Kama

Kama
Map of the Volga watershed with the Kama highlighted
Origin	Udmurtia
Mouth	Volga River
Basin countries	Russia
Length	1,805 km (1,122 mi)
Source elevation	360 m (1,200 ft)
Avg. discharge	3800 m³/s
Basin area	507,000 km2 (196,000 sq mi)

Kama (Russian: река́ Ка́ма, Tatar: Çulman, Чулман) is a major river in Russia, the longest left tributary of the Volga and the largest one in discharge; in fact, it is larger than the Volga before junction.

It starts in Udmurtia, near the town of Kuliga (Russian: Кулига), flowing north-west on 125 miles, turn north-east near the town of Loyno (Russian: Лойно) for another 125 miles, then turns south and west in Perm Krai, flowing again through Udmurtia and then through Tatarstan, where it meets the Volga.

Among the Turkic peoples, Kama was known as Chulman, and was considered the origin of the Volga.

The overall length is 1,805 km (1,122 mi). The largest tributaries to the Kama are Kosa, Vishera, Sylva, Chusovaya, Belaya, Ik, Izh, Zay, Vyatka and Myosha Rivers. The cities situated on the banks of the Kama are Solikamsk, Berezniki, Perm, Sarapul, and Naberezhnye Chelny. It is located to the west of the Ural Mountains and is a fairly well used trade route.

Before the advent of the railroads, the Kama was connected by important portages with the basins of the Northern Dvina and the Pechora. In the early 19th century, Northern Ekaterininsky Canal connected the upper Kama with the Vychegda River (a tributary of the Northern Dvina), but was mostly abandoned after just a few years due to low use.

Dams and reservoirs

The Kama is dammed at several locations:

• At Perm, by the dam of the Kama Hydroelectric Station (Камская ГЭС), forming the Kama Reservoir (Камское водохранилище);
• At Chaykovsky, by the dam of the Votkinsk Hydroelectric Station (Воткинская ГЭС), forming the Votkinsk Reservoir;
• At Naberezhnye Chelny, by the dam of the Nizhnekamsk Hydroelectric Station (Нижнекамская ГЭС), forming the Nizhnekamsk Reservoir.

Gallery

Crossing of the rivers Chusovaya (tributary) and Kama

Picture of Kama River and city of Perm

View in Yelabuga.

A Russian truss bridge by Lavr Proskuryakov. Early colour photograph, taken ca. 1912.

External links

• Media related to Kama River at Wikimedia Commons
• (English) Naberezhnye Chelny and the Kama River

v • d • e Kama River Left tributary of the Volga River Tributaries Vishera · Mulyanka · Chusovaya · Belaya · Izh · Ik · Toyma · Sheshma · Zay · Vyatka · Myosha Reservoirs Kama · Votkinsk · Nizhnekamsk · Kuybyshev Hydroelectric stations Kama · Votkinsk · Nizhnekamsk

v • d • e Volga River Tributaries Selizharovka · Vazuza · Tvertsa · Shosha  · Dubna · Medveditsa · Nerl · Kashinka · Mologa · Sheksna · Kotorosl · Kostroma · Unzha · Uzola · Oka · Kudma · Kerzhenets · Sura · Vetluga · Rutka · Tsivil · Great Kokshaga · Little Kokshaga · Anish · Ilet · Sviyaga · Kazanka · Kama · Aktay · Bezdna · Cheremshan · Sok · Samara · Chapayevka · Little Irgiz · Irgiz · Tereshka · Yeruslan · Akhtuba (distributary) Reservoirs Volgo Lake · Ivankovo · Uglich · Rybinsk · Gorky · Cheboksary · Kuybyshev · Saratov · Volgograd Hydroelectric stations Ivankovo · Uglich · Rybinsk · Nizhny Novgorod · Cheboksary · Zhiguli · Saratov · Volga Canals Moscow Canal · Volga-Baltic Waterway · Volga-Don Canal

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