Khatyrka (river)

The Khatyrka (Хатырка; Ватыркан) is a river in Chukotka Autonomous Okrug, Russia. The length of the river is 367 km and the area of is drainage basin 13400 km2.

The name of the river comes from the Chukot "vatyrkan" (Ватыркан), meaning "dry, depleted place".

Course
The Khatyrka has its source in the Koryak Highlands. It first flows in an ENE direction along the northern slopes of the Komeutyuyam Range as a mountain river within a narrow valley. It bends to the SSE at the northeastern end of the range and the valley expands, the river dividing into channels. In its lower course it flows along a marshy floodplain. A stretch of the river forms the border with the Olyutorsky District of Kamchatka Krai. Its mouth is in an estuary that is separated by a narrow landspit from the Bering Sea. Khatyrka village lies at the mouth of the estuary.

Tributaries
The main tributary of the Khatyrka is the 103 km long Iomrautvaam (Иомраутваам), joining it from the right. A unique-type of meteorite fell in the area of the Iomrautvaam river basin and was buried in a 7,000-year-old layer of dirt. It was found during an expedition to Chukotka in the summer of 2011.

Flora and fauna
The river basin is characterized by tundra vegetation, including mosses, lichens, dwarf shrubs, and sedges.

The inhabitants of the area are engaged in reindeer herding. River Khatyrka is a good place for fishing. Among the fish species found in the waters of the river the pink salmon, chum salmon, sockeye salmon and Chinook salmon deserve mention.