The Taskan ( rus, Таскан) is a river in the
Susuman and
Yagodninsky districts of
Magadan Oblast,
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-eig ...
. It is a left hand tributary of the
Kolyma. Its length is , 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, ...
of .
Russian State Water Register - Река Таскан
/ref> The Taskan was first mapped in the 19th century by explorer Jan Czerski
Jan Stanisław Franciszek Czerski (russian: Иван Дементьевич Черский; 3 May 1845, in Swolna – 25 June 1892, nr. Kolyma) was a Polish paleontologist, osteologist, geologist, geographer and explorer of Siberia.
He was e ...
.
Perch
Perch is a common name for fish of the genus ''Perca'', freshwater gamefish belonging to the family Percidae. The perch, of which three species occur in different geographical areas, lend their name to a large order of vertebrates: the Per ...
, ruffe
The Eurasian ruffe (''Gymnocephalus cernua''), also known as ruffe or pope, is a freshwater fish found in temperate regions of Europe and northern Asia. It has been introduced into the Great Lakes of North America, reportedly with unfortuna ...
, gudgeon and burbot
The burbot (''Lota lota'') is the only gadiform (cod-like) freshwater fish. It is also known as bubbot, mariah, loche, cusk, freshwater cod, freshwater ling, freshwater cusk, the lawyer, coney-fish, lingcod, and eelpout. The species is closel ...
are found in the waters of the river.[Water of Russia, Таскан](_blank)
/ref>
Course
The Taskan River begins in the southeastern slopes of high Mount Shoguchan, at the eastern end of the Chersky Range
The Chersky Range (, ) is a chain of mountains in northeastern Siberia between the Yana River and the Indigirka River. Administratively the area of the range belongs to the Sakha Republic, although a small section in the east is within Magadan ...
in an area of ice field
An ice field (also spelled icefield) is a mass of interconnected valley glaciers (also called mountain glaciers or alpine glaciers) on a mountain mass with protruding rock ridges or summits. They are often found in the colder climates and highe ...
s, the largest of which is . It heads roughly southeastwards across permafrost terrain covered by tundra vegetation interspersed with sparse taiga. Finally it joins the left bank of the Kolyma between the Kolyma Dam and the Ust-Srednekan Dam,[ Google Earth] from its mouth.
The Taskan is located in a sparsely-populated region of severe cold winters. Its main tributaries are the Mylga and the Sudar. The only populated places by the river were the now abandoned villages of Taskan and Elgen, as well as the also abandoned Ust-Taskan settlement located at the confluence with the Kolyma. The river usually freezes in early October and stays frozen until May. The highest water flow is between mid-May to June in average years.
See also
*List of rivers of Russia
Russia can be divided into a European and an Asian part. The dividing line is generally considered to be the Ural Mountains. The European part is drained into the Arctic Ocean, Baltic Sea, Black Sea, and Caspian Sea. The Asian part is drain ...
References
{{Reflist
External links
Ust-Srednekan hydroelectric power plant
Rivers of Magadan Oblast