Ashchysu (Ayr)

The Ashchysu ( kk, Ащысу; russian: Ащысу) is a river in the Bukhar-Zhyrau District, Karaganda Region, and
May District, Pavlodar Region, Kazakhstan. It is long and has a catchment area of .

The area of the basin is a seasonal grazing ground for local cattle and the Ashchysu is used for watering livestock. The river is frozen between November and April.

Course

The Ashchysu has its sources in the northwest-facing slopes of the Ayr Mountains of the Kazakh Uplands. It heads first northwards, then it bends when it reaches the highland plain and flows roughly northeastwards at the feet of the range along its northern slopes. Further downstream it describes a wide bend and heads roughly northwestwards, leaving the Kyzyltau to the east near Zhanatilek and Tuzkol. When it reaches Musa Shormanov village (former Tendik), the river bends and heads northeastwards within a wide valley. Further downstream it bends and flows eastwards north of the Bayanaul Range, past a number of salt lakes, including Zharkol at and Sulysor further east. Finally it reaches lake Alkamergen (Алқамерген), entering it from the western shore.Google Earth

The Ashchysu is fed mainly by snow, as well as underground water. Its main tributary is the Zhylandybulak. During the spring floods the water of the river is fresh, but in the summer the flow is interrupted and the river breaks up into pools of bitter/salty water.''Kazakhstan National Encyclopedia'' Vol. 1 / Ch. ed. A. Nysanbayev. — Almaty: « Kazakh encyclopedia» , 1998 ISBN 5-89800-123-9 Ащису (река в Павлодарской обл.)
''Great Soviet Encyclopedia'' in 30 vols. — Ch. ed. A.M. Prokhorov. - 3rd ed. - M. Soviet Encyclopedia, 1969–1978. (in Russian)

See also

*List of rivers of Kazakhstan

References

{{Rivers of Kazakhstan

Rivers of Kazakhstan
Karaganda Region
Pavlodar Region
Endorheic basins of Asia