Ulungur River Explained

S:乌伦古河

The Ulungur River / Urungu River or Urungu (Mongolian: Өрөнгө гол|translit=Öröngö Gol, Chinese: c=乌伦古河|p=Wūlúngǔ hé), in its upper reaches in Mongolia known as the Bulgan River (Mongolian: Булган гол), is a river of China and Mongolia. It rises in the Altai Mountains in western Mongolia, flows south into China's Xinjiang (Altay Prefecture), where it turns north-west to empty into the Ulungur Lake. It is about 700 km long.

The Irtysh–Karamay Canal crosses the Ulungur River at 46.6042°N 87.9478°W, on an aqueduct.

Geological history

In the early Quaternary, the Ulungur (as well as the upper Irtysh) flowed into the Dzungarian Basin, terminating in a large lake (the "Old Manas Lake") in the region of today's Lake Manas. Later tectonic movements redirected the Ulungur onto its current course.

Wildlife

The Sino-Mongolian beaver, Castor fiber birulai, is found only in the basin of the Ulungur River. The population is considered endangered. The Bulgan Beaver Nature Reserve (; 46.2°N 90.75°W) has been established on the Bulgan River (a tributary of the Ulungur River) in Qinggil (Qinghe) County in 1980 to protect the creatures.[1] [2]

References

46.9994°N 87.4403°W

Links

Notes and References

  1. Hongjun Chua and Zhigang Jianga, Distribution and conservation of the Sino-Mongolian beaver Castor fiber birulai in China. Oryx / Volume 43 / Issue 02 / April 2009, pp 197-202
  2. Web site: Riley. Alex. Extinct giant beavers made corkscrews instead of dams. BBC Earth. 29 July 2016. 28 July 2016.