Rossony: the only river in Russia that flows forward and backward

All rivers have a source and flow to their mouth. But not Rossony, an unusual river in the Leningrad Region, which does not have a clear concept of source and mouth and which changes its direction several times a year.

The Rosson River flows in the Kingisepp district between the rivers of the Narva and Luga rivers. Rossony is a kind of natural channel that connects sections of the lower reaches of these two rivers. But scientists still argue about where the source of this unusual river is located all the same. This is because the Rosson River has been running from Narva to Luga for part of the year, and then reverses direction. It turns out that this river does not have a constant source and mouth in their classical sense.

The length of the Rosson River is 26.8 kilometers. And along its entire length it flows through the terrain with a very small slope, so its average speed is 0.1 m / s. But an unusual change in direction of this river is associated with its closest neighbors - the rivers Narva and Luga.

Despite their proximity, these two rivers have very different formation conditions. While Narva is a regulated river flowing out of a reservoir and has a relatively constant flow throughout the year, Luga has all the features of a “free” river: winter and summer periods of lowering water levels (winter and summer low water), as well as pronounced spring floods . For this reason, the water level in the two mouths of Rossoni on Luga and Narva is mostly different and varies depending on the time of year. Therefore, during the flood, the level in the Luga River is higher than in Narva, and the Rossnos River flows from Luga to Narva. And when the peak of the flood passes, the river changes direction, since no changes have occurred in the level of Narva during this time, and the level of the Luga has significantly decreased.

Since Rosson flows most of the year from Narva towards Luga, a number of experts believe that it is in Narva that its source is located, and that the mouth is located at the confluence of the Luga. Nevertheless, the Narva River can be called the source of Rossoni with a big reservation, since it is unstable throughout the year.