the territories of the East Kazakhstan region. The main tributaries of the river are Kamenka, Zolotukha, Goltsovka, Transverse, Kizikha, Yazevka, Klepechiha, Chistyunk and Gorevka.
In the middle reaches of the floodplain, the river is crossed by large channels: Bashmachikha (15 km long), Skluikha (62 km), Babylon (40 km). The upper course runs along the spurs of the Tigiretsky and Kolyvan ranges. The banks and bottom of the river are clay, so the water always contains clay suspension. The current here has an average speed.
Settlements
The valleys of the Alei River and its tributaries are quite densely populated. Along the shores are many cities and villages. There are settlements Aleisk, Rubtsovsk, as well as large villages and regional centers: Veseloyarsk, Gilevsk, Staroaleyskoye, Shipunovo, Pospelikha.
An irrigation system has been created along the banks of the river to irrigate agricultural fields.
History of the use of the river
In the middle of the 18th century, about 40 settlements were located along the Alei river bed. The first attempts to use the river as a shipping line were carried out in the first half of the XIX century. This was due to the need to deliver goods from the Zmeinogorsky mine to the silver smelter in Barnaul.
In the middle of the 20th century, the population of the river valley (especially the residents of the Rubtsovsky district) began to feel a lack of water. In the 70s of the same century, the Skluikhinsky and Gilevsky reservoirs were built on the upper river section, which helped to solve the problem. The population of four cities and two hundred rural settlements, as well as industrial enterprises were provided with important water resources.
Reservoir
The pride of the inhabitants of Rubtsovsk is the Skluikhinsky reservoir (the "Bowl" in the common people), built on the Skluikh channel. Start of construction - 1971, completion - 1976. The water surface has an area of 6.5 square meters. km, volume - more than 38 million cubic meters. meters.
The main function of the reservoir is to provide urban water supply during the low water period. The city water intake under the most adverse conditions during floods can count on a good supply of settled quality water.
Plants of the Alei River
Many coastal areas in those places where there are no industrial enterprises are rich in medicinal ecologically clean vegetation. You can meet here a wide variety of medicinal plants: birch, blackberry, viburnum, strawberries, quinoa, chamomile, nettle, celandine, bird cherry, apple tree, etc.
The vegetation cover of the Tigirek Reserve, which is determined by its geographical position and heterogeneous climatic conditions, is also notable for its feature. Most of the territory is occupied by the black taiga, which is the oldest formation. The flora of the reserve includes many melliferous, fodder, medicinal and ornamental plants. Among the medicinal products, Rhodiola rosea (or the golden root), frankincense, maral root and many others are noted. Food plants: spinach sorrel, blueberries, rose hips, viburnum, asparagus and others.
A little bit about fishing
There are a lot of fish in Aleia, and all that is found in the Ob basin. Amateur and sport fishing is developed here. You can go fishing all year round, except for the forbidden period in the spring.
Perch, gudgeon, pike, taimen, grayling, roach, bream, silver carp, common carp, common pike perch, and carp are caught on the river. Crayfish and river minnow live here.