Russia is a unique country, and in absolutely all respects. Size, natural wealth, mentality and customs - everything here is extraordinary, large and widespread. But most of all, the unique nature pleases, the equal of which is not found anywhere else in the world. Not in vain in the vast territory of Russia there are so many reserves and reserves. Each of the natural parks is a topic for a separate conversation.
After visiting at least one of them, you can assume that you have learned a little more about your homeland. Today we want to talk about the Volgo-Akhtubinskaya floodplain natural park. Its history began recently, but the valley itself is worthy of true admiration. Unique nature, diversity that can not be found anywhere else, the Russian forest and the steppe, lakes and swamps. It is worth visiting at least once.
general description
The beauty of the Volga lands has long been a source of inspiration for poets and artists and an object of envy for neighboring peoples. It was here that the Volgo-Akhtubinskaya floodplain natural park was founded. And only relatively recently began to talk about taking him under the protection of the state. It was an extreme measure to maintain an ecological balance. The flow of tourists, and most importantly, poachers, was stopped, and representatives of the local flora and fauna got the opportunity to restore their numbers.
How to get there
Since we are talking about a protected facility, it is immediately worthwhile to understand that its visit is connected with obtaining permission. Therefore, it is easiest to initially contact the office of the organization that bears the same name. It is located at: Sredneahtubinskiy district, Middle Akhtuba rp, Naberezhnaya st., 2a. Here you will be offered dozens of tourist routes, each of which involves a trip to the valley between rivers and outdoor activities:
- Sports and fishing tours. This is one of the most beloved entertainments of the Russian tourist. Lovers are brought on an equipped bus. The program - fishing, picking berries and gatherings on the beach.
- River rafting is an interesting and fascinating route. In this case, tourists are taken a little upstream to the Srednyaya Akhtuba sleeve. From here, the route passes by Kuibyshev and the village of Krasny Sad. Overnight stays take place in the most picturesque places. On the picturesque bank of the river. Akhtuba in the Leninsky district is waiting for you for the last excursions, after which the group is met by vehicles and taken home.
- Bike tours are the most interesting and dynamic way of traveling to beautiful places. Take a ride along the floodplain paths with a breeze - this is an extremely pleasant adventure. Moreover, you can go both with the group and on your own.
Country of Lakes and Rivers
The Volgo-Akhtubinskaya floodplain natural park is over 300 km long. That is, this is all the space between two majestic rivers. Its width is about 30 km. Akhtuba is the sleeve of the Volga. At its narrowest point, Buzan crosses it. It goes into the delta and there it dissolves in countless arms, gradually merging with the Volga. As you can see, the borders of the Volga-Akhtubinskaya floodplain natural park are outlined quite clearly, a person did not even have to make an effort to do this.
To at least a little imagine the size, let's dwell on the geographical position. Akhtuba and Buzan are the remains of an ancient channel. At the same time, the soil in it forms a “layer cake” made of sand and clay. Therefore, it does not always have clear shores. Changing regularly, they form new branches and lakes.
There are only a few such places on the planet. This is the two rivers of the Tigris and Euphrates, as well as the floodplain of the Ganges and Indus. Let's now try again to draw the boundaries of the Volgo-Akhtubinskaya floodplain natural park. The park begins in the Volgograd region, and ends on the border with Astrakhan. Here, the river itself begins to divide into tributaries, it was in this place that the Volzhskaya Hydroelectric Power Station was built .
Mesopotamia scheme
It’s best to look at the map, then immediately it becomes clear what spaces we are talking about. At the very beginning, the valley is very wide, as the Volga changes direction, turning towards the Caspian. This square outlines the Volgo-Akhtubinskaya floodplain natural park. It is mentally difficult to even appreciate the scale we are talking about. These are colossal open spaces.
Simply put, the park begins immediately behind the hydroelectric station. Great places attract fishermen from all over Russia. The floodplain remains the place of spawning of valuable breeds today.
Park area
It’s hard to even imagine how big it is. It has everything you want. These are blue lakes and canals, oak forests and meadows. There is no longer a similar corner on our planet. The area of the Volgo-Akhtubinskaya floodplain natural park is 154 thousand ha. Stunning open spaces inhabited by unique living creatures. Over the past decades of the 20th century, the ecological balance in the floodplain, which developed over the centuries, has been disrupted. Given the value of the object, it was decided to create a natural park "Volga-Akhtubinskaya floodplain." Established on December 7, 2001. This was caused by a desire to ensure the preservation of nature at the legislative level.
Magnificence of nature
A large number of fish attracts not only people. Beautiful backwaters serve as a haven for a variety of birds. These are the permanent inhabitants of these places, and for the sake of their peace of mind, including the territory was recognized as protected. The natural park is rich in meadows and oak forests, which have become a haven for hundreds of species of animals. But the most charming can be considered the lake of lotuses. It is relatively small, and from August to September, fantastic water lilies bloom on large leaves.
The most important object for the ecology of the region
And this is not an exaggeration. By preserving this unique piece of nature, we will give the right to life to hundreds, if not thousands of species of creatures. That is why it was decided to organize the Volgo-Akhtubinskaya floodplain natural park. The history of creation began back in the 90s of the last century, when humanity was faced with the problem of a sharp reduction in the stock of valuable fish. However, a difficult period in the history of Russia prevented the close tackling of environmental measures.
We came close to this issue in 1999. At a government meeting, the question was raised that in order to preserve a unique object, the Volgo-Akhtubinskaya floodplain nature park protected by the state is needed. The creation of this “oasis of life” made it possible to preserve the last section of the Volga valley as it was created by nature.
A little more about the reasons for creating the park
We have already phasedly examined how the Volgo-Akhtuba floodplain natural park was created. History allows you to see how a unique natural object began to be barbarously destroyed. There was no way to allow such a development of events, since for the whole region there is a huge flood plain regulating the composition of atmospheric air.
But this is only one reason. The territory of the park includes objects of historical and cultural heritage. Here is a unique reserve. Below we will pay special attention to it. Today, tourism in these places is actively developing. It is necessary to draw people's attention to the problems of preserving natural and historical values.
Regulation on the Volgo-Akhtubinskaya floodplain natural park
This is the main document that spells out all the goals and objectives that the founders of the reserve pursued. First of all, they relate to the activities of the Park Directorate. The activities of employees are aimed at:
- Protection and restoration of natural resources;
- Preservation of the natural environment, natural landscapes;
The regulation on the Volgo-Akhtubinskaya floodplain nature park describes all functional zones with different protection regimes. There are three of them, below we will talk about them. The bottom line is that part of the land should be completely closed from visits by tourists. Where the ecological balance is balanced, it is already possible to organize group visits and trips, but with serious limitations.
Restrictions in the conservation area
If you are attracted by the beauty of Russian nature, then the Volgograd region will be an ideal place to relax. The Volga-Akhtubinskaya floodplain natural park is partially closed today for the movement of tourists. In the specially-protected area, any presence of people, except for the employees of the park, is prohibited. The second zone is the most extensive, it is intended for the organization of regulated recreation. On its territory it is prohibited to use motorized vehicles, the installation of viewing platforms and making bonfires. Duration of stay, picking berries and mushrooms, medicinal herbs, all this is agreed in advance.
The Volga-Akhtubinskaya floodplain natural park (Volgograd region) is a territory where fishing is limited to 5 kg per person per day. Similar restrictions are placed on the export of fresh, salted or dried fish. Tourists cannot take with them more than 5 kg. These are reasonable restrictions that are designed to preserve the natural resources of the reserve.
Climate zone
The Volga-Akhtubinskaya floodplain natural park (Russia, Volgograd Oblast) is characterized by unique conditions, which is the reason for the huge number of animals and birds living here. The climate in the valley is quite mild. There are relatively few rains, but there are fewer dry days. But in general, the summer is quite hot, sometimes the temperature reaches 40 degrees.
The local climate is almost no different from the subtropics of Crimea. The abundance of light, moisture and heat allows you to grow grapes and other heat-loving crops in the vicinity of the reserve. The cold period begins in mid-November and lasts until March. The average temperature is approximately -9 degrees, but it happens that the columns of the thermometer fall below -20 degrees.
Ecosystem
The reserve (natural park) "Volga-Akhtuba floodplain" is an aquatic ecosystem of rivers and lakes. In addition, there are swamps, meadows and oak forests. There are two huge swamps on the territory of the reserve, on which a huge number of birds live. But that is not all, there are more than 200 lakes with a total area of 42 hectares. This is almost 30% of the total park area. And besides, these are 3 sleeves, 6 backwaters, 5 large channels and 120 small eriks. It is a branched water network that creates a unique microclimate, and also forms the entire ecosystem.
Flora
The flora of the floodplain includes about 800 species of plants. A whole world gathered in one place. No wonder biologists and scientists are ready to spend months here. Basically it is Compositae and cereals, sedge and cruciferous, buckwheat and legumes, rosaceae. The formation of flora and vegetation has passed the path of adaptation to the conditions of flooding and the timing of floods.
The vegetation of the northern part of the floodplain is represented mainly by meadows. Forests occupy about 15% of the entire territory. The predominant formations are leafy oaks, as well as white and black poplars. All other trees (elms, aspen) occupy insignificant areas. Artificial plantations are represented mainly by Scots pine.
You well know where the Volgo-Akhtubinskaya floodplain natural park is located. It is in these places that you can find the rarest medicinal plants. This is a doubtful hawthorn and golden currant, needle rose and black mulberry, Valerian officinalis, May lily of the valley and edible honeysuckle, goose narrow-leaved and sea buckthorn. In addition, you can count a few dozen useful and simply beautiful plants and flowers.
Fauna
The fauna of the Volga-Akhtubinskaya floodplain natural park is complex and multifaceted. The most fully studied birds. Leading ornithologists regularly work here. They study the permanent inhabitants, their living conditions, nesting. About 80% of all species of birds living in Russia live or at least stay there during the flight. And every sixth bird species is listed in the Red Book. The oldest path of migratory birds passes through the floodplain. Here they stop for feeding. Rare and endangered bird species include Chegrava and Karavayka, Black-headed laughter and Spoonbill, White-eyed duck and Kulik - magpie, White stork and White-tailed Orlan.
Mammal floodplains
You can talk about the inhabitants of these places indefinitely. Animals of the Volga-Akhtuba floodplain natural park are typical representatives of the steppe and forest-steppe zones. Mammals comprise at least 30 species in the floodplain. These are mice and rats, field voles. Hamsters and many other small animals enter here from the surrounding desert areas. Regular floods prevent their spread here, however, rodents are well adapted to these conditions. Hedgehogs are frequent in the floodplain. And here you can find ordinary and white-breasted, steppe and eared. A huge number of bats flies out at night, but due to the specific lifestyle, they are poorly understood. Today, scientists are more engaged in exploring the world of birds, so it is quite possible that surprises await us when they get to the study of mammals.
Large mammals
A huge number of hares live here. Since hunting is prohibited here, their numbers are regulated by the activities of natural predators. There is a sufficient amount of weasel and fox, raccoon fox, which was brought from the Far East. In small quantities, here you can find badgers and wolves, martens, as well as American mink. Many of these species are valuable, fur-bearing animals that are objects of sports and amateur hunting.
Water inhabitants
Nowhere you will not find such fishing as in the floodplain. Here is a paradise for fans to sit with a fishing rod or spinning rod. How long have you been able to catch fish weighing up to 5 kg per day? And here is a common thing. The main thing is not to get carried away, this is the maximum catch allowed for a day. If you stay outside the territory of the natural park, then it will be possible to make a bonfire here on the shore and make an excellent fish soup.
Thanks to the timely organization of the nature reserve, rare and endangered fish species such as Caspian trout, Volga herring, sterlet and whitefish were preserved in the reservoirs of the reserve. The lamprey and medical leech, as well as about 20 species of insects, are under protection. This is the only place in the world where sturgeon breeds under natural conditions.
Park Infrastructure
A biostation or pheasantry was created on the basis of the reserve. This is a wildlife research center. The biostation includes a pheasantry and a rehabilitation center, a bird ringing department, and a botanical site. It implements activities in a number of areas:
- Rehabilitation of wild animals that have been affected by human hands. A very important activity to which schoolchildren and students are involved. It also has educational significance;
- Study of bird migration;
- The revival of rare plant species;
Pheasantry is currently breeding the decorative subspecies of these remarkable birds. At the same time, visitors can see with their own eyes the whole process of their reproduction and cultivation. Perhaps soon a whole flock of pheasants will inhabit the borders of the park. The activity of such a station itself is priceless, especially since it has practically no analogues.
Ecocenter Leshchevsky Reserve
It is located on the outskirts of the village of Leshchev, in a former school building. The location of the eco-center makes it extremely convenient for working with schoolchildren and students. This is not entertainment, but serious, scientific research. This is due to the fact that nearby are wetlands, which are a key place for nesting a wide variety of birds. There are laboratory and classrooms for classes. This is a great base for organizing and conducting seasonal field schools. Despite the fact that the center was opened relatively recently, several integrated field workshops have already been held on its basis.
Park Attractions
Not only scientists and researchers are attracted to the Volga-Akhtuba floodplain. Photos of the natural park show us amazingly beautiful places where you just want to breathe air, take a walk and admire the world around us. Despite the organization of protection of this unique place, tourists are not forbidden to visit its territory. The main thing is to follow the rules and not violate the established regime. But, in addition to natural attractions, the park has historical places. An example is the burial of the Bronze Age, which were discovered during recent excavations.
Today, tourist activity here is just entering a phase of intensive development. Ecological routes for water and hiking have already been formed. They are informative and entertaining in nature. Given the proximity of a natural park to a huge city, scientists have to think about how to reduce the uncontrolled flow of tourists who seek to get into the park. For this, recreation areas are being developed today, which are located along the western border. This significantly reduces the load on the territory itself. However, the problem has not yet been completely resolved. There are still cases of poaching.
Instead of a conclusion
Scientists and researchers do not pursue the goal of completely cutting off the natural park from the world and blocking access to its territory for curious and interested tourists. However, a large influx of vacationers is always a natural disaster for nature. Caught for sporting interest, fish, trampled plants, broken trees, garbage and fires from bonfires. This is not a complete list of problems that can be eliminated only by closing the territory. Entrance with special passes adds responsibility. A person in advance gets acquainted with the rules and possible fines. It was this measure that gave a chance to preserve the unique nature of the floodplain, its animal and plant world. Today, the ecological balance is gradually returning to normal, every year there are more rare species of birds, insects, fish and animals. This trend cannot but rejoice.