Kaldygaity

The Kaldygaity (Қалдығайты; Калдыгайты) is a river in the West Kazakhstan Region, Kazakhstan. It is 243 km long and has a catchment area of 5800 km2.

The Kaldygaity belongs to the Ural basin. The banks of the river are a seasonal grazing ground for local cattle.

Course
The Kaldygaity has its sources in the southwestern slopes of Mount Almastau. It heads first southwestwards across Shyngyrlau District, then it bends westwards and flows in that direction through Karatobe District. It forms meanders in a floodplain until it meets the wide salt lake area that lies near Tolen village. The Buldyrty (Бұлдырты) river flows parallel to the Kaldygaity roughly 45 km to the northwest.

The Kaldygaity has 40 tributaries that are longer than 10 km. The main ones are the Peschanaya, Bayanas and Ashchysay. The river valley is wide and in its middle and lower course the Kaldygaity flows across sandy terrain. It is fed by snow and rain. On years of heavy snow its lower stretch floods.

Fauna
The main fish species in the Kaldygaity include pike, Eurasian carp, perch and karabalik. The European pond turtle is also found in the river. The reed undergrowth of the lower reaches of the Kaldygaity and neighboring Olenti provides a habitat and a mass-breeding place for the Asian locust.