The Hoper River is a treasury of the nature of Russia

One of the largest tributaries of the Don is the Khoper river, extending for 1000 km through the Penza, Saratov, Voronezh and Volgograd regions. The source is located near the village of Kuchki, Penza region, where 12 pure springs are connected to one stream.

Legend has it that in those places there lived an old man named Hopper, who discovered 12 springs and connected them with a shovel, and then built a mill and on it ground the grain into flour for the inhabitants of the surrounding villages. The river was named Khoprom, and the old man Khopru was given a monument at the source.

The river Hoper is tortuous and inconstant, on the map it is seen that the stream repeatedly changes its speed and direction. Narrow areas with a strong rapid current are replaced by calm quiet windmills, which can end in a whirlpool. Initially, the Hopper River flows in a southwesterly direction, then turns to the southeast and at the very confluence of the Don again makes a turn. In the basin of Khopra, there are many lakes and old towns, islets, the left bank is flat, and the right one is quite steep and gorgeous, overgrown with bushes and forests.

Hoper - the river, photo of which will not leave anyone indifferent. The flood plain is unusually picturesque, especially during the spring flood.

The Hopper River has many tributaries, the largest of which are the rivers Arkadachka, Karay, Vorona, Tamala, Serdoba, Savala, Karachan, Olshanka. The plant and animal life of the river valley is represented in the Arkadak, Almazovsky and Khopersky Zapovedniks.

The Khoper Reserve occupies a significant area in the middle reaches of the river - about 50 km. The fauna is represented by river beavers, squirrels, bison, bats of rare species, wild ducks, foxes, martens, deer and other animals. Many fish live in Khopra - pike, bream, perch, roach, crucian carp, carp, catfish, pike perch, ide. Here a desman is living - an animal listed in the Red Book as a relict species.

The plant world is represented by shrubs, woody and grassy species. Floodplain forests of the Khopra include oaks, maples, poplars, limes, ash trees, elms, aspens. The underbrush is formed from hazel, buckthorn, bird cherry, dog rose, viburnum, thorn and wild apple trees. Among the herbaceous there are common snaffle, medinitsa, goose onions, sedge, blackberries. On the right bank, near the confluence of the Ravens and Hopra, spreads the oldest and vast Telermanovskiy forest.

The Hoper River was considered one of the most beautiful and cleanest rivers in Europe some time ago, now the ecological situation has deteriorated considerably due to the destructive activity of the population. The main reasons are the dumping of industrial wastes into the river, erosion of soils, deforestation of floodplain forests, silting of springs, leading to the gradual swamping of Hopra.

To stop the negative processes of pollution of the river, it is necessary to carry out a comprehensive cleaning of the channel, stop the destruction of trees, protect the shore with a sanitary zone - in a word, restore the natural balance of nature. An important measure will be to work with the public to explain the need to protect the unique nature of Khopra.