Kurshab (river)

The Kurshab (Куршаб), in its upper course Gulcha or Gülchö (Гүлчө), is a river in southwestern Kyrgyzstan. It discharges into Andijan Reservoir, which is drained by the Kara Darya. The river is formed at the north slope of the Alay Mountains. The length of the river is 157 km with a catchment area of 3750 km2, and normal average discharge of 24.6 m3/s at Kochkorata hydrologic post. The river is fed by a combination of snow (23%) and ice (11%) meltwater, and springs (66%). The maximum flow of 58.6 m3/s was recorded in June and the minimum - 10.9 m3/s in February. The river is used for irrigation. Several settlements are located near the river Kurshab, including Gülchö and Kurshab.