There are numerous metal and coal mines along the Chusovaya, and the river was intensively used to deliver their production to the western Russia.

The Chusovaya River is famous for its hundreds of large rocks located along the shoreline which are the major tourist attraction of the area.

The basin of the Chusovaya River has an area of 23,000 square kilometres (8,900 sq mi) and an average elevation of 356 metres (1,168 ft).

Then the river flows for about 150 kilometres (93 mi) on the eastern slope of the Ural Mountains; here its width is 10 to 13 metres (33 to 43 ft).

In the upper stream Chusovaya takes many tributaries and shows on its shores outcrops of crystalline shale, which were formed through the interaction of magmatic and sedimentary rocks.

Here the river cuts through several low mountain ranges, which tower above the riverbed as cliffs called boitsy.

The river here has a mountainous character with about 70 rapids, and its elevation here decreases by 120 metres (390 ft) over a length of 280 kilometres (170 mi).

Here the river is 120 to 140 metres (390 to 460 ft) wide and is rather winding, skirting mountain ranges and making numerous loops.

Here it flows through meadows, marshes, deciduous and mixed forests; it slows down and widens in some places up to 300 metres (980 ft), making occasional broad bends.

Construction of the dam resulted in flooding of the lower reaches of the Chusovaya up to 125 kilometres (78 mi) from the mouth.

Fishes include minnow, bass, ruffe, roach, pike, ide (Leuciscus idus), chub (Squalius cephalus) and bream.

Jacobus Philippus Foresti da Bergamo) mentioned a river in the area named the Thisageta, and the 19th Century archaeologist Sir Ellis Minns proposed that the Chusovaya may originally have been named after the Thyssagetae, a little-known steppe tribe who apparently lived in the area.

Demidov was actively exploring the rich local deposits in his lands and built several iron works, including Polevskoy (1722), Vasilyevo-Shaitansky (1732), Sredneuralskiy (1734) and Seversky (1735).

[1] Every spring, with the start of the flood, heavily loaded barges were sent from the wharf in the upper Chusovaya to Perm.

It was rather difficult to navigate heavy wooden ships through the fast and winding river and many were crashing to the coastal cliffs.

The most dangerous shore cliffs were blown up with dynamite, including the Brigand (this was one of the world's first controlled underwater explosions.

[1]) Smaller boulders protruding at the river center were removed, and hundreds mooring poles had been installed.

Logs were set up in the places where the currents tended to wash up boats on the rocks in order to soften the impact.

[3][1] Since the early 20th century, shipment of metals was nearly halted and the barges were only occasionally transporting grain and supplies.

In particular, water from Volchihinskoe reservoir is supplied to the Upper Iset Pond to serve the needs of Yekaterinburg and its suburbs.

[13] The river basin contains numerous deposits of iron, chromium, platinum, gold, diamond and coal.

Major settlements on the river (from source to the mouth) are Revda, Pervouralsk, Bilimbai, Staroutkinsk, Kyn, Ust-Koiva, Chusovoy and Verhnechusovskie Gorodki.

This labyrinth of karst caves was formed as a result of dissolution of gypsum and anhydrites by water at a depth of 60 to 80 metres (200 to 260 ft) and is explored only up to about 6 kilometres (3.7 mi).