Sulak River
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Catchment area of the Sulak ( Сулак )
The Sulak (Russian Сулак ) is a 144 km long tributary of the Caspian Sea in the North Caucasus (Russia).
Course
The Sulak arises in the northeastern foothills of the Greater Caucasus in 355 m height from the Andijskoje Koisu from the left ( length 144 km, without his two short headwaters ) and the Awarskoje Koisu (178 km) from the right. The total length of the latter is thus 322 km. In the ( Russian ) name of the source rivers, the principal settlement of the carrying areas through various Northeast Caucasian peoples reflects the Andean peoples and Avars.
After the confluence of the Sulak flows at about 20 kilometers to up to over 1500 meters deep Sulak main canyon, whose walls rise up to 800 meters in places almost vertically above the river, and the Achetlinskoje Gorge. The raging river formerly in this area, however, lies in the backwater area of Tschirkei Dam today. After the valley widening to Tschirkei that is taken from said reservoir, followed by just under 1000 meters deep Small Sulak Canyon before the river at the city Kisiljurt reaches the level of the Caucasus foothills.
In this intensive agricultural area, the Sulak applies soon from the far north to the east, meanders and forms here in a broad, terraced valley river arms until he finally ends near the eponymous urban-type settlement Sulak in the Caspian Sea.
Besides its source rivers of the Sulak has no significant tributaries. The Sulak flows throughout its history, the territory of the Republic of Dagestan.
Hydrographic
The catchment area of 15,200 km ² comprises Sulak. The river is in estuary near well 200 feet wide and two feet deep; the flow rate is in this case 1.0 m / s
The average discharge is in the middle reaches, 123 kilometers above the mouth, 176 m³ / s The river is fed mainly by melting water from the highlands of the Caucasus, so that it leads April to September flood with a maximum in June to July. During this time, the concentration of suspended solids m³ reach 45 kg / one hundred times the average value.
Economy and infrastructure
The Sulak is not navigable.
Its water is, however, extensively used for irrigation and water supply as the Republic capital Makhachkala and the nearby Kaspijsk, including 1921-1923 of the October Revolution channel ( канал им. Октябрьской Революции / channel- in. Oktjabrskoi Revolyutsii ) became the first major construction project in the newly founded Dagestani ASSR was formed. The 70 km long canal connects the Sulak the modern city of Makhachkala Kisiljurt with and later of pipelines, including starting from Miatli Reservoir, supplemented.
The river plays a significant role in the electric power supply of Dagestan and the surrounding regions. The Dagestan branch of RusHydro operates on Sulak and its headwaters, a cascade of hydropower plants:
Notes: sorted by sequence downstream; * On Karakoisu, tributary of the Awarskoje Koisu; Experimental ** small power plant
The construction of additional ten hydroelectric power stations on the headwaters Andijskoje Koisu ( Agwali, Zumada, Botlich, Incho, Tantari ) Awarskoje Koisu ( Awarskaja, Sovetskaya 1 and 2) and Karakoisu ( Magar, Kurmi ) is planned or projected.