| Manych | |
|---|---|
 Manych River near Rostov-on-Don - Volgodonsk highway | |
 Manych River flowing northwest at the bottom of this map. The upstream broadening is lake Manych-Gudilo. | |
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| Physical characteristics | |
| Mouth | Don |
• coordinates | 47°16′20″N40°07′09″E / 47.2722°N 40.1193°E /47.2722; 40.1193 |
| Length | 420 km (260 mi) |
| Basin size | 35,400 km2 (13,700 sq mi) |
| Basin features | |
| Progression | Don→Sea of Azov |
| Tributaries | |
| • left | Kalaus,Yegorlyk |
TheManych (Russian:Маныч) is a river in the Black Sea–Caspian Steppe of Southern Russia. It flows through the western and central part of theKuma–Manych Depression. In ancient times, it was known as theLik.
A tributary of theDon, it is 420 kilometers (260 mi) long, with its current source at the mouth of theKalaus in the southwestern part of theRepublic of Kalmykia. It flows through the town ofProletarsk and joins the Don inManychskaya, east of the city ofRostov-on-Don.[1]
Along the Manych, going downstream, there are:[1]
The Proletarsk Dam is sufficiently high to raise the water level in Lake Manych-Gudilo upstream from it, so in fact the lake has become part of the Proletarsk Reservoir. The three reservoirs (and Lake Manych-Gudilo) form an almost continuous chain, the original course of the river being almost entirely flooded by them. According to the calculations of the Russian geographer Alexander Bazelyuk, between Manych-Gudilo and the river mouth, merely 9.1 km (5.7 mi) of the length of the West Manych river remains in its original "river" (rather than reservoir) form: 8.2 km (5.1 mi) from the Vesyolovsk Dam to the upper reaches of the Ust-Manych Reservoir, and 0.9 km (0.56 mi) from the Ust-Manych Dam to where the river joins the Don.[2]
Formerly, at least in periods of high water, the Manych River would flow in two directions. The riverKalaus, when reaching the Kuma–Manych Depression at45°43′N44°06′E / 45.717°N 44.100°E /45.717; 44.100, wouldsplit. About 30% of the water would become the West Manych and flow northwest to, or toward, the Don River. The remaining water became theEast Manych and flowed roughly southeast and dried up on the steppe before reaching the Caspian Sea. Sometime around 1970 a low dam was built which prevented any water from flowing into the East Manych. The East Manych is now fed by irrigation canals coming from the Kuma and Terek Rivers.[3]
Historically (prior to the construction of the dams and irrigation channels, i.e. until 1932–1940 for the West Manych, and until 1969 for the East Manych), both rivers were intermittent. During dry years, and even during the drier parts of normal years, both Manych Rivers would consist merely of a chain of small lakes or ponds with brackish or salty water. The system usually would be fully filled with fresh water only during the springfreshet.[3]
Since the mid-20th century both Manych Rivers receive significant amounts of fresh water via a network of irrigation canals. Since 1948–1953, the West Manych has been receiving water from theKuban River (via theNevinnomyssk Canal and theYegorlyk, a left tributary of the West Manych) and from theTsimlyansk Reservoir on theDon (via the Don Canal). Since the late 1960s, the East Manych has been receiving water from theTerek River and theKuma River via theKuma–Manych Canal andTerek–Kuma Canal. According to A. Bazelyuk's calculations, the annual water flow in the West Manych (measured at the Vesyoly township) is 8.3 times as high as it was previous to the canal and dam constructions, while that in the East Manych (measured at theChogray Dam) is 4.3 times as high as before.[3]
If the plans for the proposedEurasia Canal, linking the Caspian Sea with the Black Sea, are ever implemented, it will likely follow the Manych valley in its central and western section.
Authority control databases: National |
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