Rafting and rafting on the Aksu River in Kazakhstan -
The Aksu (river, flows into Balkhash). The Aksu is a small, shallow river in the northern part of the Almaty region of the Aksu district of the Republic of Kazakhstan. It is approximately 316 km long, and its basin area is approximately 5,040 km². Translated from Kazakh, the river's name means "white water."
It is fed by glaciers, snow, rain, and underground sources. It originates in the glaciers of the Dzungarian Alatau at an altitude of 3,700-3,800 meters above sea level, then flows northeast. Upon exiting the mountains, it flattens out, flowing through the sands of the Zhalkum and Lyukkum mountains in the Balkhash-Alakol basin. It receives no tributaries, but branches into branches lost in the sand, surrounded by green ribbons of oases.
Tourist Information
Further downstream, the river's waters are used for irrigation of fields and household needs. However, 20 km downstream, the Aksu receives its main tributary, the Sarkand, and refills. It flows into Kukan Bay of Lake Balkhash. The Lepsy River also flows into the lake nearby.
The Aksu Delta is swampy. High water occurs from April to August, with the maximum flow occurring in May and June. The average annual water flow near the village of Zhansugurov, the capital of the Aksu District in the Almaty Region, is approximately 11.2 m³/s.
River Water Composition
The Aksu waters are characterized by a high hydrocarbon content and increased sodium-calcium content, with a mineralization concentration of approximately 450 mg/L. The river's frequently shifting course basin contains many small oxbow lakes, floodplains, as well as hydroelectric power plants and reservoirs with a total area of 33.1 square kilometers, which regulate the river's flow.
Floods are often spontaneous and quite destructive. The dam failure at Kyzylagash in the neighboring Biyen River basin, which occurred on March 12, 2010, claimed the lives of 43 people. The river delta contains the large Lake Kalgankol, with an area of approximately 8.6 square kilometers. The Matai railway station is located in the middle reaches of the river.
