The Baksan, also known as Azau (russian: Баксан, Азау) is a river in
Kabardino-Balkaria
The Kabardino-Balkarian Republic (russian: Кабарди́но-Балка́рская Респу́блика, ''Kabardino-Balkarskaya Respublika''; kbd, Къэбэрдей-Балъкъэр Республикэ, ''Ķêbêrdej-Baĺķêr Respublik ...
in Russia. It flows east northeast and joins the
Malka just before that river joins the northwest bend of the
Terek. The Baksan is long, with a
drainage basin
A drainage basin is an area of land where all flowing surface water converges to a single point, such as a river mouth, or flows into another body of water, such as a lake or ocean. A basin is separated from adjacent basins by a perimeter, t ...
of .
Course
The Baksan originates in the Azau
glacier
A glacier (; ) is a persistent body of dense ice that is constantly moving under its own weight. A glacier forms where the accumulation of snow exceeds its Ablation#Glaciology, ablation over many years, often Century, centuries. It acquires dis ...
, on the south slopes of
Mount Elbrus
Mount Elbrus ( rus, links=no, Эльбрус, r=Elbrus, p=ɪlʲˈbrus; kbd, Ӏуащхьэмахуэ, 'uaşhəmaxuə; krc, Минги тау, Mingi Taw) is the highest and most prominent peak in Russia and Europe. It is situated in the we ...
. Notable tributaries are the
Chegem and the
Cherek.
[ On your ascent of the river, Baksan town and ]Tyrnyauz
Tyrnyauz (russian: Тырныауз; krc, Тырныаўуз, ''Tırnıawuz'') is a town and the administrative center of Elbrussky District of the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic, Russia, located on the main road leading to the Upper Baksan valley ...
lie alongside it, and there is a 25 MW hydropower plant on the river. The A158 roadway lies beside it, and bestrides it several times on the way up to Nationalpark Elbrus.
Baksan is also the site of the Baksan Underground Scintillation Telescope (BUST) of the Baksan Neutrino Observatory
The Baksan Neutrino Observatory (BNO; Baksan is sometimes spelled Baxan) is a scientific laboratory of INR RAS located in the Baksan River gorge in the Caucasus mountains in Russia. Cleared for building in 1967, it started operations in 1977, bec ...
.
Photo Gallery
File: Stormy Baksan.jpg, Stormy Baksan
File: Forest on the bank of Baksan.jpg, Forest on the bank of Baksan
References
External links
Vimeo Video of Baksan River
Rivers of Kabardino-Balkaria
{{Russia-river-stub