The Ishim (russian: Иши́м, Ishim; kk, Есіл, Esil) is a river running through

Kazakhstan Kazakhstan, officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a transcontinental country located mainly in Central Asia and partly in Eastern Europe. It borders Russia to the north and west, China to the east, Kyrgyzstan to the southeast, Uzbeki ...

and

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-ei ...

. It is long, and has a drainage basin of . Its average discharge is . It is a left

tributary A tributary, or affluent, is a stream or river that flows into a larger stream or main stem (or parent) river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean. Tributaries and the main stem river drain the surrounding drai ...

of the Irtysh. The Ishim is partly navigable in its lower reaches. The upper course of the Ishim passes through

Astana Astana, previously known as Akmolinsk, Tselinograd, Akmola, and most recently Nur-Sultan, is the capital city of Kazakhstan. The city lies on the banks of the Ishim River in the north-central part of Kazakhstan, within the Akmola Region, tho ...

the capital of Kazakhstan. In Russia, the river travels through a vast marshland for its course, and has countless meanders and

oxbow lake An oxbow lake is a U-shaped lake or pool that forms when a wide meander of a river is cut off, creating a free-standing body of water. In South Texas, oxbows left by the Rio Grande are called '' resacas''. In Australia, oxbow lakes are call ...

s. The river freezes from late November until March.

Main tributaries

The largest tributaries of the Ishim are, from source to mouth: *

Qalqutan The Qalqutan ( kk, Қалқұтан, ''Qalqūtan''; russian: Колутон, ''Koluton'') is a river of the Akmola Region, Kazakhstan Kazakhstan, officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a transcontinental country located mainly in Central ...

(right) * Zhabay (right) *

Terisaqqan The Terisaqqan ( kk, Терісаққан, ''Terısaqqan''; russian: Терсаккан, ''Tersakkan'') is a river of northern Kazakhstan. A left tributary of the Ishim, it is long and has a basin area of .Aqqanburlyq The Aqqanburlyq ( kk, Аққанбұрлық, ''Aqqanbūrlyq'') is a river of the North Kazakhstan Region North Kazakhstan Region ( kk, Солтүстік Қазақстан облысы, translit=Soltüstık Qazaqstan oblysy; russian: Север ...

(right) * Karasul (left) *

Barsuk Barsuk Records ( ) is an independent record label based in Seattle, Washington, that was founded by the members of the band This Busy Monster, Christopher Possanza and Josh Rosenfeld, in 1998 to release their band's material. Its logo is a drawi ...

(right)

In Astana

According to the

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university * President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ...

of Kazakhstan,

Nursultan Nazarbayev Nursultan Abishuly Nazarbayev ( kk, Нұрсұлтан Әбішұлы Назарбаев, Nūrsūltan Äbişūlı Nazarbaev, ; born 6 July 1940) is a Kazakh politician and military officer who served as the first President of Kazakhstan, in off ...

was chosen as the capital in part due to the presence of the river. The city is also divided into two sections, the Right (northern) Bank of the Ishim or the old town, and the Left (southern) Bank, where the new government buildings such as the Ak Orda, the House of the Government, and the Supreme Court are located, as well as many prestigious apartment and living complexes. Since 1998, the Ishim in Astana has been actively managed, for flood management and maintaining water level, in order to provide for recreational use and ensure the showpiece appearance. It is dammed downstream of central Astana, keeping its level higher than it otherwise would be most of the time, while the river bottom has been made deeper, in order to let flood waters through faster. In central Astana, near the city park, there is now a public beach and pedalo boat rental; meanwhile, if the river had not been dammed, "citizens would have been able to walk across it".Реки, каналы, мосты, набережные
(Rivers, Canals, Bridges, Embankments). The official site of the city of Astana. Проект «Судоходный Ишим»
(The Navigable Ishim Project) Another dam will be constructed upstream of the city, for better flood control. The city authorities also have plans for further deepening the river, which will eventually allow small passenger boats to operate on a section of the river through the nation's capital. To maintain the desired level of water flow, water is pumped to the Ishim from the Irtysh, over the Irtysh–Karaganda Canal and a pipeline.

References

{{Authority control Rivers of Kazakhstan Rivers of Tyumen Oblast Rivers of Omsk Oblast International rivers of Asia

Main tributaries

In Astana

See also

References