Kuibyshev Reservoir

Natural conditions and its cycle divide the reservoir into a section adjacent to the dam, as well as central, Volga, Kama, and Cheremshan sections. The Kuibyshev Reservoir makes possible the seasonal regulation of water flow. The water level may vary by up to 6 m. Fed primarily by snows, the reservoir freezes over in November or the beginning of December and thaws in April or, more rarely, at the beginning of May.

The Kuibyshev Reservoir was built to supply electrical energy and drinking water, to improve water transportation, and to provide water for irrigation. The guaranteed depths of the Volga and Kama within the bounds of the head waters have increased by 0.9 m. The waters of the reservoir will irrigate approximately 1 million hectares of farmland. Bream, carp, pike perch, and pike are caught in the reservoir. Located on its banks are Kazan, Ulianovsk, Cheboksary, Tol’iatti, Sengilei, Dimitrovgrad, ChistopoP, ZelenodoPsk, and Volzhsk. Near the Kuibyshev Reservoir there are workers’ resorts, sanatoriums, and facilities for camping, hunting, fishing, and water sports.