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54-588: The Merkits lived in the basins of the Selenga and lower Orkhon River (modern south Buryatia and Selenge Province ). After a struggle of over 20 years, they were defeated in 1200 by Genghis Khan and were incorporated into the Mongol Empire . The word Merged (мэргэд) with a hard "g" is a plural form derived from the Mongolian word mergen (мэргэн), which means both "wise" and "skillful marksperson", as in adept in

108-607: A delta into Lake Baikal." A powerful Siberian anti-cyclone is the major influence on the climate of the Selenga basin. It is formed in September and October and disappears in April and May. Due to the anti-cyclone, the 448,000-km river basin is prone to a climate of harsh winters, which consist of sunny days and low air temperatures, and warm summers. The river experiences "...extended summer floods and short occasional (event-driven) floods in

162-772: A growth in farming and mining activities. Factors that affect the water quality of the Selenga River can be classified as either anthropogenic or natural factors. Anthropogenic factors include mining activities, agriculture, breeding, dumping of wastewater into water bodies and water use. Natural factors include erosion processes and weathering. The escalation of anthropogenic factors can be correlated with pollution by "potentially toxic elements, including metals and persistent organic pollutants." Mongolia has had rapid growth in GDP since 1999, fueled by agriculture, mining and light industry. These activities, particularly mining, have threatened

216-400: A new river, to be given its own name, perhaps one already known to the people who live upon its banks. Conversely, explorers approaching a new land from the sea encounter its rivers at their mouths, where they name them on their charts, then, following a river upstream, encounter each tributary as a forking of the stream to the right and to the left, which then appear on their charts as such; or

270-530: A study published in volume 181 of the journal Cell , the link between Native Americans and their ancestors in East Asia was established using one of the tooth fragments found at the Ust-Kyakhta-3 site. Periodic floods are characteristic of the Selenga River, with small flooding events observed annually. There have been four periods of high-flooding: 1902-1908, 1932-1942, 1971-1977 and 1990-1998. The floods of

324-491: Is 3-5 degrees Celsius and finishes in approximately mid-June. The second migration of the Baikal sturgeon is the main migration period. It coincides with the summer floods of the Selenga. When the water temperature begins to cool, this signals the end of the migration. There is also a non-migrating species of sturgeon that inhabits the Selenga catchment. Large populations of migrating, breeding and moulting waterbirds assemble at

378-644: Is a major river in Mongolia and Buryatia , Russia . Originating from its headwater tributaries , the Ider and the Delger mörön , it flows for 992–1,024 kilometres (616–636 mi) before draining into Lake Baikal . The Selenga therefore makes up the most distant headwaters of the Yenisey - Angara river system. Carrying 935 cubic metres per second (33,000 cu ft/s) of water into Lake Baikal , it makes up almost half of

432-550: Is a palearctic ecoregion that is a medium between steppe and taiga. The region includes the Orkhon and Selenge river basins, and features scattered forests as well as extensive mountain ranges. The mean altitude of the landscape is 800-1200m, with flora like Rosa acicularis found at lower altitudes. The area has a dry and humid climate that is influenced by warm winds from the northeast steppe regions. The construction of Irkutsk Hydroelectric Power station began in spring of 1950 and

486-478: Is located in northern Mongolia.  A semi-arid region, the basin is 280,000 km  and is Mongolia's largest basin.  The basin has two main rivers: the Selenga and the Selenga's tributary, the Orkhon.  The "major sub-basins are the Egiin, Ider, Orkhon and Tuul river basins"  with Lake Baikal occupying 47% of the Selenga River basin. The terrain of the basin is dominated "by forest or grassland and

540-430: Is underlain by permafrost" according to an article published in 2003 by Ma et al . Lobate shaped and 40 km wide, the Selenga River delta is surrounded by marshlands. The formation of the delta is dependent on the sediment load carried by the river, with the lake tides having little impact in terms of geographical change. The sediment balance of the delta is dependent on physical processes, and this, in turn, affects

594-548: The Keraites , attacked the Merkit and rescued Börte within the year. The Mergids were dispersed after this attack. Shortly thereafter she gave birth to a son named Jochi . Temüjin accepted paternity but the question lingered throughout Jochi's life. These incidents caused a strong animosity between Temüjin's family and the Merkits. From 1191 to 1207, Temujin fought the Merkits five times. By

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648-631: The Angara River. The Selenga River is 1,480 kilometres (920 mi) long and is formed from the convergence of the Ider and Delger rivers. It flows from Mongolia and into east-central Russia, acting as the main tributary of Lake Baikal. The Delger River flows from the Sangilen Mountains, "found on the border between Mongolia and the Russian republic of Tyva", while the Ider's headwaters are located in

702-632: The Hangyn Mountains in central Mongolia. Upon the meeting of the Delger and Ider Rivers, the Selenga River moves northeast from Mongolia and joins with the Orkhon River at Suhbaatar. The river then continues north into Russia. Once in Russia, the river turns eastward towards Ulan-Ude, the capital of Buryatia and then goes northwards to Tataurovo. The Selenga proceeds to move westwards and then "flows through

756-702: The Merged. Genghis Khan had a Merged khatun (queen) named Khulan. She died while Mongol forces besieged Ryazan in 1236. In 1236, during the Mongol invasion of Volga Bulgaria , a body of the Merkit was found in the area of land dominated by the Bulgar and Kipchak . A few Mergeds achieved prominent position among the Mongols, but they were classified as Mongols in Mongolian society. Great Khan Guyuk 's beloved khatun Oghul Qaimish , who

810-504: The Selenga River and its tributaries, the Chikoy, Dzhida, Khilok and Temnik Rivers, burst their banks. The flood plains and the islands in the Selenga River were completely flooded. On August 16, Verkhneudinsk, the city now known as Ulan-Ude, was flooded and the water level in the city reached 420 centimetres (170 in). The flood destroyed fifty-four buildings in Selenginsk. After the flood,

864-467: The Selenga River and reached its peak on August 14. The water level then proceeded to decrease gradually over ten days. On the first day of the flood, the water level rose by 4 metres (13 ft) in three hours. The water level in the Selenga River was over 350 centimetres (140 in) near Verkhneundinsk. The flood did not heavily impact settlements on the banks of the Selenga River, but there were reports of bridge and telegraph pole destruction between

918-497: The Selenga River can be classified based on the degree of impact. "Ordinary" floods are floods accompanied by little damage, with maximum outcomes including river overflowing, floodplain flooding and small structural instability. "Large" floods are those that cover a substantial section of the river and lead to flooding of territories. The maximum outcomes of "large" floods include flooding of settlements and agricultural land damage. "Catastrophic" floods refer to floods that cover

972-710: The Selenga River from the Mongolian Frontier down to Selenginsk ." The "Buriat-Mongol Archaeological Expedition from the Institute for the History of Material Culture, Academy of Sciences of the U.S.S.R and the Institute of Culture of the Buriat-Mongol A.S.S.R", undertook a Paleolithic study in the Trans-Baikal region from 1947 to 1958. Directed by A. P. Okladnikov, the study uncovered 30 new sites, including one that covered

1026-461: The Selenga River headwaters and the upper Khilok River. Lake Baikal is the habitat of the Siberian Baikal sturgeon. The Selenga river is a breeding ground for the sturgeon, with migration taking place within the river system. The fish has two migration periods, which occur during the warmer part of the year. The first migration period begins in the second half of April when the water temperature

1080-451: The Selenga basin is influenced by a powerful Siberian anti-cyclone. The weather consists of harsh winters and warm summers, with the river freezing from November to April. The Selenga River delta is a Ramsar site , surrounded by marshlands. Found in the administrative region of the Republic of Buryatia, the wetlands are the habitat of a large number of threatened and endemic species, including

1134-659: The Siberian Baikal sturgeon and over 170 species of birds. The Selenge-Orkhon forest steppe includes the areas of the Orkhon and Selenge river basins. The region has scattered forests and extensive mountain ranges. River modifications like the Irkutsk Hydroelectric Power Station have affected the environment of the Selenga Delta, causing it to become waterlogged. Activities including mining, agriculture, breeding and dumping of wastewater have also affected

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1188-773: The Zaamar gold placer, the Shar River gold mining, settlements and agriculture. There are ten large-scale wastewater treatment plants in the Selenge River basin in Mongolia. These wastewater treatment plants are located in the Mongolian cities of Tsetserleg, Bulgan, Darkhan City, Uliastai, Erdenet City, Arvaikheer, Sukhbaatar, Zuunmod, Murun and Ulaanbaatar. The city of Ulan-Ude uses the Selenga River as its primary source of water for its municipal water supply, using 60 wells with submersible pumps to withdraw water. The total pumped water in 2009

1242-423: The area from Selenginsk to the Selenga River mouth, which provided evidence of a Paleolithic-type culture. Among these 30 sites was one called Ust-Kyakhta-3.  While Ust-Kyakhta-3 was discovered in 1947, it was only later excavated in 1976 and 1978, yielding "more than 40,000 stone artifacts [and] abundant faunal remains".  Further archaeological work in 2012 at the site found two human tooth fragments. In

1296-723: The breeding grounds of many endemic fish species in Lake Baikal. This would have a flow-on effect on the rare birds and aquatic species that inhabit the area. The Shuren Hydropower Plant Project was proposed in 2013 and was under the review of a World Bank-funded environmental and social impact assessment. On September 27, 2017, the World Bank froze its tender process on the Shuren Hydropower Plant Project. Leocottus kesslerii gussinensis and Leocottus kesslerii arachlensis are endemic subspecies of fish that are found in

1350-417: The contamination has been shown to have an ecological impact. The Selenga River has an influential role in managing the economic futures of Mongolia and Russia. It is used extensively for activities that include hay harvesting, mining, grazing, commercial and sport fishing. Many of these uses contribute to the degradation of the river’s water quality, with the main Mongolian sources of pollution, including

1404-458: The environment of the river. There has been an observed degradation of water quality from these anthropogenic factors. Natural factors like erosion processes and weathering have also contributed to the decline in water quality. The proposed Shuren Hydropower Plant Project was protested against by environmental groups because of the potential ecological ramifications it would have on the Selenga Delta. The reasons cited included potential disruption to

1458-475: The floods of 1830, 1869 and 1897. The Selenga River basin is a semi-arid region that is 280,000 square kilometres (110,000 sq mi) in area. It is part of the Arctic Ocean Basin and is located in northern Mongolia. Stone implement artifacts found on the Selenga River at the end of the 19th century have been used to form a link between Native Americans and their ancestors in East Asia. The climate of

1512-447: The flow of the river and the breeding grounds of endemic fish species in Lake Baikal. The name Selenge comes from Mongolian seleh , which means "to swim". 'Selenga' is the russified version of the same. An alternate source believes the name originated with the Evenki word sele ("iron") to which the possessive nge suffix was added. The Selenge Province of Mongolia is named after

1566-594: The general sense, mergen usually denotes someone who is skillful and wise in their affairs. The Mergeds were a confederation of three tribes, inhabiting the basin of the Selenga and Orkhon Rivers. The Merkits were related to the Mongols, Naimans , Keraites , and Khitan people . Temüjin's first wife Börte was kidnapped by Merkit raiders from their campsite by the Onon river around 1181 and given to one of their warriors. Temüjin, supported by his brother (blood-related) Jamukha and his khan etseg ('khan father') Toghrul of

1620-827: The geochemical barrier functions of the area. During the period of the Irkutsk dam construction (1950–56), there was "increased sediment delivery to the delta" according to an article published in 2017 by Chalov et al . The wetlands of the Selenga River delta are classified as a Ramsar site and are found within the administrative region of the Republic of Buryatia. The wetlands support a large number of threatened and endemic species, including over 170 species of bird. The area has mean air temperatures of 14 degrees Celsius in July and -19.4 degrees Celsius in January, with floods often occurring in summer after heavy rains. The Selenge-Orkhon forest steppe

1674-451: The handedness is from the point of view of an observer facing upstream. For instance, Steer Creek has a left tributary which is called Right Fork Steer Creek. These naming conventions are reflective of the circumstances of a particular river's identification and charting: people living along the banks of a river, with a name known to them, may then float down the river in exploration, and each tributary joining it as they pass by appears as

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1728-424: The joining of tributaries. The opposite to a tributary is a distributary , a river or stream that branches off from and flows away from the main stream. Distributaries are most often found in river deltas . Right tributary , or right-bank tributary , and left tributary , or left-bank tributary , describe the orientation of the tributary relative to the flow of the main stem river. These terms are defined from

1782-400: The majority of the river basin and cause flooding of whole settlements. These floods included the possibility of human casualties, and are estimated to occur 3-4 times per century. Twenty-six floods occurred between 1730 and 1900, and of these 26, three floods were "catastrophic". The flood of 1830 in the Selenga River is the first flood that was recorded in some detail. On August 1, 1830,

1836-462: The opposite bank before approaching the confluence. An early tributary is a tributary that joins the main stem river closer to its source than its mouth, that is, before the river's midpoint ; a late tributary joins the main stem further downstream, closer to its mouth than to its source, that is, after the midpoint. In the United States, where tributaries sometimes have the same name as

1890-421: The other seasons." The section of the Selenga River from Suhbaatar to its mouth is ice-free from May to October. Travel across the river is possible during this period. From November to April, the river is covered with ice. The ice drift lasts from 3–6 days. From May to September, in spring and early summer, snowmelt enables maximum discharge. For 80–90 days, starting in mid-June, the basin area experiences

1944-476: The perspective of looking downstream, that is, facing the direction the water current of the main stem is going. In a navigational context, if one were floating on a raft or other vessel in the main stream, this would be the side the tributary enters from as one floats past; alternately, if one were floating down the tributary, the main stream meets it on the opposite bank of the tributary. This information may be used to avoid turbulent water by moving towards

1998-473: The power station. In 2015, Mongolia was reported to be planning the construction of a dam, named the Shuren Hydropower Plant, on the Selenga River. Environmental groups protested this plan, as they were concerned with the potential ecological ramifications, building a hydroelectric plant on the Selenga River, would have on the ecosystem of Lake Baikal. Disrupting the flow of the river would disturb

2052-643: The river into which they feed, they are called forks . These are typically designated by compass direction. For example, the American River in California receives flow from its North, Middle, and South forks. The Chicago River 's North Branch has the East, West, and Middle Fork; the South Branch has its South Fork, and used to have a West Fork as well (now filled in). Forks are sometimes designated as right or left. Here,

2106-594: The river. At the end of the 19th century, evidence of Paleolithic culture was discovered in the Selenga River basin. The artifacts found were collections of stone implements. During 1928 and 1929, G. P. Sosnovskii, under the purview of the Academy of Sciences of the U.S.S.R., directed an archaeological Stone Age study in the Selenga Valley near Kiakhta. In this expedition, Sosnovokii discovered remains of local Paleolithic culture in an area that stretched from "the valley of

2160-429: The riverine inflow into the lake, and forms a wide delta of 680 square kilometres (260 sq mi) when it reaches the lake. Periodic annual floods are a feature of the Selenga River. The floods can be classified as “ordinary”, “large” or “catastrophic” based on the degree of impact. Of the twenty-six documented floods that occurred between 1730 and 1900, three were “catastrophic”. The three “catastrophic” floods were

2214-418: The smaller stream designated the little fork, the larger either retaining its name unmodified, or receives the designation big . Tributaries are sometimes listed starting with those nearest to the source of the river and ending with those nearest to the mouth of the river . The Strahler stream order examines the arrangement of tributaries in a hierarchy of first, second, third and higher orders, with

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2268-432: The streams are seen to diverge by the cardinal direction (north, south, east, or west) in which they proceed upstream, sometimes a third stream entering between two others is designated the middle fork; or the streams are distinguished by the relative height of one to the other, as one stream descending over a cataract into another becomes the upper fork, and the one it descends into, the lower ; or by relative volume:

2322-418: The summer season with precipitation totaling 250–300 millimetres (9.8–11.8 in).  This is in contrast to autumn and winter, in which rainfall is typically 150–200 millimetres (5.9–7.9 in). In mid-September, autumn begins, lasting for about 65 days. The largest tributaries of the Selenga are, from source to mouth: The Selenga River basin is part of the larger international Arctic Ocean Basin and

2376-557: The surface water quality of the Selenga River and adjacent groundwater. A study published in volume 12 of the journal Water , found that based on the Mongolian National Standard, "the main pollutants of the Selenga River are Zn ... As ... and Pb ..."  They also found that metal content in the river water was tens or hundreds of times higher in sites closer to urban and mining areas. Based on data observing toxicological and bioaccumulation effects on aquatic biota,

2430-619: The time he had united the other Mongol tribes and received the title Genghis Khan in 1206, the Mergids seem to have disappeared as an ethnic group. Those who survived were absorbed by the Kipchaks and mixed with them. In 1215–1218, Jochi and Subutai crushed the remnants of them under their former leader Toghta Beki's family. The Mongols clashed with the Kankalis or the Kipchaks because they had sheltered

2484-467: The town was moved to higher ground on the left bank of the Selenga River. There were also heavy losses in agriculture, with the flood making some pastures and hayfields unusable for an extended period after the flood. The river retreated to its banks by September 27. Water levels began to rise on July 24, 1869, but slowly decreased from August 5, 1869. The water level began to rise again on August 22, only beginning to decline from September 3. This flood

2538-409: The towns of Selenginsk and Verkhneundinsk. The volume of water inflow into Lake Baikal during the 1897 flood is estimated to have been approximately 22.2 cubic kilometres (5.3 cu mi). Based on the observations of increased water level during floods, it has been deduced that flooding from the Selenge River can affect the environment of Lake Baikal. It can also cause an increase in runoff from

2592-410: The use of bow and arrow. The word is also used in many phrases in which it connotes magic, oracles, divination, augury, or religious power. Mongolian language has no clear morphological or grammatical distinction between nouns and adjectives, so mergen may mean "a sage" as much as "wise" or mean "skillful" just as much as "a master." Merged becomes plural as in "wise ones" or "skillful markspeople". In

2646-463: The water out into an ocean. The Irtysh is a chief tributary of the Ob river and is also the longest tributary river in the world with a length of 4,248 km (2,640 mi). The Madeira River is the largest tributary river by volume in the world with an average discharge of 31,200 m /s (1.1 million cu ft/s). A confluence , where two or more bodies of water meet, usually refers to

2700-590: The wetlands in the Selenga Delta, which has been recognised as an Important Bird Area by BirdLife International . The Selenga delta also supports the following species: Before the turn of the millennium, the Selenga River and Lake Baikal had rich aquatic ecosystems nearly untouched by human influence. Since the collapse of the Soviet Union in the 1990s, the basin, which contains vast plains, has been affected by agricultural, climatic and economic factors.  This includes changes like forest losses, urbanization and

2754-446: Was 56.68 million cubic metres (14.97 billion US gallons). Tributary A tributary , or an affluent , is a stream or river that flows into a larger stream ( main stem or "parent" ), river, or a lake . A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean . Tributaries, and the main stem river into which they flow, drain the surrounding drainage basin of its surface water and groundwater , leading

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2808-716: Was a regent from 1248–1251, was a Merged woman. The traditionalist Bayan and his nephew Toqto'a served as grand chancellors of the Yuan dynasty . After the fall of the Yuan dynasty, they were a clan of a banner in the Northern Yuan dynasty . Selenga River The Selenga or Selenge ( / s ɛ l ɛ ŋ ˈ ɡ ɑː / Mongolian : Сэлэнгэ мөрөн , romanized :  Selenge mörön ; Buryat : Сэлэнгэ гол / Сэлэнгэ мүрэн , romanized:  Selenge gol / Selenge müren ; Russian : Селенга́ , IPA: [sʲɪlʲɪnˈɡa] )

2862-402: Was classified as a "large" flood. In Verkhneudinsk, the water level reached 386 centimetres (152 in), and in Lake Baikal, the water level rose by more than 2 metres (6.6 ft). The water level in the Angara River also rose and did not return to its pre-flood levels by January 1870. The flood of 1897 began on August 11, when water levels started to rise in the middle and lower reaches of

2916-478: Was completed on December 29, 1956. Built on the Angara River , the station was designed to raise the water level of the Angara River to match the water level of Lake Baikal. It would then raise the water level of Lake Baikal by 1.5m. The power plant causes water-level fluctuations in Lake Baikal, which in turn causes part of the Selenga Delta to become waterlogged. The delta is drained in response to activities at

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