Kursheb, Kursheb River, in the upper reaches — Gulcha,
A river in Kyrgyzstan, flowing through the Osh region, a left tributary of the Karadarja River (Syr Darya basin), it flows into the Andijan Reservoir. The river originates from the northern slope of the Alai Range and is classified as a snow and glacier-fed river. After receiving the Jusal River from the right, the river Gulcha is named Kursheb.
Kursheb flows through a deep valley and has about 40 tributaries along its entire length. It is 157 km long.
The basin area is 3750 km².
Floods occurring in the river in May-June are characterized by suddenness and a large amount of bottom and suspended sediments, with an average annual runoff reaching 160 and 80 thousand m³, respectively. During mudflow floods, the amount of loose material brought in can reach 600 thousand m³. On average, the number of days with ice phenomena, according to the Hydrometeorological Center, is 41.
In summer, the waters of Kursheb often do not reach the Karadarja River, as they are diverted for irrigation.
The water intake structure is located 1 km above the river's exit into the valley on a section with a bed slope of 0.007. At this point, the river flows through a canyon 25-30 m high, with the sides made of sandstone. Water flow in the Kursheb River varies from 20 to 250 m³/s, while flow velocities and depths range from 0.4-3.5 m³/s and 0.4-1.7 m, respectively. The riverbed in this section passes through boulder-gravel deposits with an average size of 45 mm and a maximum of 300 mm.
After Gulcha - the capital of Alai, - the river flows through a wide basin. Then, cutting through the Konurtobe and Aldyrjan mountains, it rushes for several dozen kilometers through a deep, narrow gorge. The relatively calm Gulcha transforms into the swift and forceful Kursheb. In this section, the river presents a turbulent, rapid flow 10-15 m wide with an average slope of 13 m/km. Here, we encounter a cascade of very difficult but passable rapids, as well as an impassable waterfall.
In the middle reaches of the canyon, Kursheb-Darya, as it is also called, meets with powerful mesmerizing beauty.
To admire the artistry of nature, one can stop over the abyss from the steep serpentine of the left bank.
Marble limestone is a fairly strong rock, but it too cannot withstand the ambitious desires of the forceful river. Trapped in steep rocky banks, it foams and thunders over numerous rapids. Polished boulders, protruding from the turquoise waves, are the result of a passionate struggle of the elements. In the center of the picture are granite cliffs and turquoise water. In the floodplain, there is a real birch forest, poplar groves, and thickets of willow... On the edge of the riverbanks are sea buckthorn, wild rose, and barberry. Higher up, on the slopes, in disarray, are dense cones of dark green juniper.
A successfully integrated detail in the natural landscape is a homemade bridge over the stream.
Below the mouth of the Bagarchi River, the Kursheb valley widens again, with the riverbed increasing to 25 m. After exiting the canyon, Kursheb, losing its inertial strength and breaking into branches, spreads across a wide, densely populated valley, slowing the flow.
