Aksu River (Kazakhstan)

Aksu River
Satellite image of Aksu River delta as it enters Lake Balkhash with the Lepsy River just to the east
Map of the Lake Balkhash drainage basin
Country	Kazakhstan
Basin features
Main source	Dzungarian Alatau Mountains
River mouth	Lake Balkhash

The Aksu River (Russian: Аксу, Kazakh: Ақсу) is a river in Kazakhstan that originates in the Dzungarian Alatau Mountains near the border with China and flows into Lake Balkhash.^[1] In Turkic languages, the name 'ak+su' literally means "clean/white water". The Aksu is one of the main rivers of the historic region of Zhetysu.

Course

The river flows north from the border with China before turning north-westward passing by Matay and then northward when it reaches the Saryesik-Atyrau Desert, a large sand desert south of Lake Balkhash. The river empties into Lake Balkhash just west of the Lepsy River on its southern side. Aksu freezes in December and stays icebound until March. Because of irrigation, the river's flow into Lake Balkash is limited.

References

1. ↑ "1911 Encyclopædia Britannica/Balkash - Wikisource, the free online library". En.wikisource.org. 2012-12-23. Retrieved 2014-05-08. The Karatal, the Aksu and the Lepsa also enter from the south-east, and the Ayaguz from the north-east. 

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

Coordinates: 46°19′24″N 78°12′36″E / 46.32342°N 78.21004°E / 46.32342; 78.21004