Where does the Zelenchuk River flow? Big Zelenchuk - fossil fauna of Jurassic deposits

BIG ZELENCHUK
fossil fauna Jurassic deposits.

This publication is devoted to the search for fossil fauna in the valley of the Bolshoy Zelenchuk River on the slopes of the Skalisty and Peredovoy ridges of the North Caucasus in the Karachay-Cherkess Republic. In a small section of the valley, layers of sedimentary rocks from the Paleozoic to the Cenozoic, from the Silurian to the Paleogene, are exposed.
The valley of the Bolshoi Zelenchuk River itself is one of most beautiful places in the south of Russia. Huge rocks with eternal glaciers, all year round whitening against the background of a blue-violet sky, alpine meadows with waist-deep grass and fragrant flowers, high-mountain trout lakes with crystal clear water. Century-old pines, firs and spruces, majestic oaks, beeches and ash trees. Bears, deer, Caucasian aurochs, vultures, snow leopard(?) and many, many others rare representatives fauna live in forests on the slopes of mountains.

The Great Silk Road once passed through the narrow Arkhyz Gorge. This is the site of the most ancient watchtowers and the first Christian temples in the territory former USSR. The advantages and unique attractiveness of these landscapes can be described endlessly, and I really want the fragile beauty of the local nature to remain the same, untouched by man, for many centuries after us.
The lack of sufficient knowledge in such disciplines as geology, biology, etc. makes this work more like an amateur's notes with elements of paleontology than popular science. Another infrequent attempt to address science directly, so I apologize in advance for possible loose or incorrect interpretation of terms and errors in style.

On the steep steep banks of the Bolshoi Zelenchuk River and its numerous tributaries, interesting and diverse geological layers are exposed, including Jurassic ones, which are divided into two lithological complexes - Lower-Middle Jurassic and Upper Jurassic.
All the fossils presented in this publication were found in the Bajocian-Bathonian boundary layers of the Middle Jurassic, composed of homogeneous gray shales, the thickness of which reaches 25-35 m. Their outcrops form a fairly extensive steep valley slope. According to Internet searches, the area of ​​the Bolshoi Zelenchuk River basin and its tributaries - the Kyafar, Kardonik, Marukha, Khussa, Aksaut rivers - is not often mentioned. Much more attention was paid to the well-known neighbors on both sides - the Kuban River, Mount Dzhangura - on the right, and the Bolshaya Laba and Belaya rivers - on the left. However, in some works one can still find a description of finds in the Bolshoy Zelenchuk River valley. And in one of the scientific publications, an attempt was even made to identify the independent Kyafar and Kardonik formations. True, this concerned the problematic Aalenian layers in the North Caucasus. The proposal did not receive support from the scientific community, and the names of the tributaries of the Bolshaya Zelenchuka River were never included in the stratigraphic materials.

1. Stratigraphy

The available literature on the Jurassic deposits of the territory, the lithological composition of the rocks and the fossil fauna make it possible with reasonable confidence to identify the following stratigraphic units here:

Middle Jurassic
Upper Bajocian
Dzhangur Formation
Upper subformation

Middle Jurassic deposits are represented by gray siltstone shales with interlayers of strong siderite nodules. All works on geology and stratigraphy provide data on a fairly large thickness of the section, exceeding 600 m. However, here erosion and other processes have left only 25-35 m on the steep banks. It is not possible to check what is there in the depths. Above are fluvioglacial sand and gravel deposits with a thickness of 0.5-1.5 m and mountain meadow soils - 0.15-0.25 m. Strong turf and young growth of alder, willow and sea buckthorn do not allow searching in extended areas coastline.

Homogeneous siltstone shales with fauna contain interlayers of siderite and siderite-bearing nodules. The distance between the layers is from 0.5 to 5 m. The shape and size of the nodules are quite varied - from almost regular spherical to elongated or flat. The most common are loaf-shaped, with a diameter of up to 25-30 cm. Many works mention the predominantly siderite composition of nodules, however, as the discussion on the site showed, different nodules can be found, with a fairly large proportion of quartz and other minerals.
Fossil fauna can occur both inside nodules and in shale throughout the entire thickness of the visible layer.

2. Fossil fauna

Similar fossil fauna are described in the following sources; finds were made in nearby places, and some, isolated, in the Bolshoi Zelenchuk River valley itself.

1. N.V. Beznosov and V.V. Mitta (1998) - Catalog of ammonitids and key sections of the Upper Bajocsian-Lower Bathonian of the North Caucasus.
2. N.V. Beznosov and V.V. Mitta (1993) – Late Bajocian and Bathonian ammonitids of the North Caucasus and Central Asia.
3. Kakhadze I.R., Zesashvili V.I. (1956) Bayocian fauna of the river valleys. Kuban and some of its tributaries.
4. Beznosov N.V. (1958) Jurassic ammonites of the North Caucasus and Crimea. Phylloceratina and Lytoceratina.
5. Yu.Ya. Potapenko
Geological routes in the Elbrus region. Study guide.

The Middle Jurassic layers contain forms of three suborders of ammonites: ammonitids, phylloceratids and lithoceratids. Certain physical properties rocks made it possible to extract from durable nodules sufficient quantity unique specimens of shells with preserved fragile mouths and ears, and large rostra of belemnites with elements of intravital coloration. Based on well-preserved various fragments of the end of the living chamber, an attempt was made to perform a three-dimensional restoration of the ears and apertures of shells of the family Parkinsoniidae.

The features of Bajocian deposits can be explained by several reasons.

The first reason is great depth ancient ocean and the absence of undercurrents

It is in coastal shallow water that waves and pebbles drag along the bottom, breaking and washing over everything that is on the bottom. This process, together with underwater currents, ebbs and flows, can form local accumulations of fossil remains in some holes and irregularities seabed. There, the remains of dead animals gradually pile up in bulk and subsequently the so-called so-called lenses. However, nothing similar is observed here. The shells are distributed evenly throughout the entire visible thickness of the layer (15-20 m), there is no crowding or areas of particular density of their accumulation. This means that the depth was large enough and underwater currents no longer disturbed the remains after they fell to the bottom. And the very name of the rocks - clayey siltstones - already indicates a sufficient distance of this place from the coastline. Although this is not always the case.
In both modern and ancient seas and oceans, sedimentary rocks were deposited not randomly, but in a certain sequence:
- directly near the coastline – large boulders, pebbles,
- further – coarse sands,
- even further – medium-grained and fine-grained sands,
- further – silts and clays.
And in those places remote from the coast, where clastic material did not arrive from land, carbonate or siliceous silts were deposited.

The second reason is anoxic conditions and rapid sedimentation

As the respected belemnite specialist Alexey Ippolitov suggested, most likely the consequences of anoxia can be observed here, i.e. insufficient amount of oxygen at depth and at the bottom. This is confirmed by the fact that for several hundred finds of fauna, the share of benthic fauna accounted for no more than 1% -2% - about a dozen bivalves. Sea urchins, brachiopods, serpuls and other representatives of the benthic fauna are present in very small quantities; a single spine base of unidentified Jurassic sea ​​urchin and one small gastropod. Those. The benthic fauna of this section is almost absent.

Based on the frequency of occurrence of searches over several years, you can build the following table:

1. Ammonites - usually found.
2. Belemnite rostra – rare.
3. Bivalves - very rare.
4. Nautiluses - one fragment.
5. Sea urchins - one fragment.
6. Brachiopods - not found.
7. Gastropods – one cast.

Of course, the table shows the priorities of this particular area, and the phrase “Ammonites are usually found” has relative character, for each you need to crawl well on the cliffs.
The lack of oxygen and the absence of animals on the bottom significantly reduce the speed and intensity of oxidative processes and almost completely eliminate the impact and destruction of ammonite shells by benthic fauna.
Rapid sedimentation makes it possible to cover the shells of mollusks at the bottom with a sedimentary layer in a very short period of time. Immediately after decomposition of the soft body, silt fills the living chamber, and the rapid process of siderite nodule formation can begin.

Intense sedimentation makes it possible to have enough material for this. The silt in the living chamber gradually hardens and the shell itself becomes more dimensional stable. Thus, the concretion turns into a strong stone “package” and preserves the edge of the mouth and fragile protruding ears. The significant thickness of the formation layers, reaching 600 m, also indicates rapid sedimentation and powerful sedimentation.
Specimens are preserved in the form of casts with remains of shells and whorls partially replaced by calcite. Fossil nacre is absent.

It can be assumed that ammonites from these layers belong to the Parkinsoni zone. In the work of N.V. Beznosov and V.V. Mitta “Catalog of ammonitids and key sections of the Upper Bajocsian-Lower Bathonian of the North Caucasus” (p. 21) states that “Representatives of this zone are also common in the upper Dzhangur subformation in the interfluve of Khodzya and Kuban.”

Below, the tables show some representatives of the fossil fauna of the section with brief explanations.

Tables.

Table 1. Belemnites

Currently, the following rostra of Jurassic belemnites have been found and identified in the section:
1. Hibolithes semuhastatus semihastatus (Blainville, 1827).
2. Megateuthis cf. suevica (Klein, 1773).
3. Megateuhis sp.

Table-1 presents:

1, 1a – large chambers of phragmocones of unidentified belemnites. The diameter of chamber 1a is 47mm, the height of the chamber is 32mm.
2, 2a – deformed phragmocone and final ellipsoidal chamber of unidentified belemnite.
3, 3a - deformed phragmocone with remains of a rostrum in a concretion. The chambers of the phragmocone, with their small diameter, have a large height and are similar to the chambers of rostreless belemnites.
4 – part of a phragmocone of an unidentified belemnite in a concretion, together with a cast of the ammonite’s living chamber.
5 – large phragmocone of unidentified belemnite.
6, 7 – parts of phragmocones in concretions.
8, 9a – fragments of the rostra of Hibolithes semuhastatus semihastatus (Blainville, 1827).
9 - rostrum of Hibolithes semuhastatus semihastatus (Blainville, 1827) with part of the phragmocone.
10 - part of the rostrum of Megateuhis sp.
11 – large rostrum of Megateuhis sp. with a lifetime dotted-hatch pattern on the ventral side.
11a - large rostrum of Megateuhis sp. with fragments of a lifetime dot-hatch pattern.
12 - rostrum of Megateuthis cf. suevica (Klein, 1773).
12a – fragment of the rostrum of Megateuthis cf. suevica (Klein, 1773).

Table 2. Ammonites.

As mentioned above, this section contains shells of ammonites of three suborders - ammonitids, phylloceratids and lithoceratids, and the former account for the bulk of the finds.
Among ammonitids, shells of the family Parkinsoniidae are found, among phylloceratids - Phylloceratidae and Holcophyllocertidae, and among lithoceratids - Lytoceratidae.

Table-2 presents:
1, 1-a – fragments of living chambers of Dinolytoceras zhivagoi.
In fragment 1-a, the remains of paired ribs with a fringed anterior branch are clearly visible.
2 - fragment of the living chamber and part of the phragmocone of Dinolytoceras zhivagoi.
3, 4 – living chambers of Dinolytoceras zhivagoi.
5 – living chamber of Holcophylloceras zignodianum.
6 – cast of Calliphylloceras platilateralis in a concretion with an aperture. The outline of lobate lines and small thread-like ribs are visible.
7 – indeterminate shell cast, presumably Lissoceras.
8, 9, 10 - Calliphylloceras platilateralis, casts of residential chambers and phragmocones.
11 – fragment of a large shell of an unidentified ammonite, presumably Pseudophylloceratinae?
12-fragment of a cast of Eurystomiceras polyhelictum.
These shells have deep constrictions. The clamps are flat back wall and a steep front, which then turns into a low, forward-sloping collar.
13 – internal cast of the shell of Holcophylloceras zignodianum.
14 – small cast of Holcophylloceras zignodianum.
15, 16 – fragments of casts of Holcophylloceras zignodianum.
17 – fragments of heteromorphic Spiroceras sp.

Table 3. Ammonites.

Table-3 presents:
1 – Macroconch (?) parkinsonia.
2 - fragment of a cast of P.gonolkites.
3 – part of the parkinsonia cast with the mouth and ears.
4,5,6,7 – casts of parkinsonia shells.
8 – cast of parkinsonia with remains of a replaced shell, aperture and ears.
9,10,11 - casts of parkinsonia shells.
12-12a – casts of parkinsonia shells with damage at the border of the living chamber and phragmacon.
13-13a – casts of young parkinsonia microconchs with a smooth aperture.
14,15,16,17,18,19 - casts of parkinsonia shells with differences in shell sculpture.

Table 4. Nautilodea.

One fragment of a cast of a Jurassic nautilus shell was found in the section.

Table 5. Benthic fauna.

The benthic fauna is represented extremely poorly. For all this time, not a single brachiopod was found, of the echinoderms - only one spine and the base of the spine of an unidentified sea urchin. There were also two or three large bivalves, several small ones, one small gastropod and one serpula.. The table shows almost all the finds this group of fossils.
1 – concretion with a gastropod.
2 - the base of a sea urchin needle and a fragment of the needle.
3-4 – casts of bivalves with shell remains.

The result was a short report and an opportunity to present one of the countless geological pages of our small homeland.
In conclusion, I would like to say a big thank you to the respected Alexander Mironenko, Mikhail Rogov and Alexey Ippolitov for their help in identifying samples and detailed answers to questions.
Special thanks to Yuri Vladimirovich Yashunsky for valuable advice and comments made during the preparation of the material.

Russia Russia

The length of the river is 158 km, from the source of the Psyzh River more than 180 km, the basin area is 2730 km². Flows through Karachay-Cherkessia, Stavropol and Krasnodar territories. It originates from the sources - Psysh (from Mount Pshish (3790 m) and Mount Psysh (3489 m)), Kizgych and Arkhyz from the northern slopes of the Main Caucasus Range. In the upper reaches is the village of Arkhyz, which is a place of recreation and pilgrimage for tourists different training and directions. On the left bank is one of the parts of the Teberdinsky Nature Reserve. In the village of Nizhny Arkhyz there is an architectural monument Arkhyz settlement, not far from the village there is the RAS observatory. The left tributary is the Kyafar River. At the village of Zelenchukskaya the river comes out onto a densely populated plain. It flows into the Kuban near the city of Nevinnomyssk. Part of the river flow is taken into the diversion of the Zelenchukskaya hydroelectric station and transferred to Kuban.

Between the valleys of the Bolshaya and Maly Zelenchuk rivers, Mount Jissa rises.

Tributaries

The largest left tributaries of the Bolshoy Zelenchuk River: Kyafar, Bolshoy Shcheblonok.

Write a review about the article "Big Zelenchuk"

Notes

See also

Literature

• Kuznetsov V. A. In the upper reaches of Bolshoi Zelenchuk. - M.: Art, 1977. - 168 p. - (Roads to beauty). - 75,000 copies.(region)

Links

• Big Zelenchuk // Great Soviet Encyclopedia: [in 30 volumes] / ch. ed. A. M. Prokhorov. - 3rd ed. - M. : Soviet encyclopedia, 1969-1978.
• // Encyclopedic Dictionary of Brockhaus and Efron: in 86 volumes (82 volumes and 4 additional). - St. Petersburg. , 1890-1907.

This is a draft article on the geography of the Krasnodar Territory. You can help the project by adding to it.

	This
Reservoirs
hydroelectric power station
Channels

An excerpt characterizing Bolshoy Zelenchuk

On the evening of September 1, after his meeting with Kutuzov, Count Rastopchin, upset and offended that he was not invited to the military council, that Kutuzov did not pay any attention to his proposal to take part in the defense of the capital, and surprised by the new look that opened up to him in the camp , in which the question of the calm of the capital and its patriotic mood turned out to be not only secondary, but completely unnecessary and insignificant - upset, offended and surprised by all this, Count Rostopchin returned to Moscow. After dinner, the count, without undressing, lay down on the sofa and at one o'clock was awakened by a courier who brought him a letter from Kutuzov. The letter said that since the troops were retreating to the Ryazan road outside Moscow, would the count like to send police officials to conduct troops through the city. This news was not news to Rostopchin. Not only from yesterday’s meeting with Kutuzov on Poklonnaya Hill, but also from the Battle of Borodino itself, when all the generals who came to Moscow unanimously said that another battle could not be fought, and when, with the count’s permission, every night government property and residents were already removing up to half let's leave - Count Rastopchin knew that Moscow would be abandoned; but nevertheless, this news, communicated in the form of a simple note with an order from Kutuzov and received at night, during his first sleep, surprised and irritated the count.
Subsequently, explaining his activities during this time, Count Rostopchin wrote several times in his notes that he then had two important goals: De maintenir la tranquillite a Moscow et d "en faire partir les habitants. [Keep calm in Moscow and escort out her inhabitants.] If we assume this double goal, every action of Rostopchin turns out to be impeccable. Why were the Moscow shrine, weapons, ammunition, gunpowder, grain supplies not taken away, why were thousands of residents deceived by the fact that Moscow would not be surrendered, and ruined? In order to maintain peace in the capital, Count Rostopchin’s explanation answers. Why were piles of unnecessary papers and Leppich’s ball and other items removed from public places? - In order to leave the city empty, Count Rostopchin’s explanation answers. One has only to assume that something was threatening. national tranquility, and every action becomes justified.
All the horrors of terror were based only on concern for public peace.
What was Count Rastopchin’s fear of public peace in Moscow based on in 1812? What reason was there for supposing there was a tendency towards indignation in the city? Residents left, troops, retreating, filled Moscow. Why should the people rebel as a result of this?
Not only in Moscow, but throughout Russia, when the enemy entered, nothing resembling indignation occurred. On September 1st and 2nd, more than ten thousand people remained in Moscow, and, apart from the crowd that had gathered in the courtyard of the commander-in-chief and attracted by him, there was nothing. Obviously, it was even less necessary to expect unrest among the people if after the Battle of Borodino, when the abandonment of Moscow became obvious, or, according to at least, probably, if then, instead of worrying the people with the distribution of weapons and posters, Rostopchin had taken measures to remove all sacred objects, gunpowder, charges and money and had directly announced to the people that the city was being abandoned.

, Stavropol and Krasnodar territories; left tributary of the river Kuban.

In Karachay-Balkar the river is called Ullu Dzhanlandzhyuk, where “ullu” means “big”, “jan” and “andzhyuk” mean “river”, “river”. Russian name Zelenchuk probably comes from the Kabardian-Circassian “Zelen Shchygu” - “the peak where negotiations were held.”

The river originates on the northern slopes of the Main Caucasus Range at the confluence of the Psysh and Kizgych rivers, 1.5 km from the village. Arkhyz. The length of the river is 158 km, the basin area is 2730 km 2. The density of the river network is 0.88 km/km 2 . Main tributaries: Khusa Kardonikskaya (right); Kyafar, Big Sheblonok (left). There are 36 lakes in the Bolshoi Zelenchuk basin total area 1.01 km 2. The lake content of the basin is at least 1%. About 4% of the basin is occupied by glaciers.

The river flows in the mountainous and foothill parts of the central left bank of the Kuban. The pool has an elongated shape and is asymmetrical - the left bank part of the pool is 1.5 times larger than the right. The climate of the basin is moderate. The territory is mainly occupied by mixed deciduous forests, to a lesser extent – ​​forest-steppe.

IN upper reaches the river is mountainous, below it is semi-mountainous. The channel is stable, characterized by limited development of channel deformations in the upper reaches. On average and downstream The river bed undergoes significant deformations after each major flood. The river valley above the village. Arkhyz has a trog character; the slopes are strongly dissected and steep. Below the village. Arkhyz to the village of Zelenchukskaya Valley has terraced slopes, retaining a V-shape right up to the mouth. The width of the valley increases from 0.5–2.5 km in the upper reaches to 4–6 km in the lower reaches. There is no floodplain in the upper reaches; an intermittent floodplain appears downstream, the width of which varies within 5–10 m in mountainous areas; when reaching the Kuban plain it reaches 1.5–2.0 km. The river bed to the village. Nizhnyaya Ermolovka is straight, unbranched, below it is sinuous, highly branched. The width of the riverbed in the upper part of the river is up to 10 m, at the village of Ispravnaya and below – 40–60 m. The flow speed during low water in the upper reaches is up to 2.0–2.5 m/s, below the village of Zelenchukskaya – 0.9–1.2 m/s. The average slope of the river is 7.8‰.

The river is fed mixed with a predominance of snow (more than 35% annual flow) and rain (more than 25%). The average annual water flow near the village. Arkhyz is 23.2 m 3 /s (runoff volume 0.732 km 3 /year), near the village of Zelenchukskaya - 28.7 m 3 /s (runoff volume 0.906 km 3 /year), Ispravnaya village - 40.4 m 3 /s (flow volume 1.27 km 3 /year). Tien Shan type of water regime with spring-summer floods and floods throughout the year. The maximum water flow is 545 m 3 /s, the minimum winter flow is 0.32 m 3 /s. Ice formations on the river are observed from the end of November to the end of March. Ice jams and jams are typical for the river. The most significant congestion is observed near the village of Ispravnaya, where the thickness of the ice piles reaches two or more meters. There is usually no freeze-up.

Water turbidity varies from 320 g/m 3 in the upper reaches of the river to 100–170 g/m 3 in the lower reaches. The ratio of suspended and transported sediment is 0.25. river water According to its chemical composition, it belongs to the sulfate class. Water mineralization in the upper reaches of the river does not exceed 100 mg/l, in the lower reaches it reaches 1.8–2.4 g/l.

A hydroelectric power station was built on the river. Bolshoi Zelenchuk is used for timber rafting. The Teberda Nature Reserve is located on the left bank. Bolshoy Zelenchuk attracts lovers of water tourism and fishing.

The lower river valley is densely populated. There are many villages on the banks - Arkhyz, Bogoslovsky, Zvezdny, Ermolovka, and at the confluence of the river with the Kuban - the city of Nevinnomyssk.

See also

Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

See what “Big Zelenchuk (river)” is in other dictionaries:

Geographical encyclopedia

This term has other meanings, see Zelenchuk. Bolshoi Zelenchuk River in the Arkhyz region Characteristics ... Wikipedia

Bolshoi Zelenchuk- river, lp Kuban, Karachaevo Cherkessia, Stavropol Territory. Karach., Balkar. the name Ullu Jalanjuk, where ullu is large, and jal and anjuk are derived from other Turkic. meaning river, small river. Russian education is more likely. names Zelenchuk from... ... Toponymic dictionary

River in Stavropol region RSFSR, left tributary of the river. Kuban. Originates from two sources Psysh and Kizgych, flowing from the northern slopes of the Main, or Watershed, ridge Greater Caucasus. Length 158 km, basin area 2730 km2. Typically... ... Great Soviet Encyclopedia

Bolshoi Zelenchuk- Bolshoi Zelenchuk, river, left tributary of the river. Kuban, in Karachay-Cherkessia and Stavropol Territory. It originates from two sources - Psysh and Kizgych, flowing from the northern slopes of the Main, or Watershed, ridge of the Greater Caucasus. Length 158 km,… … Dictionary "Geography of Russia"

Zelenchuk: Locality Zelenchuk Khutor, Gulkevichsky district Krasnodar region, Russia. Zelenchuk village, Novonikolayevsky village council, Melitopol district, Zaporozhye region, Ukraine. Rivers Bolshoi Zelenchuk river in the Caucasus (Karachaevo ... ... Wikipedia

The Greater Caucasus in a school report- Scheme of the Greater Caucasus ranges. Volcanoes are marked with red circles. THE GREAT CAUCASUS (student report, December 2004. Checked and corrected by A. Lebedev) The Caucasus is below me. Alone in the heights I stand above the snow at the edge of the rapids; Eagle, from a distance... ... Encyclopedia of tourists

The left tributary of the Kuban (Ulu Zilinjik among the Tatars, Indzhik Gukhda among the Circassians) originates on the northern slope of the Main Caucasus Range. The upper reaches of B. Zelenchuk form the Khydzysh and Irkis rivers. Before connecting to pp. Kyafar, Agur and Bizhgon, below the camp... ... Encyclopedic Dictionary F. Brockhaus and I.A. Ephron

The Main Caucasus Range is a mountain chain that extends 1200 km from west to east of the Caucasus Isthmus from the Black Sea to the Caspian Sea. The Caucasus ridge forms a continuous huge wall about 180 km wide and naturally divides ... ... Wikipedia

This term has other meanings, see Przysz. Pshish Pshish in the Khadyzhensk region Characteristics Length 270 km ... Wikipedia

1.5 km from the village of Arkhyz, in the northern part of the Main Caucasus Range, the Bolshoy Zelenchuk River originates, the length of the watercourse is 158 (one hundred and fifty-eight) kilometers. Bolshoy Zelenchuk basin - 2730 km², water flow - 40 m³ (80 km from the mouth)

The source is two rivers Psysh and Kyzgych. Square water basin is 2730 km 2. Of this area, 1.01 km2 is occupied by 36 lakes. The tributaries are the Khusa Kardonikskaya river on the right, and the Kyafar, Bolshoy Sheblonok, and Kuban rivers on the left. The Bolshoy Zelenchuk River carries its waters in the Krasnodar and Stavropol territories, as well as in the Karachay-Cherkess Republic. Applies to swimming pools Sea of ​​Azov and the Kuban River. The depth of the river is more than two meters.

Relief

The banks of the river are entirely made of limestone deposits. During the flood period, the river bed is deformed. In the upper reaches, the river is mountainous and the bed is stable. In its lower reaches the river is semi-mountainous. It makes its way through limestone deposits, forming colorful cliffs. In November, the first ice appears on the river and the ice does not melt until March. At the beginning of April the ice begins to fall, and you can see ice jams more than two meters high, especially near the village of Ispravnaya. Above the village of Arkhyz in the river valley the slopes are very steep. Further, to the village of Zelenchukskaya, the river flows along the plain, there are pastures, and the banks are low. The river bed below the village of Nizhnyaya Ermolovka expands, becomes winding, branched, reaching a width of 40-60 meters.

Bolshoi Zelenchuk River, Romantic resort area

Settlements

In the valley of the Bolshoy Zelenchuk River from source to mouth there are settlements- Arkhyz, Nizhny Arkhyz, Nizhnyaya Ermolovka, Dausuz, Zelenchukskaya, Ilyich, Novo-Ispravnevsky, Plavni, Ispravnaya, Frolovsky, Udobno-Zelenchuksky, Zelenchuk at Mostovaya, Starokuvinsky, Novoukrainsky, Ersakon, Apsua, Kiev-Zhurakovsky, Dubyansky, Vorotnikovsky, Petrovsky, Ivanovskoe, Nevinnomyssk

Use of the river

The Zelenchukskaya Hydroelectric Power Station was built on the river in 1999, and in 2002 a pumped storage power station with a water pressure of 220–230 m was built - the Zelenchukskaya HPP-GAESN, which makes it possible to provide electricity to the population of Karachay-Cherkessia. To pass trout through the pools (from the lower to the upper), on June 22, 2011, a fish ladder was put into operation at the Akaut hydroelectric complex. On the left bank there is the Teberda Nature Reserve. The river is used for timber rafting. And for lovers of water tourism, rafting trips are organized on the river. For lovers active recreation on the water, ready to raft down a mountain river and get a dose of adrenaline, the Bolshoy Zelenchuk River in Arkhyz is suitable. To see the beauty of Karachay-Cherkessia you need to make water trips and alloys, an opportunity to learn more about it and feel the power mountain river Bolshoy Zelenchuk in Arkhyz. And for fishing lovers, you can enjoy fishing and catch perch and pike, smut and trout.

Drain coordinates:

Source - confluence of rivers: Psysh and Kyzgych
Location - Arkhyz village
Coordinates: N 43°32′56″; E 41°16′21″

Mouth - Kuban River
Location - 701 km along the left bank
Coordinates: N 44°37′37″ E 41°56′01″