Abstract
A general characteristic of the river basin of the interstate Ural river and information on the economic use of the Ural river in its upper, middle and lower reaches are given. Information on the hydrology of the liquid and solid flow of the Ural river is presented. Hydrochemical monitoring of water bodies of the Ural river basin was conducted during the flood period, during the summer low water period and during the autumn low water period of 2017–2018. The hydrochemical monitoring of the water quality in natural reservoirs of the Ural drainage basin made it possible to identify an excess of the MPCs for residential use and for fishery of heavy metal ions in the water of the examined reservoirs. An excess of cadmium ions by (1.2–1.4) MPC for residential use was found in the Ilek river during its low water as well as in the Ural river near the border with the Russian Federation during the flood period in the amount of (3.1–3.4) MPC for residential use and near the village Zharsuat in the period of summer and autumn low water in the amount of (1.5–2.6) MAC for residential use. An excessive concentration of lead ions by (1.2–1.4) of MPC for fresh water fisheries in the middle and lower reaches of the Ural river at different times of the year was found. Excessive concentrations of ions of different heavy metals in comparison with their MPC for fresh water fisheries were found in all water bodies in different periods of the year. The greatest excess of zinc ions in comparison with its MPC for fresh water fisheries was observed during low water.