| Tartarchay Tartar, Թարթառ | |
|---|---|
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| Native name | Tərtərçay (Azerbaijani) |
| Location | |
| Country | Azerbaijan Partly: Republic of Artsakh (de facto) |
| Region | Caucasus |
| Districts | Kalbajar,Barda,Tartar |
| Cities | Kalbajar,Tartar,Barda |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | Lesser Caucasus |
| • location | NearIstisu,Kalbajar District, Azerbaijan |
| • coordinates | 39°55′56″N45°58′6″E / 39.93222°N 45.96833°E /39.93222; 45.96833 |
| • elevation | 3,120 m (10,240 ft)[2] |
| Mouth | Kura |
• location | Barda,Azerbaijan |
• coordinates | 40°26′49″N47°18′26″E / 40.44694°N 47.30722°E /40.44694; 47.30722 |
| Length | 184 km (114 mi)[1] |
| Basin size | 2,650 km2 (1,020 sq mi)[1] |
| Discharge | |
| • location | directly downstream into Kura[2] |
| • average | 22 m3/s (780 cu ft/s)[2] |
| Basin features | |
| Progression | Kura→Caspian Sea |
| Tributaries | |
| • left | Levçay,Ağdabançay |
| • right | Turağayçay |
TheTartar (Azerbaijani:Tərtərçay,Armenian:Թարթառ) is one of thetributaries of theKura river located inAzerbaijan. It passes through the districts ofKalbajar,Barda andTartar.
The Tartar is a left tributary of the Kura, the largest river in the Caucasus. The river originates in the area where Qonqur, Alaköz and Mıxtökən mountain ranges meet on theKarabakh Plateau in the vicinity of the hot springs village ofIstisu located inKalbajar Rayon of Azerbaijan.[3] The river originates from mountain springs at 3,120 m (10,240 ft) above sea level. The river flows eastward through the wholeKalbajar District, passing throughKalbajar city,Tartar andBarda districts and throughTartar andBarda cities before discharging into the Kura. The river has two left tributaries: theLevçay (36 km (22 mi)) and theAğdabançay (19 km (12 mi)), and one right tributary, theTurağayçay (35 km (22 mi)).Sarsang reservoir was built on Tartar river in 1976 for electricity generation and irrigation purposes.[2]
The river is 184 km (114 mi) long, and has a drainage basin of 2,650 km2 (1,020 sq mi).[1] The Tartarchay is considered one of the water-rich tributaries of the Kura within Azerbaijani territory. The water volumes are sourced from rainfall (14%), snow (28%) and underground springs (58%). During spring and summer months, the snow melting in the mountains causes floods, making up 65–70% of the annual water flow. In August and September, the water levels decrease. From October until November, the rainfall increases the water levels again. The average annual discharge of the river is 22 m3/s (780 cu ft/s). Average annual flow is 693.8 million m3. The average mineralization of the river is 300–500 mg/L with hydrocarbons and calcium.[2]
What was once the famous resort village ofIstisu (lit. 'Hot Water' inAzerbaijani), which was occupied and ruined following theFirst Nagorno-Karabakh War, is located on the lower part of the river. The resort contains both natural drinking mineral water and hot water spring for bathing. Sarsang Hydro Power Plant with capacity of 50 megawatts is operated at theSarsang reservoir of the river[4] and is the main source of electric energy for theRepublic of Artsakh (40–60%).[5]
