Ileksa River
Encyclopedia
The Ileksa is a river in Onezhsky District
of Arkhangelsk Oblast
and Pudozhsky District
of the Republic of Karelia
in Russia
. It is the principal tributary
of Lake Vodlozero
, and thus belongs to the basins of Lake Onega
and of the Baltic Sea
. It is 155 kilometres (96.3 mi) long, and the area of its basin 3950 square kilometres (1,525.1 sq mi). The main tributary of the Ileksa is the Chusreka River (left).
Ileksa is part of major waterway, which starts as the Verkhnyaya River, which is a tributary of Lake Kalgachinskoye, and continues as the Vodla River
(which flows out of Lake Vodlozero
) to Lake Onega
, further as the Svir River
to Lake Ladoga
, and further as the Neva River
to the Gulf of Finland
of the Baltic Sea. The Ileksa connects lakes Kalgachinskoye and Vodlozero. The course of the river passes a number of lakes, the biggest of which are Lake Monastyrskoye, Lake Ik, and Lake Luzskoye, all located in Arkhangelsk Oblast close to the border with Karelia. There are many rapid
s on the Ileksa.
The river flows in the coniferous forest (taiga
). Until 1990s, the Ileksa was used for timber rafting. There is currently no population along the Ileksa.
Almost all of the valley of the Ileksa belongs to the Vodlozersky National Park, shared by Arkhangelsk Oblast and the Republic of Karelia. The park was established in 1991 to protect the taiga
, coniferous forests. Since 2001, the National Park has the status of the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, the first one in Russia.
Onezhsky District
Onezhsky District is an administrative district , one of the twenty-one in Arkhangelsk Oblast, Russia. Municipally, it is incorporated as Onezhsky Municipal District...
of Arkhangelsk Oblast
Arkhangelsk Oblast
Arkhangelsk Oblast is a federal subject of Russia . It includes the Arctic archipelagos of Franz Josef Land and Novaya Zemlya, as well as the Solovetsky Islands in the White Sea....
and Pudozhsky District
Pudozhsky District
Pudozhsky District is an administrative district , one of the fifteen in the Republic of Karelia, Russia. Municipally, it is incorporated as Pudozhsky Municipal District. Its administrative center is the town of Pudozh. District's population: 27,538 ; Population of Pudozh accounts for 44.8% of...
of the Republic of Karelia
Republic of Karelia
The Republic of Karelia is a federal subject of Russia .-Geography:The republic is located in the northwestern part of Russia, taking intervening position between the basins of White and Baltic seas...
in Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
. It is the principal tributary
Tributary
A tributary or affluent is a stream or river that flows into a main stem river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean...
of Lake Vodlozero
Lake Vodlozero
Lake Vodlozero is a large freshwater lake in the southeastern part of the Republic of Karelia, Russia. It is located at and has an area of 322 km². It is 36 km long and 16 km wide. There are more than 190 islands on the lake. Vodlozero is used for fishery. It freezes up in early...
, and thus belongs to the basins of Lake Onega
Lake Onega
Lake Onega is a lake in the north-west European part of Russia, located on the territory of Republic of Karelia, Leningrad Oblast and Vologda Oblast. It belongs to the basin of Baltic Sea, Atlantic Ocean, and is the second largest lake in Europe after Lake Ladoga...
and of the Baltic Sea
Baltic Sea
The Baltic Sea is a brackish mediterranean sea located in Northern Europe, from 53°N to 66°N latitude and from 20°E to 26°E longitude. It is bounded by the Scandinavian Peninsula, the mainland of Europe, and the Danish islands. It drains into the Kattegat by way of the Øresund, the Great Belt and...
. It is 155 kilometres (96.3 mi) long, and the area of its basin 3950 square kilometres (1,525.1 sq mi). The main tributary of the Ileksa is the Chusreka River (left).
Ileksa is part of major waterway, which starts as the Verkhnyaya River, which is a tributary of Lake Kalgachinskoye, and continues as the Vodla River
Vodla River
Vodla is a river in the south-east of Republic of Karelia, Russia. The town of Pudozh is located along Vodla....
(which flows out of Lake Vodlozero
Lake Vodlozero
Lake Vodlozero is a large freshwater lake in the southeastern part of the Republic of Karelia, Russia. It is located at and has an area of 322 km². It is 36 km long and 16 km wide. There are more than 190 islands on the lake. Vodlozero is used for fishery. It freezes up in early...
) to Lake Onega
Lake Onega
Lake Onega is a lake in the north-west European part of Russia, located on the territory of Republic of Karelia, Leningrad Oblast and Vologda Oblast. It belongs to the basin of Baltic Sea, Atlantic Ocean, and is the second largest lake in Europe after Lake Ladoga...
, further as the Svir River
Svir River
Svir is a river in the north-east of Leningrad Oblast, Russia. It flows from Lake Onega west to Lake Ladoga, thus connecting the two largest lakes of Europe. It is the largest river flowing into Lake Ladoga....
to Lake Ladoga
Lake Ladoga
Lake Ladoga is a freshwater lake located in the Republic of Karelia and Leningrad Oblast in northwestern Russia, not far from Saint Petersburg. It is the largest lake in Europe, and the 14th largest lake by area in the world.-Geography:...
, and further as the Neva River
Neva River
The Neva is a river in northwestern Russia flowing from Lake Ladoga through the western part of Leningrad Oblast to the Neva Bay of the Gulf of Finland. Despite its modest length , it is the third largest river in Europe in terms of average discharge .The Neva is the only river flowing from Lake...
to the Gulf of Finland
Gulf of Finland
The Gulf of Finland is the easternmost arm of the Baltic Sea. It extends between Finland and Estonia all the way to Saint Petersburg in Russia, where the river Neva drains into it. Other major cities around the gulf include Helsinki and Tallinn...
of the Baltic Sea. The Ileksa connects lakes Kalgachinskoye and Vodlozero. The course of the river passes a number of lakes, the biggest of which are Lake Monastyrskoye, Lake Ik, and Lake Luzskoye, all located in Arkhangelsk Oblast close to the border with Karelia. There are many rapid
Rapid
A rapid is a section of a river where the river bed has a relatively steep gradient causing an increase in water velocity and turbulence. A rapid is a hydrological feature between a run and a cascade. A rapid is characterised by the river becoming shallower and having some rocks exposed above the...
s on the Ileksa.
The river flows in the coniferous forest (taiga
Taiga
Taiga , also known as the boreal forest, is a biome characterized by coniferous forests.Taiga is the world's largest terrestrial biome. In North America it covers most of inland Canada and Alaska as well as parts of the extreme northern continental United States and is known as the Northwoods...
). Until 1990s, the Ileksa was used for timber rafting. There is currently no population along the Ileksa.
Almost all of the valley of the Ileksa belongs to the Vodlozersky National Park, shared by Arkhangelsk Oblast and the Republic of Karelia. The park was established in 1991 to protect the taiga
Taiga
Taiga , also known as the boreal forest, is a biome characterized by coniferous forests.Taiga is the world's largest terrestrial biome. In North America it covers most of inland Canada and Alaska as well as parts of the extreme northern continental United States and is known as the Northwoods...
, coniferous forests. Since 2001, the National Park has the status of the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, the first one in Russia.