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56-605: 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

112-621: 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

168-782: 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

224-411: A more substantial and consistent flow that becomes a first-order tributary of that river. The tributary with the longest course downstream of the headwaters is regarded as the main stem . The United States Geological Survey (USGS) states that a river's "length may be considered to be the distance from the mouth to the most distant headwater source (irrespective of stream name), or from the mouth to

280-542: 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

336-495: 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

392-662: 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

448-554: 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

504-482: 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

560-515: Is named by some USGS and other federal and state agency sources, following Lewis and Clark 's naming convention, as the confluence of the Madison and Jefferson rivers, rather than the source of its longest tributary (the Jefferson). This contradicts the most common definition, which is, according to a US Army Corps of Engineers official on a USGS site, that "[geographers] generally follow

616-430: 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

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672-562: 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

728-467: The "uppermost" or most remote section of the marsh would be the true source. For example, the source of the River Tees is marshland . The furthest stream is also often called the head stream. Headwaters are often small streams with cool waters because of shade and recently melted ice or snow. They may also be glacial headwaters, waters formed by the melting of glacial ice . Headwater areas are

784-654: 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

840-654: 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

896-724: 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

952-514: 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,

1008-467: 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

1064-497: 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

1120-741: 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

1176-468: 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

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1232-456: 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

1288-687: 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

1344-795: 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

1400-423: 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

1456-748: 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

1512-417: 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

1568-458: 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

1624-483: 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

1680-451: 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

1736-585: The furthest point from which water could possibly flow ephemerally . The latter definition includes sometimes-dry channels and removes any possible definitions that would have the river source "move around" from month to month depending on precipitation or ground water levels. This definition, from geographer Andrew Johnston of the Smithsonian Institution , is also used by the National Geographic Society when pinpointing

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1792-598: 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

1848-841: 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

1904-607: The headwaters of the stream commonly known as the source stream". As an example of the second definition above, the USGS at times considers the Missouri River as a tributary of the Mississippi River . But it also follows the first definition above (along with virtually all other geographic authorities and publications) in using the combined Missouri—lower Mississippi length figure in lists of lengths of rivers around

1960-607: The longest tributary to identify the source of rivers and streams." In the case of the Missouri River, this would have the source be well upstream from Lewis and Clark's confluence, "following the Jefferson River to the Beaverhead River to Red Rock River , then Red Rock Creek to Hell Roaring Creek ." Sometimes the source of the most remote tributary may be in an area that is more marsh -like, in which

2016-400: 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,

2072-421: 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

2128-483: 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

2184-606: 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

2240-429: 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

2296-462: The source of rivers such as the Amazon or Nile . A definition given by the state of Montana agrees, stating that a river source is never a confluence but is "in a location that is the farthest, along water miles, from where that river ends." Under this definition, neither a lake (excepting lakes with no inflows) nor a confluence of tributaries can be a true river source, though both often provide

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2352-802: The source of the largest river flowing into the lake, the Kagera River . Likewise, the source of the Amazon River has been determined this way, even though the river changes names numerous times along its course. However, the source of the Thames in England is traditionally reckoned according to the named river Thames rather than its longer tributary, the Churn — although not without contention. When not listing river lengths, however, alternative definitions may be used. The Missouri River's source

2408-525: The starting point for the portion of a river carrying a single name. For example, National Geographic and virtually every other geographic authority and atlas define the source of the Nile River not as Lake Victoria 's outlet where the name "Nile" first appears, which would reduce the Nile's length by over 900 km (560 mi) (dropping it to fourth or fifth on the list of world's rivers), but instead use

2464-418: 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

2520-568: 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,

2576-639: 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

2632-467: 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

2688-409: 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

2744-664: The upstream areas of a watershed , as opposed to the outflow or discharge of a watershed. The river source is often but not always on or quite near the edge of the watershed, or watershed divide. For example, the source of the Colorado River is at the Continental Divide separating the Atlantic Ocean and Pacific Ocean watersheds of North America . A river is considered a linear geographic feature, with only one mouth and one source. For an example,

2800-410: 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

2856-596: 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

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2912-473: The world. Most rivers have numerous tributaries and change names often; it is customary to regard the longest tributary or stem as the source, regardless of what name that watercourse may carry on local maps and in local usage. This most commonly identified definition of a river source specifically uses the most distant point (along watercourses from the river mouth ) in the drainage basin from which water runs year-around ( perennially ), or, alternatively, as

2968-451: Was 56.68 million cubic metres (14.97 billion US gallons). River source The headwater of a river or stream is the point on each of its tributaries upstream from its mouth / estuary into a lake / sea or its confluence with another river. Each headwater is considered one of the river's sources , as it is the place where surface runoffs from rainwater , meltwater and/or spring water begin accumulating into

3024-731: 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] )

3080-402: 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

3136-484: 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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