The Dzherginsky Reserve is a complex of unique geological and
water objects, peculiar landscapes, centers of concentration of rare
or endangered species of plants and animals. A distinctive feature
of the reserve, which is spread over an area of 238,088 thousand
hectares, is that the impact of the anthropogenic factor on the
ecosystem of even border areas is almost minimal due to the lack of
industrial centers and large settlements within a radius of more
than 200 km. In winter, along the Tazy-Uoyan road, you can see elk
and red deer, and towards the Amut lakes, you can see herds of
reindeer. From May to June you can meet bears, red deer, roe deer,
elks, wild boars. In the summer, you can admire the birds - golden
eagle, white-tailed eagle, swan, loon. In autumn, you can hear the
"concert" of mountain deer and even see them. The uniqueness of the
reserve is that here you can watch wild animals in their natural
habitat, accompanied by professional guides of the reserve.
Currently, 1208 species of animals have been recorded in the
protected area, including invertebrates - 1003 species, fish - 8,
amphibians - 3, reptiles - 5, birds - 146, mammals - 43. The
floristic list is 1170 species. 3 species listed in the IUCN Red
List, 19 species listed in the Red Book of the Russian Federation
and 66 species in the Red Book of Buryatia live and grow on the
territory of the reserve.
The reserve is home to 29 species
of fauna listed in the Red Book of Buryatia, of which 7 species are
listed in the Red Book of Russia: black stork, imperial eagle,
golden eagle, white-tailed eagle, gyrfalcon, peregrine falcon, river
otter. In addition, the white-tailed eagle is also listed in the Red
Book of the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature).
Amut basin
Of all the varieties of natural attractions, the relict
glacial Amut Basin, which is an underdeveloped (embryonic) basin of the
Baikal type with a chain of unique large and small lakes, stands in a
special row. The Amut Basin is located in the north-eastern part of the
reserve in the form of a bowl elongated from the south-west to the
north-east for 16-17 km, and from the south-east to the north-west for
8-9 km. The absolute height above sea level is 1210 - 1240 meters. All
lakes of the Amut Basin are of great scientific, educational,
recreational, health-improving, spiritual and aesthetic significance.
The Amut Basin has a peculiar geographical position at the junction
of the closures of three large mountain ranges - the Barguzinsky,
Ikatsky and South Muya ranges. The lakes of the Amut Basin are
moraine-dammed. They were formed as a result of the passage of a
glacier. Lakes Am vsscht, Churikto and Balan-Tamur are separated by
ridges and are located at different heights above sea level. In the
chain of alpine lakes of the Amut Basin, several large ones stand out -
Amut, Yakondynko, Tamur and Churikto, Lake Malan-Zurkhen. In addition,
the Amut basin is strewn with countless small lakes. Lake Amut (from the
Evenk. "Lake, sea") is the largest in the reserve, located in the
northern part of the Amut basin at an altitude of 1400 m above sea
level. It has a T-shape, 4m wide and 8.5m long, with an absolute depth
of 70m. A characteristic feature of Amut is its heterogeneity in terms
of thermal regime. In summer, there is an inconstancy of temperature
indicators (up to 5-6 degrees). In general, the lake is characterized by
low temperatures. This is the most transparent lake in the Amut Basin,
it has 4 small tributaries and the only source is the Amut channel.
Species composition of the lake: grayling, lenok, burbot, river minnow.
Lake Yakondykon - (perch lake) is located in the northeastern part
of the Amut basin between two moraine ridges, witnesses of ancient
glaciers. The lake has a T-shape, the width at its widest point is 0.8
km, and the length is 1.2 km. the average depth is 15-20 m. The lake is
picturesquely buried in the greenery of elfin cedar. Lake Yakondykon is
connected to the Barguzin River by the Amut channel. This is the only
lake in the Amut Basin inhabited by perch. Lake Balan-Tamur is a
lake-like extension of the Barguzin River of almost regular rounded
shape with large differences in depth from 1-2 to 10 m. The bottom of
the lake is dotted with many large boulders. Lake Balan-Tamur is very
rich in fish. Taimen, grayling, burbot, river minnow live here.
According to Buryat and Evenk legends, Lake Balan-Tamur bears the name
of the Evenk shaman Balan-Tamur and is considered sacred. From ancient
times up to the present day, elders of clans come to the lake and ask
“for more rain, no forest fires, a lot of animals and crops in the
forests, and more health.”
Lake Churikto, as well as Lake
Blanc-Tamur, is a lake-like extension of the Barguzin River, up to 5
meters deep. A small stream flows into the lake. Lake Malan-Zurkhen is
endorheic, without fish. It is not the deepest lake (14 m), the lake is
interesting with a ghostly island that appears every 10-15 years. The
following types of fish are found in the lakes: Baikal-Lena grayling,
lake grayling, Siberian char, perch, Amur spike, burbot, river minnow
and Red Book species - lenok (Red Book of the Republic of Belarus and
the Russian Federation) and taimen (Red Book of the Republic of Belarus
and the Russian Federation, IUCN Red List) . Black-throated diver,
whooper swan, black mallard, hawk-nosed scoter, hobby bird, hawk-owl,
and white-tailed eagle nest on the lakes (Red Book of the Republic of
Belarus, RF, Red List of IUCN). In the upper reaches of the river
Barguzin is inhabited by the river otter, also a rare protected species.
The forest subspecies of the reindeer is constantly kept on the
high-mountain tundra. On the slopes of the ridges framing the Amut
Basin, small colonies of the black-capped marmot were noted. The
Barguzin River is one of the largest rivers in the Baikal region, the
third largest after the Selenga and the Upper Angara, with a length of
about 480 km. This is a mountain river, originating from the spurs of
the Ikat and South Muya hebts, with a winding channel, a fast current,
an abundance of rapids and rifts, with steep banks made of bedrock,
pebbles and sandstone. During 5-6 months of the year the river is
ice-bound. Barguzin is notable for the lake Balan-Tamur, which is an
extension of the riverbed. The Barguzin River is born very beautifully -
hundreds of streams flow down, uniting into a single stream, forming a
mountainous rapidly-stormy Barguzin. Falling from the mountains,
uprooting trees with roots, sweeping away stones in its path, washing
away the banks, it rushes along a winding channel. In the middle of its
turbulent flow along the Amut Basin, it overflows, forming Lake
Balan-Tamur. The Barguzin is the main artery of the Barguzin Valley and
flows into Lake Baikal.
Waterfall on the river Yurgon
On the
river Yurgon, in a small picturesque canyon, there is a waterfall
Yurgon. Its height is about 4 meters, width - about 3 meters. The stream
falls from a narrow rocky section into an azure lake, and a pebble
island is located a little lower than the lake.
Thermal spring
Megdelgun (Megdylkon). The source of Megdylkon is located. 26 km from
the Umkhei thermal spring on the left bank of the Barguzin River. Water
temperature 40oC. Coordinates 55о12/s. sh. 111o13/v. d.
In the
area of the Megdelgun thermal spring, forb birch-spruce forests,
thickets of bird cherry and fieldfare, plants similar to low-grass plain
steppes grow. All these communities are completely uncharacteristic of
the rest of the protected area and are very rare in Northern
Transbaikalia.
You can stay overnight in the village. Maysk.
Hotel at the office of the protection department of the reserve (7 beds)
You can also spend the night on the territory of the reserve in cordon
houses, in tents.
Ecological route "Stars of Balan - Tamura"
The length of the route
is 38 km. Estimated travel time: 120 hours. Method of movement of
visitors along the route: on foot, horseback.Seasonality of using the
route: the route is valid from June to September.Maximum permissible
load on the excursion trail: no more than 10 groups per month, the
maximum group size is 15 people. behavior in the reserve. Description of
the route: The trail starts from the cordon "Kovyli" to the cordon
"Balan-Tamur" through the cordon "Amut". The trail runs along the
Barguzin River in the upper reaches to the lakes of the Amut Basin with
beautiful landscapes. Picturesque waterfall on the river. Yurgon, unique
water bodies of the Amut Basin: mountain lakes Amut, Balan-Tamur,
Malan-Zurkhen, Churikto and Yakondykan. Recommended target audience of
visitors: nature lovers. Arrangement and equipment of the route: 4 huts,
tables, benches, fireplaces, stoves, information boards. Duration of the
tour - 7 days / 6 nights
Ecological route: "Jirga"
The length
of the route is 34 km. Estimated travel time: 120 hours. Method of
movement of visitors along the route: on foot, horseback. Seasonality of
using the route: all year round. Maximum permissible load on the
excursion trail: no more than 10 groups per month, the maximum group
size is 15 people. Requirements for the mode of stay on the route:
compliance with the rules of conduct in the reserve. Brief description
of the route: The trail starts from the cordon "Jirga" to Lake Jirga.
The length of the trail is 34 km. The trail passes through the river
valley. Jirga in the lower part with meadow vegetation, in the upper
part of the bush, shrub-moss swamps, alpine light forest, mountain lake
Dzhirga, located on the watershed. Recommended target audience: nature
lovers. Arrangement and equipment of the route: 3 huts, information
boards.
Ecological route: "Trail of the old Evenk"
The length
of the route is 28 km. Estimated travel time: 72 hours. Method of
movement of visitors along the route: on foot, horseback.Seasonality of
using the route: the route is valid from June to September.Maximum
permissible load on the excursion trail: no more than 8 groups per
month, the maximum group size is 15 people. behavior in the reserve.
Brief description of the route: The trail starts from the cordon
"Balan-Tamur" to the road "Tazy-Uoyan" in the area "81 km". The trail
runs along the banks of the river. Barguzin. Main attractions: unique
sections of the upper reaches of the river. Barguzin with rocky clamps,
white-tailed eagle nesting (IUCN), section of the Quiet Plesy river.
Recommended target audience: nature lovers. Arrangement and equipment of
the route: trail marking, 4 huts, tables, benches, fireplaces, stoves,
information boards.
Ecological route: "From the sources of
Barguzin to Northern Baikal"
Route length: 90 km. Estimated time of
the route: 72 hours. Method of movement of visitors along the route: on
foot, horseback, automobile. Main attractions: the Pass area (panoramic
view of the Barguzin valley), the Shergikan area, the mouth of the
Kovyli River (non-freezing lake) , Birankhur (ilakan - steppe slopes -
the opportunity to see brown bears during the rut, ungulates all year
round), Kovyli area, Quarry area, ford 81 km, Pass 96 km area (panoramic
view of the northern part of the reserve). Seasonality of using the
route: all year round. Requirements for the mode of stay on the route:
compliance with the rules of conduct in the reserve. Brief description
of the route: the route passes through the territory of the reserve,
along the western border and completely crosses the territory of the
reserve from south to north. The route is being developed within the
framework of the Federal Target Program "Protection of Lake Baikal and
socio-economic development of the Baikal Natural Territory" for
2015-2020. The trail starts from the Umkhey cordon along the Tazy-Uoyan
fire-fighting road. Recommended target audience: nature lovers.
Arrangement and equipment of the route: the route is equipped with
information boards and signs, recreation areas, parking lots,
observation and observation towers.
Located in the upper reaches of the Barguzin River
at the junction of three large mountain ranges - the Barguzinsky,
Ikatsky and Yuzhno-Muisky ranges. Occupies the Amut Basin with the
adjacent slopes of the ranges up to their watersheds in the north
and east. In the south, the border runs along the valley of the Seya
River, in the west - along the left bank of the Barguzin.
The
area of the reserve is 238,088 hectares; of these, the area
occupied by water is 894 hectares. A 2 km wide buffer zone with a
total area of about 7.5 million hectares has been created around
the reserve. Due to the mountainous relief and inaccessibility, the
territory of the reserve has suffered little from human activities.
The climate is characterized by a sharp
continentality, harshness and aridity. The frost-free period lasts
an average of 83 days.
Flora and fauna
The forest belt is
dominated by larch forests. At the moment, more than 650 species of
vascular plants, 29 species of rare and endemic plants have been
identified in the reserve, 201 species of vertebrates are noted:
fish - 6 species, amphibians - 3, reptiles - 4, birds - 145, mammals
- 43. Elk live in the reserve , musk deer, red deer, wild boar,
Siberian roe deer, rarely - reindeer.