Kichi-Kemin (river)

The Kichi-Kemin () is a river in Kemin District of Chuy Province of Kyrgyzstan and Korday District of Kazakhstan. It is a right tributary of the Chu in Chuy Valley. It is long with a basin area of . The flow of the Kichi-Kemin considerably varies; the minimum flow is in February, and the maximum is in July.
Course.
The source of the Kichi-Kemin is high in the shoots of Trans-Ili Alatau in Kyrgyzstan. For about the river flows to the north and then to the west along the Kyrgyzstan–Kazakhstan border from an elevation of about to . The river passes through urban-type settlement Ak-Tuz and flows to the southwest in a narrow gorge. Further on, it passes through the village of Imeni Il'icha and enters the Kichi-Kemin Valley. The Kichi-Kemin River then turns west and passes near the villages of Kichi-Kemin, Boroldoy, and Beysheke. It flows parallel to the Chu River at a distance of and crosses the Kyrgyzstan–Kazakhstan border. In Kazakhstan, it passes near the villages Karasay batyr and Enbek gradually approaching the Chu River, and flowing into it near Chim-Kurgan.
Ecology and environment.
Contamination.
In 1964, mudflows damaged tailings pond No.2 in the vicinity of the Kichi-Kemin River, and of radioactive tailings contaminated the river and lower part of Kichi-Kemin Valley with thorium, lead, copper, zinc, beryllium and other heavy metals.
Environmental monitoring.
The Kyrgyz State Agency on Hydrometeorology runs two water-quality monitoring stations on the Kichi-Kemin River: one of them is upstream and another is downstream of Ak-Tuz.