Surkhob River
A major Central Asian river also known as the Kunduz in its lower course, the Surkhob is one of the major tributaries of the Amu Dar'ya (Oxus). The river rises in Afghanistan in the Baba Range of the Hindu Kush and flows for 420 kilometers, draining a basin of some 31,300 square kilometers. Like many other rivers in the region, its flow is heavily dependent on meltwater, with the greatest flow occurring in spring and early summer. The river's mean annual flow is 120 cubic meters per second, though this varies according to season. Within Afghanistan, the river's waters are used for electricity generation at the Pul-i Khrumri plant, supplying power to the north of the country.
The name "Surkhob" is also given to the western end of the river Vakhsh at the confluence of the Kyzylsu and the Muksu in Tajikistan; all three rivers form a single tributary of the Amu Dar'ya. Fed by meltwater and experiencing its greatest flow in July (3,120 cubic meters per second), and with an average of 660 cubic meters per second, this river of 524 kilometers and a catchment of 39,100 square kilometers has been heavily used for irrigation (the irrigation system is controlled from the town of Vakhsh) and hydroelectric power, resulting in heavy soil salinization in the lower reaches, although these remain navigable. Qurghonteppa (Kurgan-Tyube or Kuragn-Teppe) is the main town on this river, with a railway link to the capital, Dushanbe.
Further Reading
Great Soviet Encyclopaedia. (1978) London and New York: Macmillan.
Shul'ts, V. L. (1965) Reki Srednei Azii (Rivers of Central Asia). Leningrad, USSR: Nauk.
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