Ili River.
Kazakhstan rivers & lakes. The Biggest rivers in Kazakhstan

The Ili River is the artery of Semirechye tourism. The name of the river has been taken from the Mongolian "Ilansu", that means flickering, sparkling. Hi is formed by the confluence of the Kunges and Tekes Rivers flowing from the Central Tien-Shan.

It flows along an intention main valley within Kazakhstan; the valley is wide and flat. The riverbed is frequently branched into channels, divided by islands, overgrown with bush and cane, The river valley is narrowed only in the Kapchagai Gorge region, and then it becomes flat. The Ili River flows into Lake Balkhash by several branches (bakanases), developing a broad delta.

At 1.439 km, the Ili is the longest river in Zhetisy. Its source is in Almaty region; on ways back from China it forms the Kapchagai reservoir, eventually plowing into Balkhash Lake. Some call Kapchagai a sea. In the warm weather it is one of the loveliest places for city-dwellers for the rest. It is 22 km at its widest point and 45 m deep and covers an area of 1,847 sq. km.

Along its shores are health spas, guest-houses, beaches and fishing boats. There is a small aquapark in the town. Kapchagai's waters teem with pike perch, bream, wild carp, chub and sheat-fish. Just a short journey from Kapchagai, on the bank of the Ili, is a place that will transport you far back in time. For centuries, an image of Budda has gazed into the sky from an enormous rock on the right bank. This is Tamgaly Tas (Written stones).

The sun-blackened cliff-faces have preserved many petroglyphs (rock paintings), images of mysterious deities and late Buddhist inscriptions whose meaning has yet to be unraveled. There are many different drawings dated back to the 12th century. Nearby is another rock with writings in an ancient Turkic runic script dating back to the 8-9th centuries.

The river valley is full of contrasts and is extremely Interesting: a full-flowing river among the infinite sand barkhan ridges divides into hundreds of pure lakes, overgrown with water-lilies, which are inhabited by thousand of birds and wild animals in the cane jungle; an abundance of fish and, as finale- the immense expanse of La Balkhash.

All this beauty can be observed during a trip on the Hi River.

The most prevalent fishery is the catfish, the largest freshwater predator, it reaches 5 m in length and 300 kg weight, but such specimens arc extremely rare, but a catfish of 50 up to 100 kg can be easily caught in the Karatal, Hi Rivers or in Lake Balkhash.

Of special interest is the "caught, photographed, released" fishing on the river. Currently, that kind of sport wins more and more popularity among the fishing fraternity.

Rafting

Ili river is 1001 km long. Summertime water quantity is 150 - 250 cube meters a second. Ili river is situated in Kazakhstan and China and flows into Balkhash lake. It is formed by two rivers - Tekes river (Kazakhstan) and Kunges (China) in Eastern Tien-Shan. Length of Ili is 1001 km, but if to count from the river-head of Tekes it is 1439 km. Length of river in Kazakhstan - 815 km.

Square of river basin - 68,4 thousands sq. m. Big tributaries in Kazakhstan - Turgen, Talgar, Charyn, Kaskelen, Kurty, Usek and Chilik river. Ili river crosses different nature-landscape zones. In upper part, In China, - Ili is mountain river, in middle flow - flat river, in lower flow - deserted, crosses Taulum and Saryesik-Atyray deserts.

Square of Ili river delta - 9000 sq. km. Ili River, as water-bearing, is third river in Kazakhstan after Irtysh and Ural.

River freezes in the end of November, drifting of ice in the beginning of April. Middle thickness- about 0,5 m. Fish - sazan, pike, sheat-fish and etc. Not far from Kapchagai town (70 km from Almaty) there is a Hydro-Electric Power station on Ili river and a water reservoir 70 km long and up to 5 km wide. Before falling into the water reservoir the water in the river is full of sand and other elements. After the reservoir water in the river becomes clear.

After the reservoir Ili flows in a deep rocky canyon, up to 200 meters wide. River in this part is full-flowing with rapid current and clear water. The canyon is about 100 meters deep. When Ili leaves Kapchagai gorge, it flows on Near Balkhash plain and falling into Balkhash lake it forms. The river has no technical difficulties.

Joint project of OrexCA.com and KTA & KAGIR. Information is taken from CD "All about tourism in Kazakhstan"