Muezersky District has a well-developed drainage network. Its distinctive feature is the Baltic-White Sea drainage divide (which is simultaneously one of the main divides of the globe - between the Arctic and Atlantic ocean drainage basins) cutting the district approximately in half. Most of the territory is drained by the Lenderka (Lake Ladoga watershed) and Kem (White Sea tributary) lake-river systems; the rest - by the Nizhniy Vyg (White Sea drainage basin) and Suna (Lake Onega watershed) rivers.

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border=0 alt=""> The district territory contains 493 lakes and 202 rivers either completely or partially flowing through the territory.

The most promising objects for water tourism are the Lenderka and Lake Tulos/river Luzhma (Tuulijoki) lake-river systems, which have a cross-border position and can potentially be used for Karelia-to-Finland water tours (given that border-crossing formalities are settled).

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border=0 alt=""> The Lenderka lake-river system is unique even for Karelia. It comprises numerous lakes, including large ones such as Bolshoye Rovkulskoye (62.5 km²), Rovkulskoye (12.5), Toros (23.1), Leksozero (166), Kargiozero (20.6), Sula (27.1), Lenderskoye (9.9), Kuikkaselka (11.8 km²). The length of lake stretches totals 65% of the overall length of the system. The Karelian portion of its watershed occupies 4890 km². The watershed at large includes 2040 lakes with a total area of 604 km². The reservoirs are connected by short channels, each with a name of its own: Murdojoki (41 km), Omeljanjoki (7.3), Sula (21), Lenderka (total length - 150 km, Russian part - 41). River stretches total 110 km. Hereinafter, quantitative morphological characteristics are cited after official records of the State Hydrometeorological Service and may differ from data in other sources. The rivers are very scenic and interrupted by rapids: Omeljanjoki has 6 rapids, Sula - 4, Lenderka between lakes Sula and Lenderskoye - 7. All the rapids are boatable. There are also good opportunities for fishing.

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border=0 alt=""> Hydrologically, the Muezersky District at large and the Lenderka lake-river system watershed are insufficiently studied. Only one hydrological station is currently operating within the system, near the village of Lendery. It was opened in 1929, 41 km from the border and transferred to a site 35 km away in 1979. In 1949 a hydrological station was put into operation on River Omeljanjoki (first 0.2 km and later - 0.7 km from the mouth). It is now out of operation.

Water quality in River Lenderka is quite typical of the Karelian hydrographic district: very low mineralisation, medium concentrations of organic matter (colour and permanganate oxidability), iron and manganese, low concentrations of nitrogen compounds and phosphates.

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border=0 alt=""> Reconnaissance surveys carried out by Karelian Research Centre, Russian Academy of Science have shown that Lake Tulos is a remarkable water object, first of all as regards its morphometric, hydrochemical and ichthyological characteristics. It is of great scientific, educational and recreational value. Hydrographically, its watershed, which area is 832 km², is a composite lake-river system. It comprises about 500 small lakes with a total area of 171 km² and 110 small rivers, most of which are, in fact, short channels between lakes. The length of the lake stretches often reaches 60-65%. Total length of watercourses is over 250 km.

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border=0 alt=""> The lake surface area is 95.7 km². The lake is very picturesque. We have counted 141 islands with a total area of 10.9 km² (in a 1:100000 map). The bottom topography is very complex. The deepest point recorded in the surveys is 23 m.

Waters of Lake Tulos and its influents are noted for very low electrical conductivity and mineralisation (total ions about 10 mg/l). Hydrochemically, the lake water is of the mixed hydrocarbonate-sulphate type, group Na (after Alekin). Its ion composition is very close of that of precipitation. The lake has a fairly low organic matter content (colour 40Ї), insignificant iron and manganese concentrations. Nitrites, nitrates and phosphates are nearly totally absent. Very low concentrations of nutrients and their homogenous vertical distribution support the classification of the lake into the oligotrophic category with a tendency towards ultraoligotrophy and high water quality.

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border=0 alt=""> Lake Tulos is inhabited by whitefishes and salmon and is ranked highest in the commercial fisheries classification. It shelters 11 fish species belonging to 7 families. In contrast to earlier surveys, also reporting of 11 species from the lake, our catches did not contain salmon, bream and ide, which might be due to the short study period, but featured burbut, bleak and bullhead. Thus, the lake fish fauna comprises 14 species. The most common species are perch, whitefish, vendace and roach. Pike, dace and ruffe are more rare; and bleak, bullhead and grayling show only single occurrences.

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border=0 alt=""> The lake gives origin to River Luzhma (Tuulijoki), which belongs also to the Vuoksa river system. Its total length is 24 km, of which 16 flow through Karelian territory. The watershed area is 899 km². It is also suitable for Karelia-to-Finland water tours. The lake itself is a great place for active recreation and fishing.

All said above proves that the natural conditions in the Muezersky District favour the organisation of water tourism and recreation involving international tourists (based first of all on the Lenderka lake-river system and Lake Tulos), given that the necessary infrastructure is created.

Expert: A.V.Litvinenko.
Photo's authors: A.Shelekhov, I.Yu. Georgievsky.