Lake Baikal - is a lake in Eastern Siberia, the maximum depth is more than 1600 metres, the length of Lake Baikal is 636 km, the width is from 25 to 80 km. There is the Olkhon island near the northwest shore of lake Baikal. Olkhon is the heart of ancient stories and historical legendaries.
Characteristics of Bayandayevsky District of Irkutsk Region
According to the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the RSFSR from April, 19th, 1941 the Bayandayevsky Aimak with the centre Bayandai Settlement was found on the basis of nine Rural Soviets of the Ekhirit-Bulagatsky Aimak
For the years of its existence the Bayandayevsky District of Irkutsk Region had changed many times. It had been a part of the Ekhirit-Bulagatsky District of Irkutsk Region for 11 and more years. It became a separate district in 1975, February, again.
The Bayandayevsky District is located in the north-eastern part of the Okrug within the watershed of two enormous river systems - the Yenisey and Lena and spreads along the Yakutsky Trakt on the territory of 375 619 hectares at length of 100 km and width of 40 km. The centre of the District is Bayandai settlement, the distance to Ust-Ordynsky settlement, the centre of Ust-Orda Buryat Okrug, is 62 km, to the Region Centre, Irkutsk, is 130 km. It is connected with the regional centre by a asphalt highway.
Climate is strongly continental, winter is severe and long, winter temperature is down to -40-50С and summer temperature is up to +35-40С. Snow cover is getting stable to the end of November, winter with a lack of snowfall; a mass of snow cover is 70 kg/m2, the standard wind velocity is 38 kg/m2; the design temperature of cladding structures is -40-42С. The frost depth is up to 3 metres. Seismicity rate is 8 points.
In the western part of the District Tamara, Murin, Ishin-gol Rivers, in the north-eastern part Ungura, Hodantsa Rivers flow. The following roads pass through the territory of the Bayandayevsky District: Ust Ordynsky-Kuchug road is 83 km; Bayanday- Yelantsy is 23 km, others are 338 km.
The Bayandayevsky District of Irkutsk Region comprises 12 rural administrations consisting of 48 settlements. Total population is 12 755 inhabitants, as of 1.01.2008.
Forest lands of the Bayandayevsky District are 226 341 hectares, including 170 126 hectares of commercial forest lands. Forest yield is 222 261 hectares, including 97 796 hectares of old growth forests of which 67 792 hectares are soft-wood forests. Allowable annual cut is 395.2 tones per m3, of which 194.9 tones per m3 are soft-wood.
Resource Potential of Bayandayevsky District of Irkutsk Region
One of factors pacing social and economic development of the District is resource potential. The region biggest thermokarst lake Nukhu-Nur is located in the Bayandayevsky District of Irkutsk Region. The lake water is bitter, sulphate concentration is 365 milligrams per liter. The group of smaller thermokarst lakes Bakhay and Bayanday are located 1.5-2 kilometers from lake Nukhu-Nur. They are shallow; their depth is about 1-1.5 meters. Peloid of Nukhu-Nur lake is used by he health resort and pensionates.
The Bayandayevsky District of Irkutsk Region has various natural resources. Harmonious exploitation of natural resources promotes effective economic development in the District. The District is rich in construction materials - considerable gravel reserves (the deposit is located 1.5 km from Khogot Settlement). The oldest rock units of the Bayandaevskoe, Melzanskoe, Lyurskoe deposits are represented by various clays, loams which are good for production of ceramic and faced tile, china and delft ware, synthetic glue “Bustilat”, putty, water paints, brick.
The big Lapkhaiskoe coal deposit opened in 1936 is located 2.5 km to the north from Bayanday settlement, the centre of the District. Coal height is 0.6-1.0 m, depth is 0.5 m. These reserves were estimated at 56 million tones. There are alsothe following famous deposits of brown coal: the Baishinskoe (8 mln tones), the Tukhumskoe (4 mln tones), the Kyrmenskoe (15-20 mln tones), the Eleninskoe (50 mln tone