Tuloma River
Encyclopedia
The Tuloma River is a river in Murmansk Oblast
in Russia
. With a drainage basin
of 21,500 km² and an average discharge
at 255 m³/s, the Tuloma is one of the biggest rivers in northern Fennoscandia
.
The river has its sources in the Saariselkä
mountains in the eastern parts of Lapplands län in Finland
. The Tuloma River itself is formed by the confluence of the Lutto
and Nota rivers at Lake Notozero
, and its outflow is in the Kola Bay
, 10 km south of Murmansk
in the Kola Peninsula
in Russia
.
, close to the rivers outflow into the Kola Bay. The dam
raised the river 19 meters, and the resulting reservoir was 60 km long.
The second and largest power plant, the Upper Tuloma, was built in the 1960s at Verkhnetulomskiy, 60 km further upriver. A 62 meter high dam was constructed below the outflow from Lake Notozero, forming a large reservoir 120 km long and up to 20 km wide.
(Lenhydroproject)
in Norway in productivity, with annual catches in excess of 100 tons. At Padun Falls at the outflow from Lake Notozero the Skolt Sami
had rights to catch salmon in a large weir, and every year tens of tons of salmon was caught at this site alone.
When hydro power plants were built the salmon spawning grounds and migration routes were destroyed. At the first power plant, the Lower Tuloma, a fish ladder
was built. Within a few years salmon catches soon approached their former levels. When the Upper Tuloma plant and a dam at Verkhnetulomskiy were built the salmon stock collapsed. Lake Notozero became part of the large Verkhnetulomskoye reservoir, and the Padun Falls was gone. A fish lift was built at the dam, but it did not work and was closed down after a short time. There remains, however, a small salmon stock in the Toluma, spawning in the tributaries below the dam, especially in the Pecha
. (tuulomajoki.fi)
There is a project under way to ascertain whether it is possible to reestablish the salmon to the river, by allowing the fish to pass the dams and thus reaching spawning grounds in the tributaries above the reservoirs, which are still in their natural state. It is hoped that this will bring substantial benefits to the region, through recreational fishing and eco-tourism. (Tuloma River Project)
Murmansk Oblast
Murmansk Oblast is a federal subject of Russia , located in the northwestern part of Russia. Its administrative center is the city of Murmansk.-Geography:...
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...
. With a drainage basin
Drainage basin
A drainage basin is an extent or an area of land where surface water from rain and melting snow or ice converges to a single point, usually the exit of the basin, where the waters join another waterbody, such as a river, lake, reservoir, estuary, wetland, sea, or ocean...
of 21,500 km² and an average discharge
Discharge (hydrology)
In hydrology, discharge is the volume rate of water flow, including any suspended solids , dissolved chemical species and/or biologic material , which is transported through a given cross-sectional area...
at 255 m³/s, the Tuloma is one of the biggest rivers in northern Fennoscandia
Fennoscandia
Fennoscandia and Fenno-Scandinavia are geographic and geological terms used to describe the Scandinavian Peninsula, the Kola Peninsula, Karelia and Finland...
.
The river has its sources in the Saariselkä
Saariselkä
Saariselkä is a mountain area and a village in Finland. It is a popular tourist destination, providing activities such as skiing, hiking and a spa. It is located in Northern Lapland and belongs to the Inari municipality....
mountains in the eastern parts of Lapplands län in Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
. The Tuloma River itself is formed by the confluence of the Lutto
Lutto River
The Lutto River is a river that is part of the watercourse of the Tuloma River. It flows through the eastern parts of the municipalities of Inari and Sodankylä in Finland and in the southern part of Pechenga in Murmansk Oblast, Russia...
and Nota rivers at Lake Notozero
Lake Notozero
Lake Notozero is a large freshwater lake on the Kola Peninsula, Murmansk Oblast, Russia. It has an area of 78.9 km². Tuloma River flows from the lake....
, and its outflow is in the Kola Bay
Kola Bay
Kola Bay or Murmansk Fjord is a 57-km-long fjord of the Barents Sea that cuts into the northern part of the Kola Peninsula. It is up to 7 km wide and has a depth of 200 to 300 metres. The Tuloma and Kola Rivers discharge into the bay....
, 10 km south of Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk is a city and the administrative center of Murmansk Oblast, Russia. It serves as a seaport and is located in the extreme northwest part of Russia, on the Kola Bay, from the Barents Sea on the northern shore of the Kola Peninsula, not far from Russia's borders with Norway and Finland...
in the Kola Peninsula
Kola Peninsula
The Kola Peninsula is a peninsula in the far northwest of Russia. Constituting the bulk of the territory of Murmansk Oblast, it lies almost completely to the north of the Arctic Circle and is washed by the Barents Sea in the north and the White Sea in the east and southeast...
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...
.
Hydro Power development
There are two hydroelectric power stations on the Tuloma. The Lower Tuloma was finished in 1938, and is located at the town of MurmashiMurmashi
Murmashi is an urban locality in Kolsky District of Murmansk Oblast, Russia, located on the Kola Peninsula on the lower Tuloma River, southwest of Murmansk. Population: It was founded as a work settlement around 1930....
, close to the rivers outflow into the Kola Bay. The dam
Dam
A dam is a barrier that impounds water or underground streams. Dams generally serve the primary purpose of retaining water, while other structures such as floodgates or levees are used to manage or prevent water flow into specific land regions. Hydropower and pumped-storage hydroelectricity are...
raised the river 19 meters, and the resulting reservoir was 60 km long.
The second and largest power plant, the Upper Tuloma, was built in the 1960s at Verkhnetulomskiy, 60 km further upriver. A 62 meter high dam was constructed below the outflow from Lake Notozero, forming a large reservoir 120 km long and up to 20 km wide.
| Hydroelectric Plant | Year built | Head | Capacity | Avg. annual production |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lower Tuloma | 1934-38 | 19 m | 56 MW | 250 GWh |
| Upper Tuloma | 1961-66 | 62 m | 268 MW | 800 GWh |
(Lenhydroproject)
Fishing
The Tuloma used to be a great salmon river, on a par with the famous Tana RiverTana River (Norway)
Tana river , is a long river in Sápmi, in the Norwegian county of in Finnmark and the Lapland of Finland. The Sámi name means "Great River". The main tributaries of Tana are Anarjohka and Karasjohka....
in Norway in productivity, with annual catches in excess of 100 tons. At Padun Falls at the outflow from Lake Notozero the Skolt Sami
Skolt Sami
Skolt Sami is a Uralic, Sami language spoken by approximately 400 speakers in Finland, mainly in Sevettijärvi, and approximately 20–30 speakers of the Njuõˊttjäuˊrr dialect in an area surrounding Lake Lovozero in Russia. Skolt Sami used to also be spoken on the Neiden area of Norway,...
had rights to catch salmon in a large weir, and every year tens of tons of salmon was caught at this site alone.
When hydro power plants were built the salmon spawning grounds and migration routes were destroyed. At the first power plant, the Lower Tuloma, a fish ladder
Fish ladder
A fish ladder, also known as a fishway, fish pass or fish steps, is a structure on or around artificial barriers to facilitate diadromous fishes' natural migration. Most fishways enable fish to pass around the barriers by swimming and leaping up a series of relatively low steps into the waters on...
was built. Within a few years salmon catches soon approached their former levels. When the Upper Tuloma plant and a dam at Verkhnetulomskiy were built the salmon stock collapsed. Lake Notozero became part of the large Verkhnetulomskoye reservoir, and the Padun Falls was gone. A fish lift was built at the dam, but it did not work and was closed down after a short time. There remains, however, a small salmon stock in the Toluma, spawning in the tributaries below the dam, especially in the Pecha
Pecha
Pecha is a Tibetan word meaning "book", but in particular, refers to the traditional Tibetan loose-leaf books such as the kangyur, tengyur, and sadhanas. Pechas sometimes have top and bottom cover plates made of wood, cardboard, or other firm materials, and are often seen wrapped in cloth for...
. (tuulomajoki.fi)
There is a project under way to ascertain whether it is possible to reestablish the salmon to the river, by allowing the fish to pass the dams and thus reaching spawning grounds in the tributaries above the reservoirs, which are still in their natural state. It is hoped that this will bring substantial benefits to the region, through recreational fishing and eco-tourism. (Tuloma River Project)