Ishim

The Ishim is a river in Kazakhstan and Russia that flows through both countries. It stretches for 2,450 kilometers (1,520 miles) and drains 177,000 square kilometers (68,000 sq mi). It has a discharge rate of 56.3 cubic metres per second (1,990 cubic feet per second). It is an Irtysh tributary on the left bank. In its lower reaches, the Ishim is partially navigable. The Ishim's upper course flows through Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan's capital. The river flows through a huge marshland in Russia, with numerous bends and oxbow lakes along the way. From late November through early March, the river freezes.

From late November to early March, the river freezes over. A dam was built on the Ishim River in central Astana, a public beach, to manage water levels and floods. Kazakhstan plans to deepen the Ishim River so that small boats can navigate it. The Ishim River stretches for 1,522 kilometers.

According to Kazakhstan's President, Nur-Sultan was chosen as the capital in part because of the river. The city is also divided into two sections: the ancient town on the right bank of the Ishim, and the new town on the left bank, which includes the Ak Orda, the House of the Government, and the Supreme Court, as well as several prestigious apartment and dwelling complexes.

Since 1998, the Ishim in Nur-Sultan has been actively managed for flood control and water level maintenance in order to provide recreational opportunities and maintain the spectacular beauty. It is dammed downstream of center Nur-Sultan, keeping the river level higher than it would be otherwise most of the time, but the riverbed has been created deeper to allow floodwaters to pass through more quickly. There is currently a public beach and pedalo boat rental in central Nur-Sultan, near the city park; in the meantime, "residents would have been able to walk over it" if the river had not been dammed. For better flood control, another dam will be built upstream of the city.

Length: 2,450 km (1,520 mi)