| Motorchuna Моторчуна | |
|---|---|
 Course of the Motorchuna map section | |
  Mouth location inYakutia, Russia | |
| Location | |
| Country | Russia |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | |
| • location | Central Siberian Plateau |
| • coordinates | 68°18′41″N118°31′45″E / 68.31139°N 118.52917°E /68.31139; 118.52917 |
| • elevation | 253 m (830 ft) |
| Mouth | Lena |
• location | Zhigansky District |
• coordinates | 68°01′02″N123°07′08″E / 68.01722°N 123.11889°E /68.01722; 123.11889 |
• elevation | 22 m (72 ft) |
| Length | 423 km (263 mi) |
| Basin size | 9,250 km2 (3,570 sq mi) |
| Basin features | |
| Progression | Lena→Laptev Sea |
TheMotorchuna (Russian:Моторчуна) is a river inYakutia (Sakha Republic),Russia. It is a lefttributary of theLena with a length of 423 kilometres (263 mi). Itsdrainage basin area is 9,250 square kilometres (3,570 sq mi).[1] Since its river basin is uninhabited, the Motorchuna is one of the most untouched rivers in Yakutia; the waters are clean and there is abundant wildlife.[2]
The name of the river comes from theEven"mo/tor/chu" (мо/тор/чу), meaning "tree/pass/river".[2]
In theInternational scale of river difficulty the Motorchuna is a Class II destination forrafting andkayaking.[2]
The sources of the Motorchuna are north of thePolar Circle, in the northeastern slopes of theCentral Siberian Plateau, very near the sources of the north-flowingMerchimden. It fringes the plateau area heading in a roughly ENE direction. In mid course it turns slightly and flows across theCentral Yakutian Lowland in a roughly ESE direction formingmeanders in thefloodplain to the south of theSyungyude. The banks in the middle and lower reaches are bound by vertical rocky cliffs. The channel is mostly pebbly. In its last stretch the Motorchuna flows parallel to theMuna further south, in an area of lakes and marshes. Finally it meets the left bank of the Lena, 606 kilometres (377 mi) from its mouth. Its confluence is almost opposite the mouth of theMenkere on the facing bank.[3][4][5]
The Motorchuna is fed by rain and snow. It freezes in mid-October and stays under ice until late May or early June.[2]
The Motorchuna has fifty tributaries that are over 10 km (6.2 mi) in length. The longest ones are the 147 km (91 mi) long Byuger-Yuryach and the 132 km (82 mi) long Kuogas-Uluybut, both joining it from the left.[2][1]
Thickets ofgolden root andRhododendron adamsii grow on the banks on the Motorchuna. In certain places there are dense shrubs growing near the water and in the banks of the lower course there arewillows. Often birds and mammals hide in the vegetation.Elk,wolf,willow ptarmigan,bean goose andgreater white-fronted goose are common near the river.
The main fish species arepike,perch,lenok,taimen,grayling,burbot,whitefish andnelma, among others.[2][6]
