The water system of Kazakhstan is a huge network of rivers that stretches across the entire territory of a huge country. Among the many basins of the state, Nura-Sarysu especially stands out for its size. It originates in the Kyzyltas mountains. The largest river of this water system is the Nura. It is about her that will be discussed in this article.
Information about the Nura River
Nura is a river that stretches from its source to the mouth of the Nura-Sarysu basin, on the territory of which about 1 million people live. It flows from the western slopes of Kyzyltas to Lake Tengiz. The length of the river is almost 1000 km (978 km). The water artery has three main tributaries: Ulkenkundyzdy, Sherubai-Nura, and Akbastau.
The area where the Nura River is located belongs to one of the most arid regions of Kazakhstan, as it is located within the Kazakh uplands - a steppe area with small hills. The flood period falls in the spring. In summer, as a rule, the river dries up near the source, and in winter it freezes. Also, in the hottest period of the year, the water at the bottomNury becomes s alty. With the onset of cold weather in November, the river is covered with ice, which begins to break only in early April.
River pollution
Nura is a river that was polluted with chemical waste from a factory. So, in the second half of the last century, the Carbide enterprise dumped about 1000 tons of mercury into the reservoir. In this regard, fish caught in certain sections of the river could not be eaten. However, the situation is not as critical as it might seem at first glance. Mercury is in a sorbed state, which means that it does not pose a serious threat to the life and he alth of the local population. Nura is a river that has many "friends in misfortune". For example, the sea near the Japanese city of Minamata was subjected to a monstrous degree of pollution. A large amount of mercury released into the water by one of the nearby factories caused serious damage to the he alth of local residents.
Cleaning up Nura since 2001 has become a very important activity of the government of Kazakhstan. It was during this period that a large-scale set of measures was taken to eliminate mercury pollution of the river. The project is funded by the authorities of Kazakhstan together with the World Bank.
River spills
Spring is the flood of the river. Nura overflows its banks as the water level rises significantly. The river is one of the largest in Kazakhstan, so its flood often causes great damage to nearby settlements. At the beginning of 2015, a speed record was setrising water levels in the river. It increased by 10 cm every hour. In order to prevent the devastating consequences of the river spill, water is being discharged through the locks of the Nura hydroelectric complex.
The main reason for such a strong spill is a sharp seasonal warming, as well as a large amount of precipitation. Under the influence of warm rains, water from the mountain slopes began to flow into the river.
Local authorities annually prepare for possible floods of Nura due to the danger of flooding nearby cities and towns. The Kazakhstan Committee for Water Resources sends building materials to such zones, as well as special equipment for emergency evacuation of local residents.
Flooding threat
In April 2015, however, there was a flood. The Nura River overflowed its banks and broke through the embankment erected during the flood to protect nearby territories. According to local authorities, the damage concerns only the fence, not the dam, so there is no serious danger. Temporary evacuation is subject only to residents of neighboring houses located directly in the breakthrough zone.
The flood was de alt with in a relatively short time thanks to special equipment and a large number of workers.
Nura is a river with certain natural features. It is because of them that spring floods occur, as well as summer, autumn and winter drying up at the source. Nearby settlements are subject to flooding almost every year, but serious damage is usually notit happens. Severe floods were recorded only in the middle of the last century. Since the technological breakthrough, they have been de alt with quite quickly, preventing the waters of the river from becoming a destructive force.
