Ajaguz River

The Ajaguz (Kazakh: Аягөз; Ayagöz) also spelled Ayaguz and Ayaköz,^[1] is a river in Kazakhstan.

Geography

The Ajaguz River is fed by snowmelt from the Tarbagatai Mountains and is used for irrigation, flowing into the eastern end of Lake Balkash, although there is no longer much flow from the river into the lake. The city of Ajaguz is located on its banks. The river is 492 kilometres (306 mi) long and has a basin area of 15,700 square kilometres (6,100 sq mi).

View of Lake Balkhash from Space (August 2002)

The numbers mark the largest peninsulas, island and bays: Saryesik peninsula —separating the lake into two parts —and Uzynaral Strait Baygabyl Peninsula Balai Peninsula Shaukar Peninsula Kentubek Peninsula Basaral and Ortaaral Islands Tasaral Island Shempek Bay Saryshagan Bay

History

In 1717, Kaip Khan and Abul Khayr attacked the Dzungar Khanate but were defeated on the River Ayaguz. ^[2]

Various Russian explorations took place in the area in the first half of the 19th century. Federoff explored the area in 1834.^[3] Between 1837 and 1843 the trans-Irtysh steppe as far as the Ayaguz River and Chu River was mapped on a scale of five versts to the inch. The shores of Lake Balkash were also surveyed and explored. Prince Gortchakoff, governor of Western Siberia, sent an officer named Assanoff in 1839 with some men to Lake Balkash to see if a fishing station could be established.^[3] He left Ayaguz and descended the Ayaguz River taking soundings, and fishing. He found two types of fish: marena and sudak, although not in large numbers, in the brackish water.^[3] The Kuzu Kerbetch tomb was found nearby and was said to be significant to the Kyrgyz population.^[3][4] Kuzu-Kerpetch was a Krygyz chief known from folk songs for valor and his love for Baian Sulu (who eventually caused his death)^[3]

Fauna

The river's reedy lower section was once tiger habitat.^[5] The river turned up an Ordovician trilobite fossil, an Agerina acutilimbata (see list of trilobite genera), found by Ghobadi Pour et al. in 2011 in Katian, Karagech Formation on the east side of the Ajaguz River 7 kilometres (4 mi) north of Akchii village in the Tarbagatai Range.^[6]

References

External links

• Panaramio image of east lake and river

Coordinates: 46°40′N 79°15′E / 46.667°N 79.250°E / 46.667; 79.250

Rivers of Kazakhstan

Rivers

Ajaguz River Akan-Burluk River Aksu River Arys River Asa River Aschiagar River Ayat River Badam River Bala Bugun Bolshoy Uzen River Borolday River Bugun River Bukhtarma River Byan River Chu River Emba River Emil River Esentai River Ilek River Iman-Burluk River Irgiz River Ili River Irtysh River Ishim River Karatal River Kigach River Keles River Koksu River Koluton River Kurchum River Lepsy River Lukina River Maly Uzen River Narym River Nura River O River Qapal River Qyzylaghash River Sagyz River Sary su River Sharyn River Shiderti River Sytasty River Syr Darya Talas River Temir River Tersakkan River Tobol River Tuolba River Torgay River Ural River Uba River Ubagan River Uil River Ulba River Ulken-Bugun