Kichi-Kemin River

Kichi-Kemin River (Кичи-Кемин дарыясы)
Countries Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan
Source
 - elevation 3,495 m (11,467 ft)
 - coordinates 42°51′53″N 76°18′25″E / 42.86472°N 76.30694°E / 42.86472; 76.30694
Mouth Chu River
 - elevation 1,001 m (3,284 ft)
 - coordinates 42°49′52″N 75°33′25″E / 42.83111°N 75.55694°E / 42.83111; 75.55694Coordinates: 42°49′52″N 75°33′25″E / 42.83111°N 75.55694°E / 42.83111; 75.55694
Length 81 km (50 mi)
Basin 614 km2 (237 sq mi)
Discharge
 - average 2.10 m3/s (74 cu ft/s) [1]
 - max 8.63 m3/s (305 cu ft/s)
 - min 0.46 m3/s (16 cu ft/s)

The Kichi-Kemin River (Kyrgyz: Кичи-Кемин) is a river in Kemin District of Chuy Province of Kyrgyzstan and Korday District of Kazakhstan. It is a right tributary of the Chu River in Chuy Valley. It is 81 kilometres (50 mi) long with a basin area of 614 square kilometres (237 sq mi). The flow of the Kichi-Kemin River considerably varies; the minimum flow is 0.46 cubic metres per second (16 cu ft/s) in February, and the maximum is 8.63 cubic metres per second (305 cu ft/s) in July.[1]

Course

The source of Kichi-Kemin River is high in the shoots of Trans-Ili Alatau in Kyrgyzstan. For about 10 kilometres (6 mi) the river flows to the north and then to the west along the Kyrgyzstan–Kazakhstan border from an elevation of about 3,500 metres (11,500 ft) to 2,500 metres (8,200 ft). The river passes through urban-type settlement Ak-Tuz and flows to the southwest in a narrow gorge. Further on, it passes through the village of Imeni Il'icha and enters the Kichi-Kemin Valley. The Kichi-Kemin River then turns west and passes near the villages of Kichi-Kemin, Boroldoy, and Beysheke. It flows parallel to the Chu River at a distance of 3 to 4 kilometres (1.9 to 2.5 mi) and crosses the Kyrgyzstan–Kazakhstan border. In Kazakhstan, it passes near the villages Karasay batyr and Enbek gradually approaching the Chu River, and flowing into it near Chim-Kurgan.

Ecology and environment

Contamination

In 1964, mudflows damaged tailings pond No.2 in the vicinity of the Kichi-Kemin River, and 1.5 million cubic metres (53,000,000 cu ft) of radioactive tailings contaminated the river and lower part of Kichi-Kemin Valley with thorium, lead, copper, zinc, beryllium and other heavy metals.[2]

Environmental monitoring

The Kyrgyz State Agency on Hydrometeorology runs two water-quality monitoring stations on the Kichi-Kemin River: one of them is 3 kilometres (2 mi) upstream and another is 8 kilometres (5 mi) downstream of Ak-Tuz.[3]

References

  1. 1 2 Чүй облусу:Энциклопедия [Encyclopedia of Chuy Oblast] (in Kyrgyz and Russian). Bishkek: Chief Editorial Board of Kyrgyz Encyclopedia. 1994. p. 718. ISBN 5-89750-083-5.
  2. ↑ Stavinskiy, V.; Shukurov, E.; Suyumbaev, M. (2001), "Mining Industry and Sustainable Development in Kyrgyzstan" (PDF), in Bogdetsky (editor), V., Mining, Minerals, and Sustainable Development No.110, International Institute for Sustainable Development, p. 62, G00573 http://www.iied.org/ Missing or empty |title= (help)
  3. ↑ "Kyrgyz State Agency on Hydrometeorology: water quality". Archived from the original on 2011-07-22. Retrieved 2010-09-04.


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