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13-556: The river rises in the Kyzyltas mountains, a subrange of the Kazakh Uplands and flows initially north-northwestwards for about 100 kilometres (62 mi). It then turns to the west and flows in that direction for 220 kilometres (140 mi), then southwest for 180 kilometres (110 mi). The Nura turns north near Esengeldi for about 200 kilometres (120 mi), eventually turning southwest as it draws close to Astana near

26-535: A drainage basin of 21,100 km (8,100 sq mi). The Tokrau flows by Aktogay , the administrative center of Aktogay District, Karaganda Region , as well as by Saryterek village. Its mouth lies northeast of Balkhash City and east of the Bektauata range. The Egizkoytas burial complex of the Bronze Age and Early Iron Age is located in the upper course of the river. The Tokrau Formation,

39-579: A fossiliferous stratigraphic unit in Kazakhastan whose strata date back to the Paleozoic , was named after the river. The Tokrau river originates in the Kyzyltas range of the southern Kazakh Uplands , 10 km (6.2 mi) to the north of Mt Karashoki. It heads roughly southwards within a narrow channel all along its course. Its valley may reach 10 km (6.2 mi) at its widest, narrowing to 75 m (246 ft) in gorges. The floodplain

52-550: Is 28.39 cubic metres per second (1,003 cu ft/s). The Irtysh–Karaganda Canal crosses the Nura at 50°05′26″N 73°22′40″E  /  50.09056°N 73.37778°E  / 50.09056; 73.37778 , in what appears to be a tunnel. Some of the canals water is directed into the Nura (a chute below the dam at 50°5′30″N 73°22′37″E  /  50.09167°N 73.37694°E  / 50.09167; 73.37694 ), replenishing this river. The Samarkand Reservoir

65-474: Is an estimated 1,500,000 cubic metres (53,000,000 cu ft) of contaminated soil surrounding the site. Ash from coal-fired power plants also pollutes the river. Kyzyltas Kyzyltas ( Kazakh : Қызылтас ) is a range of mountains in Aktogay District , Karaganda Region , Kazakhstan . The nearest inhabited place is Zhanatogan (Жаңатоған), Karkaraly District . Kyzyltas is one of

78-483: Is between 1 km (0.62 mi) and 1.2 km (0.75 mi) wide. About 50 km (31 mi) away from the coast of Lake Balkhash to the south, the river fans out into many arms in a dry, widening plain. Finally its waters disperse in the semidesert sands to the north of the lakeshore. This last stretch of the Tokrau was an ancient delta dating back to the time when the river reached Lake Balkhash. The Tokrau

91-448: Is constructed on the Nura downstream from the canal crossing (the dam is at 50°06′17″N 72°55′08″E  /  50.10472°N 72.91889°E  / 50.10472; 72.91889 ), providing a waterfront for the city of Temirtau . In 1972, an acetaldehyde factory in the city of Temirtau began to discharge large quantities of mercury waste into the river. Although the factory closed in 1997, large amounts of mercury remain in

104-410: Is fed mainly by winter snows. Its water is fresh and the river channel fills between March and May, although less often it may fill in late autumn too. The lower stretch frequently dries up, stagnating into disconnected pools. Very rarely, in years of abundant spring floods, the waters of the river may break through the desert area and trickle into the endorheic lake Balkhash. The main tributaries of

117-1030: The range are the Zhamshi , Zharly and Tokrau ; the latter flows southwards towards Lake Balkhash , but its waters get lost in the semidesert sands. The highest point is Kushoky (Қушоқы), a 1,283 meters (4,209 ft) high summit. Other important peaks are Kimatas (Қиматас) —1,247 meters (4,091 ft), Korpetai (Көрпетай) —1,226 meters (4,022 ft), Zhantau (Жантау) —1,411 meters (4,629 ft), Sorang (Сораң) —1,208 meters (3,963 ft), Kyzyltas (peak) —1,195 meters (3,921 ft), Zhylandy (Жыланды) —1,195 meters (3,921 ft), Keregetas (Керегетас) —1,183 meters (3,881 ft), Nurtai (Нұртай) —1,172 meters (3,845 ft), Otar (Отар) —1,159 meters (3,802 ft), Saryzhol (Сарыжол) —1,153 meters (3,783 ft), Akshoky (Ақшоқы) —1,153 meters (3,783 ft), Akkemer (Ақкемер) —1,132 meters (3,714 ft), Kyzyladyr (Қызыладыр) —1,114 meters (3,655 ft) and Berikkara (Берікқара) —1,099 meters (3,606 ft). Vegetation on

130-470: The range is sparse, only some of the slopes and valleys have tree growth, including birch , aspen and willow . There are areas of low vegetation made up of grasses and arid steppe shrubs, as well as sedges , such as fescue and sage fescue . Tokrau The Tokrau ( Kazakh : Тоқырау ) is a river in Karaganda Region , Kazakhstan . It has a length of 298 km (185 mi) and

143-660: The ranges of the southern part of the Kazakh Upland system (Saryarka). The slightly higher Kyzylarai massif rises to the southeast and the Karkaraly and Kent mountain ranges lie to the northeast. The ridges of the Kyzyltas are deeply dissected by gorges, valleys and ravines. The Nura river has its sources in the range and flows northwards and then westwards into Lake Tengiz . Its main tributary Sherubaynura also has its sources in Kyzyltas. Other rivers originating in

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156-467: The river Irtysh . From there, it flows southwest for almost 300 miles (480 km) through a series of lakes, including Sholakshalkar and Korgalzhyn , finally ending in the endorheic Lake Tengiz . The river's largest tributaries are the Sherubainura , Ulken Kundyzdy , Akbastau and Ashchysu . It is heavily used for irrigation and municipal water supply. The average discharge at the mouth

169-489: The river and the area around it. Most of the mercury is spread in alluvial soils for a 25-kilometre (16 mi) stretch from Temirtau to the Intumak Reservoir, where most of the pollution was trapped. Despite that, significant levels of mercury are still found as far as 70 kilometres (43 mi) downstream and during high water, contaminants are spread all over the floodplain , creating a widespread problem. There

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