Witchcraft Lake. Samur Lake - in the country of mountain lakes From waterless to Samur Lake route

Coordinates

Plan diagram

According to our assumptions, in the depths of the mountain strata there was an underground karst cavity formed in the Cretaceous limestones (their outcrops were found in a narrow crevice of a stream flowing from the lake). Perhaps, during a strong earthquake, the roof of this underground void collapsed and lake depressions appeared on the surface, which were filled with water. V. Kobelyatsky, who visited the vicinity of the village of Samurskaya, describes a strong earthquake observed in 1879. Our assumption may be supported by the configuration features of the lake basin. big lake: the shores on the northern side are rugged and steep; there are a combination of coves and capes. In addition, the maximum depths are shifted towards north shore. However, this is all speculation for now. Therefore, there is an urgent need for a comprehensive study of the lake reservoir. The scientific research program of the Transcaucasus - 93 expedition included a wide range of work, such as sampling for lithological-mineralogical, spore-pollen, diatom, radiocarbon analyses, as well as sounding of lake sediments (determining thickness and composition), detailed description lake landscapes and determination of the intensity of precipitation accumulation.

The purpose of mineralogical analysis is to obtain information about the material composition and features of the accumulation of loose sediments. The analysis data makes it possible to subdivide and correct sections among themselves and restore the paleogeographic conditions of the accumulation of loose strata.

Sampling of loose sediments was carried out at Cape Pticheye, a river delta flowing into the lake. Samples were taken layer by layer along a section from clearing outcrops in the floodplain of the stream. In this case, three samples weighing 5 kg each were taken. from 3 genetically different layers of sediments: river (lower layer), lake and river (upper layer).

Using the GOIN tube, 4 columns of lake sediments (sediments) were selected: three from the deepest part of the reservoir (from a depth of 3.5 m), one from near the river mouth (40 m from the shore to the west, from a depth of 2.0 m). At the same time, a sample was taken from the surface of the lake terrace (height 0.8 m above the water level), consisting of a thin layer of soil (about 5 cm thick) of dark brown loams, turning into dense gray clays below. Lake sediments (in the first three columns) are represented by light gray silts (detritus) with a large admixture of organic remains (leaves, herbaceous plants, etc.) in the upper part of the column. The fourth column, taken near the mouth of an unnamed river, is dominated by fine-grained light gray sands. Sounding of sediments in the delta of this river showed that the thickness of alluvium exceeds 4 m (our drill did not allow us to measure the actual thickness of the sediments). Near the northern swampy shore, the thickness of lake sediments is approximately 3 m (according to drilling data). At the same time, a reconnaissance study was carried out river valley, flowing into the lake from the east. The river basin is less than 1 km2 (dimensions need to be clarified), length does not exceed 1 km, width approximately 0.5 km. The bottom of the valley (0.60-0.70 m above the lake's edge) is horizontal, the width at the river mouth is about 100 m, and above it narrows to 30-50 m. The entire bottom of the valley is forested.

The slopes have a steepness of 15°-20° and are also covered with forest (mainly beech and oak). The river bed is winding, there are clearly defined meanders (width 3-5 m), the floodplain is not mined, the banks are steep, the depth of the incision is 0.5-1.5 m. Fine-grained gray sands are exposed throughout the entire length of the main channel and only at the headwaters (from the fork of two streams) at the bottom of the river stream large pebbles (up to 5-10 cm in diameter) are visible, consisting of ferruginous sandstones (apparently Lower Cretaceous) The water content of the river varies throughout the year. It is most full of water in the spring (when the snow melts) and after rains (the water level rises to 1-1.5 m). Trees fallen into the river bed and fresh gullies remind us of this. During low water (late summer and autumn) flow water flow

Based on the results of sample analyses, the history of Lake Samur in the Holocene will be reconstructed and further trends in its development will be determined.

Literature.
1. Efremov Yu.V. In the country of mountain lakes. Krasnod. book because of. 1991 190 p.
2. Kobelyatsky B.S. Stanitsa Samurskaya, Kuban region, Maikop district. (Collection of materials for describing the localities and tribes of the Caucasus. 1888. Issue 6, pp. 102-103.

Absheronsky district is Lake Samurskoye, the largest of all the lakes in the low-mid mountain zone on the northern slope of the North-Western Caucasus. Its area is 46,000 m2, length is 340 m, and maximum width is 260 m. It is located in the Pastbishchny Ridge area on the watershed of the Kurdzhips and Belaya rivers at an altitude of 328 m above sea level. The lake is located 10 km north of the village of Samurskaya. A well-paved path along the river gorge leads to it. Beluzhka (Hosako), flowing from the right into the river. Pshekha near the village of Samurskaya.

Samur Lake is very popular among residents of the Absheronsky district; you can relax there, catch fish and crayfish. Tourists do not know it, since there is almost no information about this mountain treasure in the literature. The only thing short description contained in the pre-revolutionary “Collection of materials for describing the localities and tribes of the Caucasus”, in the article by V. Kobelyatsky “The Samurskaya village of the Kuban region of the Maykop district” (1888. Issue 6). No one has yet explored this unique corner of nature. I first visited here 10 years ago. Then we managed to make a reconnaissance survey of the surroundings of the reservoir and take some measurements. However, it was not necessary to fully explore it. Therefore, in May 1988, the section of geology and geomorphology of the Krasnodar department of the Geographical Society of the USSR at Kuban State University organized a small expedition to study Lake Samurskoye. As a result of the work carried out, it turned out that it has a complex configuration in plan, externally resembling an amoeba with its four pseudopods - bays. Nearby nestled daughter formations - four lake reservoirs located at different altitude levels. The surprisingly complex shape of the lake and the presence of adjacent reservoirs suggest the unity of processes that contributed to the emergence of this conglomerate.

As our measurements showed, its maximum depth was 4.6 m. In all likelihood, this is one of the lowest levels we observed. Ten years ago the depth of the lake was about 6 m. Apparently, over the years its level has decreased, as evidenced by traces of higher water levels. There are two small basins in the reservoir, one in the middle, the other in Tranquility Bay. The bottom is muddy, heavily littered with fallen trees and their branches.

The color of the water is dark gray with a greenish tint, the transparency is low, in cloudy weather it barely exceeds 1 m. The latter can be explained big amount suspended organic matter, and the color of the water is determined by the presence of dark silt and fallen leaves at the bottom of the reservoir.

Near Lake Samur there are a number of other reservoirs of similar origin. 20 m to the northwest in a deep karst sinkhole lies Lake Mertvoye. Its area is 900 m2, the maximum depth does not exceed 4 m. It makes a depressing impression on visitors. The waters of the reservoir are dead, there is no vegetation, and no living organisms are visible either. This especially contrasts with the neighboring Frog Lake, whose waters are teeming with life. There is a dead silence here, the dark gray water is always calm. Why is there no life here? We cannot answer yet. IN Dead Lake A stream flows in from Frog Lake, and the same stream flows out, which immediately buries itself in a deep ravine with a rocky bottom and small waterfalls - a real geological museum: outcrops of sandstones, dark blue clays and limestones. Below, near the mouth of the lake stream flowing into the river. Beluga whale, we found a huge ammonite - about 40 cm in diameter. This is a fossilized mollusk that lived several tens of millions of years ago at the bottom of a shallow Cretaceous sea.

Under the crackling and bright blazing of the fire, we listened in fascination to our random interlocutor from Neftegorsk, who had arrived here to go fishing. Zakhar (that was the name of the local old-timer) has been visiting his beloved Samur Lake for 30 years and knows a lot about it, the whole history of its development by local nature lovers.

During and after the war, intensive logging was carried out in this area. There were no tractors; logs were dragged to the narrow-gauge railway by horses. The forest was cut down in a row, indiscriminately. Fortunately, the lake was lucky - nature itself protected it. Steep forest slopes and deep gullies stood in the way of the ruthless loggers. The industrial ax bypassed this corner.

Zakhar’s favorite topic of conversation is fishing. From him we learned that there are a lot of fish in the lake - apparently and invisible. There are carp, crucian carp, and even the “wise gudgeon” here. Where did she end up in the mountain lake? Even before the revolution, a rich, enterprising Cossack Molchanov lived in these parts, and he raised fish in the lake. He delivered it to rich people's tables. But modern fishermen only catch small things on the hook - minnows and crucian carp. But it is very difficult to catch carp. Local fishermen catch it with nets. Not everyone succeeds. The next day, happiness smiled on us too. We managed to bring together a whole pot of small things, which was quite enough to cook a noble fish soup. There are also crayfish in Lake Samur. For them, this is paradise - a muddy bottom and numerous snags.

The data obtained during the study somewhat clarified the picture of the emergence of reservoirs. Once upon a time, in the depths of the mountain strata, there was an underground karst cavity formed in limestone. During a strong earthquake, the roof of this underground void collapsed, and lake depressions appeared on the surface, which were filled with water.

V. Kobelyatsky, who visited the outskirts of the village of Samurskaya, describes the earthquake he observed in January 1879: “Roofs cracked, dishes fell from shelves onto the floor. Two years later the earthquake repeated, but it was much weaker.”

Samur Lake and its surroundings have unique mountain landscapes. But so far they have not been reserved and are not included in the list of natural monuments. Krasnodar region. Apparently, the time has come to do this urgently in order to preserve this amazing corner of nature for posterity. In the meantime, numerous fishermen pollute the shores with garbage. I would like to remind everyone that in the end, such reckless use of nature can destroy a reservoir. This cannot be allowed.

Samurskoye Lake

One of the main attractions of the Absheronsk region is Lake Samurskoe, the largest of all the lakes in the low-mid-mountain zone on the northern slope of the North-West Caucasus. Its area is 46,000 m2, length is 340 m, and maximum width is 260 m. It is located in the Pastbishchny Ridge area on the watershed of the Kurdzhips and Belaya rivers at an altitude of 328 m above sea level. The lake is located 10 km north of the village of Samurskaya. A well-paved path along the river gorge leads to it. Beluzhka (Hosako), which flows into the river from the right. Pshekha near the village of Samurskaya.

Samur Lake is very popular among residents of the Absheronsky district; you can relax there, catch fish and crayfish. It is not known to tourists, since there is almost no information about this mountain treasure in the literature. The only brief description is contained in the pre-revolutionary “Collection of materials for describing the localities and tribes of the Caucasus”, in the article by V. Kobelyatsky “The Samurskaya village of the Kuban region of the Maykop district” (1888. Issue 6). No one has yet explored this unique corner of nature. I first visited here 10 years ago. Then we managed to make a reconnaissance survey of the surroundings of the reservoir and take some measurements. However, it was not necessary to fully explore it. Therefore, in May 1988, the section of geology and geomorphology of the Krasnodar department of the Geographical Society of the USSR at Kuban State University organized a small expedition to study Lake Samurskoye. As a result of the work carried out, it turned out that it has a complex configuration in plan, externally resembling an amoeba with its four pseudopods - bays. Nearby nestled daughter formations - four lake reservoirs located at different altitude levels. The surprisingly complex shape of the lake and the presence of adjacent reservoirs suggest the unity of processes that contributed to the emergence of this conglomerate.

Lake Samur lies in a basin with steep slopes covered with beech and oak forest. And only on the east the shore is low, swampy and overgrown with reeds. Here a stream flows into the lake, which intricately winds through the forest plain, calmly carrying its waters into the water area of ​​the reservoir and gradually increasing the sandy delta. On the southern side two capes jut into it. One of them, resembling a kind of appendix, was named Cape Vermis. It rises 5–6 m above the lake waters and has a very convenient clearing for setting up a bivouac with good review to the lake.

Hidden between the capes are two cozy bays, which we called the bays of Solitude and Tranquility. They are bordered by high banks with dense beech forest. Some of the trees bent over the water, while others fell into it, forming an incredible accumulation of snags and hummocks.

The north-western side is overgrown with reeds, and here a swampy bridge arose, fencing off part of the lake and thereby forming a closed reservoir with an area of ​​1800 m2 and a depth of 2 m. Among the reeds actively advancing on the water area of ​​the reservoir, in summer time You can see a cluster of green frogs. For this reason, the lake received another name - Frog.

Local residents told us that Lake Samur is very deep and supposedly has two bottoms, with the upper one formed from trees that fell into the water area of ​​the reservoir.

As our measurements showed, its maximum depth was 4.6 m. In all likelihood, this is one of the lowest levels we observed. Ten years ago the depth of the lake was about 6 m. Apparently, over the years its level has decreased, as evidenced by traces of higher water levels. There are two small basins in the reservoir, one in the middle, the other in Tranquility Bay. The bottom is muddy, heavily littered with fallen trees and their branches.

The color of the water is dark gray with a greenish tint, the transparency is low, in cloudy weather it barely exceeds 1 m. The latter is explained by the large amount of suspended organic matter, and the color of the water is determined by the presence of dark silt and fallen leaves at the bottom of the reservoir.

Near Lake Samur there are a number of other reservoirs of similar origin. 20 m to the northwest in a deep karst sinkhole lies Lake Mertvoe. Its area is 900 m2, the maximum depth does not exceed 4 m. It makes a depressing impression on visitors. The waters of the reservoir are dead, there is no vegetation, and no living organisms are visible either. This especially contrasts with the neighboring Frog Lake, whose waters are teeming with life. There is a dead silence here, the dark gray water is always calm. Why is there no life here? We cannot answer yet. A stream flows into Dead Lake from Frog Lake, and the same stream flows out, which immediately buries itself in a deep ravine with a rocky bottom and small waterfalls - a real geological museum: outcrops of sandstones, dark blue clays and limestones. Below, near the mouth of the lake stream flowing into the river. Beluga whale, we found a huge ammonite - about 40 cm in diameter. This is a fossilized mollusk that lived several tens of millions of years ago at the bottom of a shallow Cretaceous sea.

Very close to Lake Samur on the western side there are three more forested, heavily overgrown and covered with green duckweed lake reservoirs with an area of ​​1800 - 3700 m2. All around is pristine forest chaos, a riot of tall grasses, a kingdom of frogs croaking incessantly around the clock.

According to T. Akatova’s definition, 9 plant species are common in Samur reservoirs: broad-leaved cattail, divergent rush, unnoticed hedgehog, forest reed, southern reed, marsh reed, hornwort, horsetail, and small duckweed. They form 5 communities. The lesser duckweed community inhabits small lakes located next to the main lake. Pure thickets of hornwort form foci of overgrowth at a depth of 0.3 - 1 m.

The communities are similar in species composition with the dominance of broadleaf cattail and unnoticed hedgehog. Frontal foci of overgrowth 1–5 m wide stretch along coastline. In the waterlogged areas of the coast, in some places the divergent rush grows.

Making our way from one lake to another, climbing steep slopes, I immediately remembered the stories of Konstantin Paustovsky “Meshcherskaya Side”. The same wilderness as Poganoe Lake, the same charm wildlife, covering you, and the same confusion of soul at the sight of pristine landscapes.

To understand and feel all this, you need to follow a cozy forest path, which either rises high up or drops down, to the shore, to the water itself. From here you can enthusiastically watch the quiet mirror-like surface of the forest wonder. It is especially remarkable from above.

Most of all we remember one May night spent in these places. When its dark blanket fell completely over the mountains, and bright stars lit up in the sky, a thin crescent moon hung low over the forest. A timid lunar path cut through the black surface of the water. The glow of a bright fire picked out the spreading beeches from the thick darkness; in the darkness of the night they looked especially powerful. Far in the west, lightning flashes occasionally flared, illuminating everything around for a moment.

The lake and its surroundings lived their own life, unknown to us. The frogs croaked deafeningly and discordantly in different voices. Somewhere in the forest thicket an owl screamed sadly and anxiously. From time to time, some indistinct rustling sounds, similar to sighs, were heard in the water area. Either fleeting gusts of wind disturbed the foliage of the trees, or fish splashed in the water.

Under the crackling and bright blazing of the fire, we listened in fascination to our random interlocutor from Neftegorsk, who had arrived here to go fishing. Zakhar (that was the name of the local old-timer) has been visiting his beloved Samur Lake for 30 years and knows a lot about it, the whole history of its development by local nature lovers.

During and after the war, intensive logging was carried out in this area. There were no tractors; logs were dragged to the narrow-gauge railway by horses. The forest was cut down in a row, indiscriminately. Fortunately, the lake was lucky - nature itself protected it. Steep forest slopes and deep gullies stood in the way of the ruthless loggers. The industrial ax bypassed this corner.

Zakhar’s favorite topic of conversation is fishing. From him we learned that there are a lot of fish in the lake - apparently and invisible. There are carp, crucian carp, and even the “wise gudgeon” here. Where did she end up in the mountain lake? Even before the revolution, a rich, enterprising Cossack Molchanov lived in these parts, and he raised fish in the lake. He delivered it to rich people's tables. But modern fishermen only catch small things on the hook - minnows and crucian carp. But it is very difficult to catch carp. Local fishermen catch it with nets. Not everyone succeeds. The next day, happiness smiled on us too. We managed to bring together a whole pot of small things, which was quite enough to cook a noble fish soup. There are also crayfish in Lake Samur. For them, this is paradise - a muddy bottom and numerous snags.

The data obtained during the study somewhat clarified the picture of the emergence of reservoirs. Once upon a time, in the depths of the mountain strata, there was an underground karst cavity formed in limestone. During a strong earthquake, the roof of this underground void collapsed, and lake depressions appeared on the surface, which were filled with water.

V. Kobelyatsky, who visited the outskirts of the village of Samurskaya, describes the earthquake he observed in January 1879: “Roofs cracked, dishes fell from shelves onto the floor. Two years later the earthquake repeated, but it was much weaker.”

Samur Lake and its surroundings have unique mountain landscapes. But so far they have not been protected and are not included in the list of natural monuments of the Krasnodar Territory. Apparently, the time has come to do this urgently in order to preserve this amazing corner of nature for posterity. In the meantime, numerous fishermen pollute the shores with garbage. I would like to remind everyone that in the end, such reckless use of nature can destroy a reservoir. This cannot be allowed.

The Achishkho phenomenon

There are many places on the map of the Krasnodar region that can be classified as unique natural monuments. Among them is the mountainous, mostly forested Achishkho ridge, between the river. Mzymta and its right tributary of the river. Achipse. Highest point Achishkho town 2345 m above sea level. Its rocky amphitheater dominates Krasnaya Polyana on the northern side, closing the upper reaches of the river. Rabies. At the top of the ridge, near the forest border, among overgrown lakes, the high-mountain weather station Achishkho (1880 m above sea level) is located. On the background mountain range Chugush two-story stone house The weather station looks quite small.

What is the phenomenon of Achishkho? According to our ideas, this is due to the uniqueness of the high-mountain landscapes, the record snow content of the region and the uniqueness of the mountain lakes.

Achishkho has a surprisingly harmonious combination of lush alpine and subalpine herbs, emerald green beech forests, blue Lakes, covered with duckweed swamp vegetation. In summer, the meadows are filled with a carpet of primroses, hyacinths and fancy white snowdrops with long, elaborately curved petals, yellow-brown in the middle. And higher up, closer to the rocks, there are lush thickets of Caucasian rhododendron. Here you will enjoy a panorama of snow-capped mountains with huge cumulus clouds, intoxicating coolness, and surprisingly clean air.

An unforgettable route to the city of Achishkho. The trail starts from the weather station and runs along the edge of the ridge. On both sides of the path there are deep abysses. A waterfall falls from the steep wall of the cliff, which gives rise to the river. Achipse. Ahead is a mysterious rock circus with several white sheets of avalanche snowfields. And below, in the breathtaking depths, the white, tiny, matchbox-like houses of Krasnaya Polyana are drowning.

Until now, scientists have only hypotheses that explain the origin of the lakes in different ways. One of them connects the formation of lake basins with ancient glaciers, which plowed depressions here and deposited moraines, where reservoirs arose. Another hypothesis is tectonic, according to it, a line of tectonic cracks extends along the ridge, transformed over many thousands of years into closed basins. Then they filled with water, creating a chain of lakes of varying sizes and depths.

Before the Great Patriotic War, 18 lake reservoirs at various stages of swamping were known on the Achishkho ridge. Only four have survived to this day. The rest are completely overgrown or visible with small “eyes” of water. Overgrowth occurred and continues to occur mainly with thickets of sedge or surface rafts. Dacian sedge and Austrian swampweed are often involved in overgrowing processes. The bottom surface is covered with peaty sediments on which aquatic mosses grow. After most of the water area is covered by rafts or thickets, a sphagnum cover begins to form. As a result, sedge-moss bogs are formed. Currently, a significant part of the water area not occupied by thickets of plants occurs in 4 lakes. Foci of overgrowth in all are of belt- or belt-solid type. For example, Lake Khmelevskogo is covered with thickets taking root at the bottom. According to aerial photographs (1954, 1972), as well as by comparing amateur photographs of researcher Yu. K. Efremov and maps made in 1984, it was possible to find out that the degree of overgrowth, as well as the configuration of plant foci on some lakes over the last 30 have remained virtually unchanged for years. Significant deviations occurred only on Lake Khmelevskoye.

The cleanest lake from algae and reeds is Lake Zerkalnoye near the Achishkho weather station. It is small - only 1000 m2, the maximum depth is also small - about 3 m. The lake lies in a basin and has an oval shape. The surface is free of algae, but the bottom is covered with them, like a fluffy carpet. The lake is almost never overgrown, and only along its banks is there sedge. Not a single stream flows into it, and not a single stream flows out of it. The water is fresh and tastes good. Apparently, the lake is fed by underground springs. The water temperature in summer reaches 20 – 25°C. But you can’t swim in it, since it is the only source of drinking water for the weather station workers. The lake is covered with snow and ice 9 months of the year. Naturally, fish and other living organisms cannot live in such harsh conditions.

All other lake reservoirs (and there are five of them in the area of ​​the weather station) are completely overgrown.

In addition to the lakes mentioned above, there are others. To do this, it is logical to proceed from the camp site of the Ministry of Defense along the Achishkho ridge through Khmelevskie glades with access to the Achishkho weather station and then descend along the path leading to the shelter of this camp site, to Krasnaya Polyana.

It was here, among the forest, in the Khmelevsky glades, that the fading lakes hid. Their sad water areas covered with green duckweed remind of their former greatness. And even now, despite the hopelessness, they are not without originality. The poems of N. Zabolotsky speak best about the beauty of the forest lakes of the Achishkho ridge:

In a crown of water lilies, in a headdress of sedges, in a dry necklace of plant pipes, lay a piece of chaste moisture - a refuge for fish and a haven for ducks...

Jitaku Lake Valley

In the Western Caucasus, on the territory of the Caucasian State Biosphere Reserve, near the city of Pseashkho, at the source of the river. Urushten (left tributary of the Malaya Laba River) is amazing valley Jitaku. It is unusual in its morphological appearance and peculiar in its manifestation natural processes that are happening here.

Jitaku is located at an altitude of 1800 - 2000 m above sea level and belongs to the so-called trough-shaped valleys, which have a flat bottom and steep slopes. This shape was given to it by a glacier that lay here about 10 thousand years ago. As a rule, any valley is closed by a highly located circus or amphitheater with impregnable rocky peaks.

You won't see this in the Jitaku Valley. Suddenly, its gentle upper reaches break off into wild steep slopes towards the river basin. Laura. There, below, the impenetrable crooked forest is raging. There is no way there.

What happened to the upper reaches of this marvelous valley? Under certain conditions, the processes of river erosion can intensify, and the sources of the rivers begin to move backward, gradually destroying the watershed or the sides of the valley. If the river watershed has low heights, then it may soon be cut through by river waters, and the sources of the river will shift to the neighboring valley. The waters of the river in this valley can be stolen by an aggressor river invading from the other side. A similar thing happened in the river valley. Jitaku.

It originally flowed down this valley towards the river. Urushten. Apparently, after a powerful landslide that blocked the river valley. Dzitaku (near modern lakes), the river turned towards the sources of the river that crept here. Laura. In this way, rivers are able to intercept or steal water from each other.

Another thing is surprising. The Jitaku Valley is a through valley, or, scientifically speaking, a pass-type valley. This means that the Main Watershed of the Caucasus runs along the bottom of the valley, and in this case along the aforementioned landslide ridge, slightly rising above the bottom of the valley. The height of this watershed here decreases to 1920 m, that is, this is the most nadir The main ridge in the Western Caucasus.

Thus, in the Dzitaku valley you can imperceptibly, without any effort, cross the Main Watershed of the Caucasus, walking along the bottom, as, by the way, in other through valleys - Pseashkho, Aishkho, Tsegerker. The above has left its mark on the lakes that are located here. The Dzitaku valley is often called the lake valley, and this is no coincidence. On its gently sloping meadow bottom, the waters of eight lakes of varying sizes splashed out and were overgrown with marsh vegetation to varying degrees.

The most significant of them is Lake Bolshoye, which is located at an altitude of 1913 m above sea level, has an area of ​​​​about 20,000 m2 and a maximum depth of up to 10 m. It owes its origin to the same avalanches that knocked out the lake basin and formed an arc-shaped avalanche around it a shaft, behind which there is another lake reservoir, but already completely overgrown with swamp vegetation. Lake Bolshoye is not overgrown. This is hampered by snow avalanches that periodically fall into its waters and splash out water along with bottom sediments.

Near Lake Dzitaku, in the depressions of the above-mentioned dam, four more small lakes lurk, occupying depressions in the landslide ridge that blocked the valley. One of them, which we called Two-Faced, is notable for the fact that it simultaneously has a flow to both the northern and the southern slope, that is, in the basins of the Laura and Dzitaku rivers. This phenomenon is extremely rare in the Caucasus Mountains.

One day in August 1987, our photographer Sasha Tokarev, having climbed Mount Perevalnaya, saw below, near the confluence of the Dzitaku and Urushten rivers, in a golden autumn forest, a blue “eye” bordered by emerald swamp vegetation. In honor of the discoverer, the lake was named Tokarevsky. Its origin is also mysterious. Together with the staff of the Caucasus State Biosphere Reserve, a specialist in the vegetation of mountain lakes of the Caucasus, we tried to understand the mechanism of formation of this lake reservoir, whose area is about 1000 m2, depth about 2 m, located at an altitude of 1858 m above sea level on a slightly sloping swamp. The reservoir is contoured by a shaft of humus substance 0.5 - 1 m high.

What formed first: a swamp or a lake, what were the stages of its development? We have not yet found the answer to these questions.

Another surprise of the Jitaku Valley for us were the karst sinkholes on the sheep's foreheads, near the cliff into the Laura Valley. There are about a dozen of them here, of different sizes and shapes. And they are confined to marble outcrops. No one knew about their existence before. In one of these funnels is small lake– with a diameter of 10 m.

Noteworthy in the valley is the sphagnum bog, which is considered relict, that is. legacy of past eras. As it became known from the works of Valery Akatov, it has existed for almost 6.7 thousand years.

No less interesting is Lake Maloye (Pseashkho) above the mouth of the river. Dzitaku, along the river valley Urushten, near the Pseashkho pass at an altitude of about 2000 m above sea level. It is almost invisible from the path, since it is covered on the side by a vast avalanche hill covered with lush grass, and therefore remains unnoticed by travelers passing by. The beauty of the almost round blue “eye” can be appreciated by rising to the ten-meter height of the outlining avalanche shaft. By its origin, it also refers to avalanche lakes. Thanks to the enormous impact force (several tens of tons per square meter) of the falling mass of snow from the steep slope (more than 45°) of Perevalnaya, a deep hole was knocked out at the foot, which filled with water, and a lake was formed. Its depth, according to our measurements, was 16 m. The lake is outlined by a sharply defined crescent-shaped shaft, formed by sediments thrown by avalanches from the bottom of the lake reservoir.

Lake Acipsta

Achipsta is one of the most inaccessible and remote from settlements lakes of the Caucasian State Biosphere Reserve. It is located in the upper reaches of the river. Achipsty (left tributary of the Malaya Laba River), in the subalpine zone at an altitude of 1865 m above sea level.

The path to it is difficult and long. If you go from the Umpyr cordon in the valley of the river. Malaya Laba, then initially you should climb the road leading to the Alous pass. The most difficult section of the path begins from the deer meadows. From here there is a path along the river bank. Achips through numerous deep ravines, windbreaks and thorny bushes. A simpler route is from the Alous Pass to the Great Alous Lake along a high trail that runs above the forest border and numerous erosion cuts, through alpine meadows. In some places the trail gets lost in thick grass or rocky areas. You can also get to this lake through the Chelipsi pass from the upper reaches of the river. Clean (left tributary of the Malaya Laba river). But this pass is difficult to pass and requires some mountaineering skills.

The difficulties of the path are rewarded when, from the height of the mountain path, through the windows between the pines deep below, at the bottom of the valley, you see the blue canvas of the lake sparkling in the sun. In its waters, near the left side of the valley, a crescent-shaped island is unusually green. The closer you get to Acipsta, the more you are surprised and admired by the art of nature that created this unique creation. Approaching the lake from below, from the valley, you involuntarily pay attention to the huge grassy bank blocking the river valley across. Achipsty. These are two avalanche cones formed during avalanches. Having clashed with each other, they formed an insurmountable barrier for the indomitable mountain river, thereby creating a vast lake reservoir with an area of ​​60,000 m2 and an average depth of 3 - 4 m. The dam is so vast that the river could not make its way through it and was forced to search the exit is somewhere deep below, in loose avalanche deposits.

The river flows into the lake. Achipsta, which originates high in the mountains and is fed by meltwater from glaciers and snowfields. By the end of summer the river becomes very shallow. This significantly affects the water regime of the lake. The water level drops sharply, thereby reducing the water surface area to 1/3, and sometimes by half. There were cases (according to foresters) when the lake disappeared completely. However, the reason for this phenomenal phenomenon is not entirely clear. This can happen both when there is a sharp decrease in the influx of water, and when it drains through an unknown underground valve that has opened.

The “fin” in the lower part and its former bottom, already overgrown with grass, remind of a higher water level.

The water is quite cold. At the time of observation, with an air temperature of 14°C and clear weather, the water temperature did not rise above 10°C.

The lake is completely lifeless, no aquatic vegetation grows in it, phytoplankton and zoobenthos are almost completely absent, and there are no fish. The reason for this is the severity of the highland climate, long winters with prolonged ice cover and heavy snowfall in these places.

The lake is actively degrading. The river flowing into it carries a lot of suspended solids, which settle in the upper part, forming a vast delta. Its blade continues under water, the edge is clearly visible through the clear bluish water. According to our measurements, the rate of delta growth (the thickness of deposited sediments) reaches 14–15 cm per year. The lake is also destroyed by snow avalanches descending into its water area. There are four of them, and three of them contribute to the accumulation of loose material in the lake basin, thereby reducing its depth and water surface area. The fourth avalanche, coming down from a steep slope (about 50°) and having a larger avalanche collection than the other three, counteracts the degradation of the reservoir near its left bank. As a result of the impact of falling snow, a cone-shaped funnel (knockout pit) up to 10 m deep and a crescent-shaped avalanche shaft bordering it were formed in this place, which big water looks like an island. It has a very steep slope (45 - 50°) towards the knockout hole and a gentle opposite slope (slope 10 - 15°). Its surface is overgrown with thick grass, but there are many stones, individual torn trunks and branches of trees, thrown out, or rather, splashed here along with the water when an avalanche hit the knockout hole. Such avalanches occur in the most snowy winters (1976, 1979, 1987).

The country has a wide distribution of eternal snow, huge glaciers and deep-sea mountainlakes. More... meaning lakes. Soils, vegetation and animal world In close connection with geographical location countries, age, mountain ...

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