Zaton:

1) a channel that retains a connection with the river only in its lower part, in its upper part there is a blind end; 

2) a water area adapted for ships.

Zaton, zavod, potcha - a part of the river water area protected from ice drift and current, a river bay of considerable size, convenient for wintering or permanent anchorage of ships.

Backwaters can be both natural (e.g., a channel of an old river channel that has turned into a bay, a part of the water area separated from the main water area by a spit or a river island) and artificial, separated from the main water area of the river by dams. Most often, the backwater is located in old river channels (old rivers), in lakes on the floodplain, connected to the river by a channel, and at the confluence of small tributaries.

The inlets are often used for wintering of river vessels, and ship repair shops are often located in them.