The Klyazma is a river in the European part of Russia, a left tributary of the Oka. Its total length is 686 km.[1] It originates in Moscow Region and flows into the Oka in Vladimir Region. In its lower course it serves as a natural border between Vladimir and Nizhny Novgorod Regions.[2]

Hydrography

On the stretch from the mouth of the Lyulikh River to its confluence with the Oka, the Klyazma is 34 km long, while the border between the regions itself is only a third of that length, because of the river's numerous bends.[1] On this stretch the depths are shallow, up to 3 m, the current is moderate, the bottom is firm and sandy, the river is no wider than 150 m, and the banks are steep, with good access to the water.[1] In the channel sections the depth is 2–4 m, and the bottom is sandy-clayey with patches of shell rock and, in places, snags.[3]

Navigation

Until the 2000s, the Klyazma was navigable from its mouth to Vladimir, a distance of about 267 km. The largest cargo port was located in Vyazniki; in Gorokhovets there was a historic shipyard. At present, regular navigation has effectively ceased: only private yachts and motorboats travel on the river. A navigable tributary, the Teza River, with its cascade of artificial reservoirs and locks, is now abandoned and falling into ruin.[1]

Nizhny Novgorod Section

In Nizhny Novgorod Region, the Klyazma flows through Volodarsky District, forming the border there with Vladimir Region.[2] The Nizhny Novgorod bank near the selo of Ilyino and the Village of Galitsy (Gorokhovetsky District of Vladimir Region, right at the border) is popular among anglers: the river is home to bream, silver bream, ide, pike, burbot, perch, and roach; in autumn, burbot are caught on bottom lines.[3] The floodplain is rich in oxbow lakes — Purkhma, Ostrovito, Shtany, Zavod, Dolgoye, and Bolshachyovo; herons nest in the riverside forests every year.[2] The "Lower Klyazma" route, 21.4 km long and designed for hiking, cycling, and cross-country skiing, runs between the Ilyino and Ilinogorskaya stations of the Gorky Railway.[2]

Sources

  1. autotravel-nn.ru — The Klyazma River — The Klyazma River in Nizhny Novgorod Region
  2. rutrail.org — Lower Klyazma
  3. rybolovnn.ru — Klyazma. Galitsy — an excellent fishing spot in Nizhny Novgorod — Rybolov NN