Bogen (river)

The Bogen (Бөген Bögen, Бугунь Bugun) is a river in Baydibek and Otyrar districts, Turkistan Region, southern Kazakhstan. It has a length of 164 km with a basin area of 4680 km2.

In 1967 the Bogen Dam, with an area of 65 km2, was built on the river, connecting to the Syr Darya basin by means of the Arys-Turkestan Canal. The waters are used for irrigation.

Course
The river begins at the confluence of the rivers Ulken Bogen and Bala Bogen, flowing from the southwestern slopes of the Karatau ridge. It flows roughly westwards through a floodplain that is between 300 m and 600 m wide. In its last stretch it bends northwards and discharges into lake Kum-Kol, not reaching the Syr Darya channel. The river is fed mainly by snow and groundwater. Its longest tributary is the 164 km long Shayan (Шаян), now flowing into the Arys-Turkestan Canal.