Irtysh River
The Irtysh River flows northwest for 4,248 kilometers (2,640 miles) through China, Kazakhstan, and Russia, and ends in western Siberia. It begins in the southwest slopes of the Chinese Altay mountain range (Xinjiang province) and it flows west into Kazak territory, where it is known as the Kara-Irtysh up to the point where it enters Lake Zaysan. Once it exits the lake, it is called Irtysh and continues its flow northwest within Kazakhstan, passing the cities of Ust'-Kamenogorsk, Semipalatinsk, and Pavlodar.
A canal that was constructed in the 1960s from the Irtysh to Karaganda allows the use of the river's water for agricultural purposes in central Kazakhstan. Leaving Kazakhstan, the Irtysh river then crosses into Russia, passes the city of Omsk, and joins the Ob river.
The river is the principal source of water for almost four million Kazaks and a vital base for industry. China and Kazakhstan have been involved in discussions and negotiations regarding the future of the river. China's plans to build a canal on the upper part of the Irtysh (called Ertis He in China) in order to divert the water flow into the Xinjiang province of western China has caused concerns in Kazakhstan. At present, an agreement has been reached that allows China to divert only 10 percent of the river's flow—about one billion cubic meters—per year until 2020.
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