ЗАГАЛЬНА ПРИРОДНА ХАРАКТЕРИСТИКА РІЧКИ ІНГУЛ ТА ЇЇ ВПЛИВ НА ПРИРОДОКОРИСТУВАННЯ (БАСЕЙН ЧОРНОГО МОРЯ)

Problem Statement and Purpose. The Ingul River belongs to the Black Sea basin and is categorized as a small river. It serves as an important natural resource in the Right-Bank Dnipro region, within the Dnipro Upland and the Black Sea Lowland. The river is utilized for water supply, fish farming, recreation, navigation with small floating vessels, and the extraction of sand and stone in its valley as construction materials. The subject of this study is relevant and holds significant theoretical and practical importance. The aim of this article is to highlight the natural conditions of the Ingul River and its basin, which are critical for optimal and sustainable environmental management and for preserving the river’s natural resources. Data and Methods. Our study is based on episodic field research conducted along the riverbanks and channel. Measurements included water temperature, mineralization, pH levels, depth, turbidity, and the composition of bottom sediments. To supplement our findings, we incorporated studies by other researchers who have previously worked on this river. The primary method employed was field-based route surveying. Additionally, cartographic methods, geographic comparisons, analytical techniques, instrumental measurements, and the method of analogy were also applied. Results and Estimations. The study presents the natural characteristics of the Ingul River, with particular emphasis on the physical and geographical differences between the upper and lower reaches of the river, which are critical for ensuring optimal environmental management. The natural conditions of the region are favorable for agricultural activities and the development of the food industry. An assessment of the impact of riverine sediments on the formation of the mouth area of the Ingul River has been conducted. Across the entire river basin, nearly 200,000 ton/year of sediments of varying sizes, shapes, abrasion levels, and densities are transported annually. The largest and most angular sediments, belonging to the psephite and psammite classes, are formed in the river’s upper reaches; however, nearly all of these are retained in reservoirs, ponds, and floodplains. In the mouth area of the Ingul, almost entirely (up to 95%) fine-grained suspended sediments, primarily aleuropelites, are transported, with a significantly lower concentration in the river water (up to 0.01 g/dm³). The water and sediment flow of the Ingul has a negligible impact on port basins, industrial “pockets”, and excavated sections of navigable channels within the total mouth area of the Ingul–Southern Bug–Dnipro. The composition of the sediments facilitates dredging. The mouth area of the Ingul is part of the larger Dnipro–Southern Bug–Ingul region, which includes not only the river mouth sections of these rivers but also two limans. All of them are enclosed within a single marine coastline, serving as the estuaries for all three rivers simultaneously. This type of estuarine area is rare and unique along the coasts of non-tidal seas. Such a situation requires a special approach, specifically from the perspective of the law of geographical locality.