Angara River

Angara in Bratsk

The Angara (Russian Ангара ) is a right tributary of the Central Siberian Yenisei River (Russia). With a water flow of 4518 m³ / s, the Angara exceeds the Yenisei at their junction by more than half, and with a total length of around 3,500 kilometers ( including the Selenga River system ) the length of the Yenisei River with the longest source river up to this point by more than 75 %. Only after leaving the Lake Baikal the river carries the name Angara and has from there still a length of 1779 km.

River

The river rises as Upper Angara about 300 km north-east of Lake Baikal in Stanowojhochland. From there, it flows west through the north of the Buryat Republic to lead by 438 km in a fairly broad and marshy river delta in the north-eastern end of Lake Baikal. The lower reaches of the Upper Angara, which is one of 336 major tributaries of the lake is partly navigable. It leads to the lake about 263 m³ / s (8.3 km ³ / year) of water, which flows through it to around 600 km, almost at its southwestern end as Angara to leave the lake in the small town of Lake Baikal; there flow 2071 m³ / s ( 65.3 km ³ / year) Water from the lake. However, by far the largest tributary of Lake Baikal, the Selenga, the lake 951 m³ / s feeds. It is thus hydrologically the actual upper reaches of the Angara.

The Angara leaves Lake Baikal, near its southern end near the village of Baikal east of Ostsajans. It flows in a northwesterly direction through the Irkutsk Reservoir, in Irkutsk whose dam is located. A little further north of this city, in which the coming of the southwest Irkut opens, it happens Angarsk. A few miles below the city flows through the Angara Bratsk the large reservoir, where it enters the Central Siberian Plateau in the far south. In the lake it flows to the light coming from the southwest Oka, about where they reached the city of Bratsk. Between Irkutsk and Bratsk the Angara is navigable.

Then flows through the Angara, which in its lower reaches often referred to as Upper Tunguska (Russian Верхняя Тунгуска Verkhnaya Tunguska ) is called, numerous rapids and through the Ust- Ilimsker Reservoir, where they happened Ust- Ilimsk, and to the northwest the future Bogutschanystausee whose shut-off is not completed. Then she takes below Motygino on the coming from the south inflow Tassejewa, after which it cuts through the Jenisseiberge in east-west direction. Directly west of this mountain it opens at Strelka (nearly 250 km north of Krasnoyarsk ) flows into the Yenisei, which flows north and into the Arctic Ocean.

The hydropower plants

The Angara is one of the world's greatest sources of hydroelectric power, several large hydropower plants extend along the river. The first of these is on the outskirts of Irkutsk ( 660 MW; Irkutsk Reservoir ), about 80 km from Lake Baikal. Other large power plants, there are at Angarsk and Bratsk ( 4,500 MW). The dam of the power station of Bratsk Bratsk reservoir on one of the largest in the world, the power plant delivers an average of 7.1 billion kWh of annual performance.

Legends and myths

Legend has it that the old Baikal his only daughter Angara loved more than anything. When one day she fled to her lover Yenisei, the father of anger threw a large stone at her. This also shaman stone called rock protrudes in Listvyanka out of the water and marks the boundary between Baikal and Angara.

The Angara is also referred to as the only daughter of the Baikal, since it is the only outlet today, sons ( inflows ), the Baikal more than 300

The shaman stone marks the boundary

Shaman Rock, which marks the beginning of the Angara

Video on the origin of the Angara in Lake Baikal

Catchment area and icing duration

The catchment area of the Angara is approximately one million square kilometers (which is almost three times the size of Germany ). As of early November, ice forms on the Angara, which hardens gradually to ice floes, which eventually leave the river entirely freeze over. This " Ice Age" usually lasts until mid-May, so there may be strong flood until the Ice Barrier is defrosted. In Tatarka before the Angara River flows into the Yenisei river discharge in November (minimum) is 2784 m³ / s, and in May ( maximum) 9350 m³ / s

Tributaries

Tributaries of the Angara are:

  • Bargusin - tributary of Lake Baikal, the Angara flows through the
  • Selenga River - tributary of Lake Baikal, the Angara flows through the
  • Irkut - opens in Irkutsk in the Angara
  • Oka - opens in Bratsk Reservoir, the Angara flows through
  • Ilim - opens in Ust- Ilimsker artificial lake, which flows through the Angara
  • Tschadobez - opens below the Bogutschanystausees
  • Tassejewa - opens into the lower reaches of the Angara

Lakes and reservoirs

Lakes and reservoirs on the Angara are:

  • Lake Baikal ( the deepest natural lake in the world )
  • Irkutsk reservoir ( 4.6 billion m³)
  • Bratsk Reservoir ( 5470 km ²; 169.27 km ³)
  • Ust- Ilimsker Reservoir (1873 km ² 59.30 km ³)
  • Bogutschanystausee ( 58.20 km ³; reservoir shut-off or not yet completed )

Places

Villages along the Angara are located:

  • Irkutsk
  • Angarsk
  • Bratsk
  • Ust- Ilimsk
  • Strelka
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