Shakhdara River

The Shakhdara (Tajik: Шоҳдара, Russian: Шахдара) is a left tributary of the Gunt River in southeastern Tajikistan.

Shakhdara
Pamir topographic map
Location
Country	Tajikistan
Physical characteristics
Source	Shakhdara Range (East)
• coordinates	37.240278°N 72.651667°E / 37.240278; 72.651667[1]
Mouth	Gunt River
• location	Khorog
• coordinates	37.482778°N 71.591667°E / 37.482778; 71.591667[1]
Length	142 km (88 mi)[1]
Basin size	4,180 km2 (1,610 sq mi)[1]
Basin features
Progression	Gunt → Panj → Amu Darya → Aral Sea

The Shakhdara has its source in the eastern part of the Shakhdara Range, not far from the Matz Pass and the Afghan border, in the extreme south of the Pamir Mountains^[2] . From there it flows in a westerly direction. It separates the Shakhdara range to the south from the Shughnon Range to the north. In its lower reaches, it turns north and meets the Gunt River east of Khorugh, a few kilometers before the Gunt flows into the Panj River, which is the Amu Darya source river.^[1]

It is fed by meltwater from glaciers and melting snow. Its length is 142 km. Its drainage basin covers 4180 km². The average discharge is 35.2 m³/s. The water of the Shakhdara is used for irrigation.

References

1. Article Шахдара in the Great Soviet Encyclopedia
2. Gavrilov, Vladimir (2004). Сплав. Путеводитель по горным рекам бывшего СССР и запада США [Rivers of an Unknown Land] (in Russian). Boreal Pr Inc. ISBN 9780967757032.