Shagan (Irtysh)
{{confusion|Shagan (Ural)}}
{{Infobox river
| name = Shagan
| other_name = Шаған
| image = Irtysh basin.png
| image_caption = Irtysh basin with the Shagan in the lower right
| source1_location = Chingiztau
| source1 = Kazakh Uplands
| source1_elevation = {{convert|915|m}}
| source1_coordinates = {{coord|48|39|51|N|78|29|03|E|source:wikidata-and-enwiki-cat-tree_region:RU}}
| mouth = Irtysh
| mouth_coordinates = {{coord|50|37|55|N|79|15|45|E|source:wikidata|display=it}}
| progression = {{RIrtysh}}
| length = {{convert|275|km|mi|abbr=on}}
| discharge1_avg = {{convert|1.02|m3/s|abbr=on}}
| basin_size = {{convert|25400|km2|abbr=on}}
| pushpin_map = Kazakhstan
| pushpin_map_size =
| pushpin_map_caption= Mouth location in Kazakhstan
| map = {{infobox mapframe | zoom = 5 | stroke-color = #0000ff }}
}}
The Shagan ({{langx|kk|Шаған}} - Şağan; {{langx|ru|Чаган}} - Chagan), is a river in the Zhanasemey, Abai and Beskaragay districts of Abai Region, east Kazakhstan. It is a tributary of the Irtysh. The river is {{convert|275|km|mi|abbr=on}} long and the area of its basin is {{convert|25400|km2|abbr=on}}.
Geography
The Shagan has its sources in the northwestern slopes of the Chingiztau, a subrange of the Kazakh Uplands. It heads mainly northwards along semi-desert areas all along its course. Finally it meets the left bank of the Irtysh {{convert|275|km|mi|abbr=on}} to the west of Semey, former Semipalatinsk, city. Its food is mainly snow and the river is under ice between November and April. It flows during the spring floods, from May to June. In the summer it dries up or breaks up into disconnected pools. Its main tributary is the Ashchysu from the right,[http://bse.sci-lib.com/article122961.html Шаган]; Great Soviet Encyclopedia in 30 vols. — Ch. ed. A.M. Prokhorov. - 3rd ed. - M. Soviet Encyclopedia, 1969–1978. (in Russian){{cite web|url=https://maps.vlasenko.net/smtm1000/m-44.jpg|title=M-44 Topographic Chart (in Russian)|access-date=4 October 2022}}
History
The lower course of the Shagan is located in the Balapan Complex area of the Semipalatinsk Polygon, the primary testing venue for the Soviet Union's nuclear weapons. The river flows from the western boundary of the test site and fills the "Atomic Lake" Lake Shagan (or Lake Balapan), a lake created by the Chagan nuclear test at the confluence with the Ashchysu.[https://silkadv.com/en/content/trip-lake-atomic Trip on lake Atomic] The lake was formed at the confluence with the Ashchysu in January 1965.[https://inis.iaea.org/collection/NCLCollectionStore/_Public/33/023/33023291.pdf International Nuclear Information System (INIS)]
See also
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [https://inis.iaea.org/search/searchsinglerecord.aspx?recordsFor=SingleRecord&RN=40029927#Shagan Radioactive contamination of the Shagan River ecosystem]
- [http://nuclearweaponarchive.org/Russia/Sovwpnprog.html#Chagan On the Soviet nuclear program]
Category:Geography of Abai Region
{{Rivers of Kazakhstan}}{{Kazakhstan-river-stub}}