The River Kashgar

Kashgar

Kashgar (Kyzyl-Suu, Uluu-Chat (Ulugchat), Kabaatsu, Kyzylsu, Aavatusten Canal, Kashgar, Faizabad Darya, Chon-Kashgar Darya) is a river in the west of China, with its upper reaches in Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. Previously, Kashgar flowed into the Yarkand River, but now it is lost in the sands.

Length — 765 km, including 685 km on the territory of China, with a catchment area of 90.8 thousand km². The average water flow near the village of Kafka is 80 m³/s.

It is formed from a glacier on the northern slope of the Zaalai Range at the peak of Zarya Vostoka. It has an orange color and flows through the Kashgar Plain.

In its lower reaches, it flows through the northwestern part of the Taklamakan Desert.

The flood season is in summer. The river is mainly fed by groundwater (47%), about 30% is from snowmelt, and the rest is from rainfall. The waters of the river are used for irrigation.

Settlements located along the river include Erkesh-Tam, Uluu-Chat (Ulugchat), and Kashgar.