Editing Manych

{{Infobox river
| name              = Manych
| image             = Manych River, near highway Rostov-on-Don - Volgodonsk.jpg
| image_caption     = Manych River near Rostov-on-Don - Volgodonsk highway
| map               = Don basin.png
| map_caption       = Manych River flowing northwest at the bottom of this map. The upstream broadening is lake Manych-Gudilo.
| pushpin_map       = Russia Rostov Oblast#European Russia
| mapframe          = yes
| mapframe-zoom     = 6
| source1_location  =
| mouth             = [[Don (river)|Don]]
| mouth_coordinates = {{coord|47.2722|40.1193|region:RU|display=it}}
| progression       = {{RDon}}
| length            = {{convert|420|km|mi|abbr=on}}
| source1_elevation = 
| discharge1_avg    = 
| basin_size        = {{convert|35400|km2|sqmi|abbr=on}}
| tributaries_left  = [[Kalaus (river)|Kalaus]], [[Yegorlyk]]
| tributaries_right = 
| extra             = 
}}

The '''Manych''' ({{langx|ru|Маныч}}) is a river in the Black Sea–Caspian Steppe of Southern Russia. It flows through the western and central part of the [[Kuma–Manych Depression]]. In ancient times, it was known as the '''Lik'''.

A tributary of the [[Don (river)|Don]], it is {{convert|420|km|sp=us}} long, with its current source at the mouth of the [[Kalaus (river)|Kalaus]] in the southwestern part of the [[Republic of Kalmykia]]. It flows through the town of [[Proletarsk, Rostov Oblast|Proletarsk]] and joins the Don in [[Manychskaya]], east of the city of [[Rostov-on-Don]].<ref name=west>[http://igras.ru/index.php?r=147&id=7797 West Manych] (Institute of Geography, Russian Academy of Sciences) {{in lang|ru}}</ref>

Along the Manych, going downstream, there are:<ref name=west/>
*Dam at {{coord|45.70|N|44.10|E}} at the mouth of the Kalaus River blocking flow eastward to [[East Manych]]
*Lysyy Liman Reservoir (Dam at {{coord|45.87|N|44.20|E}}) in between these two dams
*A section that is almost dry 
*[[Lake Manych-Gudilo]]
*Proletarsk (Proletarskoye) Reservoir (Пролетарское водохранилище) (Dam at {{coord|46|37|53|N|41|39|36|E}}, near the town of Proletarsk)
*[[Veselovsky Reservoir|Vesyolovskoye Reservoir]] (Весёловское водохранилище) (Dam at {{coord|47|06|36|N|40|46|37|E}}, near Vesyoly).
*Ust-Manych Reservoir near the river mouth (Усть-Манычское водохранилище) (Dam at {{coord|47|14|20|N|40|15|53|E}})

The Proletarsk Dam is sufficiently high to raise the water level in Lake Manych-Gudilo upstream from it, so in fact the lake has become part of the Proletarsk Reservoir. The three reservoirs (and Lake Manych-Gudilo) form an almost continuous chain, the  original course of the river being almost entirely flooded by them. According to the calculations of the Russian geographer Alexander Bazelyuk, between Manych-Gudilo and the river mouth, merely {{cvt|9.1|km}} of the length of the West Manych river remains in its original "river" (rather than reservoir) form: {{cvt|8.2|km}} from the Vesyolovsk Dam to the upper reaches of the Ust-Manych Reservoir, and {{cvt|0.9|km}} from the Ust-Manych Dam to where the river joins the Don.<ref name=bazelyuk-conf>Alexander A. Bazelyuk (А. А. Базелюк), "Changes in the hydrographic network of river basins. The West and East Manych in the 19–20th centuries". In: ''[https://wayback.archive-it.org/all/20090305222235/http://www.unesco.ru/files/docs/science/2007/news/rostov-on-don_wetlands_conf_materials.pdf Proceedings of the International Scientific and Practical Conference on the Preservation of the Wetlands Biodiversity and Sustainable Use of the Biological Resources of the Steppe Zone]'', Rostov-on-Don, 2007.{{in lang|ru}}{{dead link|date=February 2016}}</ref>

==Unusual drainage system==
Formerly, at least in periods of high water, the Manych River would flow in two directions. The river [[Kalaus (river)|Kalaus]], when reaching the Kuma–Manych Depression at {{coord|45|43|N|44|06|E|display=inline}}, would [[River bifurcation|split]]. About 30% of the water would become the West Manych and flow northwest to, or toward, the Don River. The remaining water became the [[East Manych]] and flowed  roughly southeast and dried up on the steppe before reaching the Caspian Sea. Sometime around 1970 a low dam was built which prevented any water from flowing into the East Manych. The East Manych is now fed by irrigation canals coming from the Kuma and Terek Rivers.<ref name=bazelyuk>Alexander Anatolievich Bazelyuk (Базелюк Александр Анатольевич), "[https://web.archive.org/web/20090305222238/http://www.znb.rsu.ru/referat/D212-208-12/25-00-23/20071114_D212-208-12_25-00-23_BazelyukAA.doc АНТРОПОГЕННОЕ ИЗМЕНЕНИЕ ГИДРОГРАФИЧЕСКОЙ СЕТИ КУМО-МАНЫЧСКОЙ ВПАДИНЫ]" (Anthropogenic changes in the Hydrographic Network of the Kuma-Manych Depression), summary of the Cand. Sci. dissertation. Rostov-na-Donu, 2007. {{in lang|ru}} ?not available 01feb16?</ref>

==Canals==
Historically (prior to the construction of the dams and irrigation channels, i.e. until 1932–1940 for the West Manych, and until 1969 for the East Manych), both rivers were intermittent. During dry years, and even during the drier parts of normal years, both Manych Rivers would consist merely of a chain of small lakes or ponds with brackish or salty water. The system usually would be fully filled with fresh water only during the spring [[freshet]].<ref name=bazelyuk/>

Since the mid-20th century both Manych Rivers receive significant amounts of fresh water via a network of irrigation canals. Since 1948–1953, the West Manych has been receiving water from the [[Kuban River]] (via the [[Nevinnomyssk Canal]] and the [[Yegorlyk]], a left tributary of the West Manych) and from the [[Tsimlyansk Reservoir]] on the [[Don (river)|Don]] (via the Don Canal). Since the late 1960s, the East Manych has been receiving water from the [[Terek River]] and the [[Kuma River (Russia)|Kuma River]] via the [[Kuma–Manych Canal]] and [[Terek–Kuma Canal]]. According to A. Bazelyuk's calculations, the annual water flow in the West Manych (measured at the Vesyoly township) is 8.3 times as high as it was previous to the canal and dam constructions, while that in the East Manych (measured at the [[Chogray Reservoir|Chogray Dam]]) is 4.3 times as high as before.<ref name=bazelyuk/>

If the plans for the proposed [[Eurasia Canal]], linking the Caspian Sea with the Black Sea, are ever implemented, it will likely follow the Manych valley in its central and western section.

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Rivers of Russia}}
{{Authority control}}
[[Category:Rivers of Rostov Oblast]]
[[Category:Rivers of Kalmykia]]
[[Category:Rivers of Stavropol Krai]]