Channel processes of the Ob River and the use of the river for water transport purposes

Abstract

The Ob River is one of the largest rivers in Russia and currently the most important traffic route in Western Siberia. The paper presents the history of water transport on the Ob River against the background of channel processes limiting the navigation on the river. The heterogeneity of the Ob River is determined by specific features of the channel processes and the stability of the riverbed, morphological types of the channel, the nature of deformations, long-term and seasonal changes of riffles and sections of the channel characterized by the presence of riffles. The main measures aimed at improving the navigational conditions of the Ob River include dredging of riffles, construction of dams and bypass channels.