Khatanga River
Northern and Eastern Russia with Chatanga, headwaters Cheta (left) and Kotui (right) and estuary Chatangagolf which leads on to the Laptev Sea ( Arctic Ocean ) ( top center )
The Chatanga (Russian Хатанга ) is about 227 km and together with its source river Kotui approximately 1636 km long stream in the northeast of the Krasnoyarsk region and in the north of Siberia and Russia ( Asia ), and also the main tributary of the Chatangagolfs and tributary of the Laptev Sea, a sub- of the Arctic Ocean.
River
The Chatanga created around 600 km north of the Arctic Circle in the Taimyrsenke, the central part of the North Siberian Lowland, through the situated directly at the settlement Kresty confluence of its headwaters Cheta, which is about 604 km long and flows from the south-west approach, and Kotui, of the approximately is 1409 km long and comes from south-southeast.
From then runs the Chatanga - south of the Taimyr peninsula and north of the Central Siberian Uplands - in a broad valley northeastward through the Taimyrsenke. She makes several creeks, which unite several times again, and also there are many river islands. In scarcely populated areas it passes about 15 km below the village Kresty Chatanga with port and airfield and takes a little further down the river with the Novaya their second longest tributary on. Later she passed the further north-eastern settlements Schdanicha, at the mouth of Schdanicha, and Noworybnaja, near the mouth of the Bludnaja. Shortly thereafter, the Popigai flows as the longest tributary.
About 28 km to the north opens the Chatanga between Cape Turupkin in the west and Big Kap Korga in the east in the 220 km long estuary Chatangagolf, which is part of belonging to the Arctic Ocean Laptev Sea.
Catchment area, lakes and streams
The catchment area of approximately 364,000 km ² Chatanga is great. In this area there are over 112,000 lakes with 11,600 km ².
The headwaters of the Chatanga are Cheta and Kotui and its tributaries include ( downriver considered ): Selebir, Schdanicha, Ulachan - Jurjach, Novaya, Nischnjaja, Lukunskaja, Small Balachnja, Bludnaja, Popigai and Mardy - Rassocha.
Climate, Hydrology and Hydrography
The winter on the Chatanga are long and extremely cold, the summers are short and cold. In general, the flow of the end of September or early October to early June is covered in ice, so that it is navigable only in the summer - with harbor by Chatanga. When thaw in the summer of permafrost and melting ice and snow, often develop severe flooding. Especially, the Chatangagolf a strong northeastward flowing current, driven by the waters of the Chatanga that drives them through the Gulf in the Laptev Sea. At the level Chatanga the mean discharge ( MQ ) is 308 m³ / s in April and 12,889 m³ / s in June, the annual average at 3,320 m³ / s and the maximum at 18,300 m³ / s The Chatanga is counted for hydrological zone of the Lena.
Flora and Fauna
The Chatanga flows through landscapes from frost rubble deserts and tundra with mosses and lichens, as well as numerous lakes and marshes. In the fish-rich rivers living among other vendace, Muksune, Omule, char and White Salmon. It is operated commercial fishing.