Nura River
From Kazakhstan Encyclopedia
The Nura River or River Nura is a major watercourse of northeast-central Kazakhstan. It is about Template:Convert long and drains an area of Template:Convert.
Contents
Course
The river rises in the Kyzyltas Mountains and flows initially north-northwestwards for about Template:Convert. It then turns to the west and flows in that direction for Template:Convert, then southwest for Template:Convert. The Nura turns north near Isen for about Template:Convert, eventually turning southwest as it draws close to Astana near the Irtysh River. From there, it flows southwest for almost Template:Convert, through a series of lakes, finally ending in the endorheic Lake Tengiz. The river's largest tributaries are the Sherubainura, Ulkenkundyzdy, and Akbastau rivers. It is heavily used for irrigation and municipal water supply.[1] The average discharge at the mouth is Template:Convert.[2]
The Irtysh–Karaganda Canal crosses the Nura at Template:Coord, in what appears to be a tunnel. Some of the canals water is directed into the Nura (a chute below the dam at Template:Coord), replenishing this river.
The Samarkand Reservoir is constructed on the Nura downstream from the canal crossing (the dam is at Template:Coord), providing a waterfront for the city of Temirtau.
Pollution
In 1972, an acetaldehyde factory in the city of Temirtau began to discharge large quantities of mercury waste into the river. Although the factory closed in 1997, large amounts of mercury remain in the river and the area around it. Most of the mercury is spread in alluvial soils for a Template:Convert stretch from Temirtau to the Intumak Reservoir, where most of the pollution was trapped. Despite that, significant levels of mercury are still found as far as Template:Convert downstream and during high water, contaminants are spread all over the floodplain, creating a widespread problem. There is an estimated Template:Convert of contaminated soil surrounding the site. Ash from coal-fired power plants also pollutes the river.[3][4]
See also
References
Template:Reflist
Template:Rivers of Kazakhstan
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