Okhota

(Levaia Okhota in the upper course), a river in Khabarovsk Krai, RSFSR. The Okhota is 393 km long and drains an area of 19,100 sq km. It rises in the Suntar-Khaiata Range, flows to the south through a broad valley between the Iudoma and Kukhtui ranges, and empties into the Sea of Okhotsk. A stream branches off to the left 32 km from the mouth and empties into the Khaibas River (a tributary of the Kukhtui). The Okhota is fed by snow and rain. The mean flow rate is approximately 200 cu m per sec. The Okhota freezes in late October or early November, and the ice breaks up in May. It is used for floating timber and is navigable in the lower course. Salmon spawn in the river. The port of Okhotsk is near the river’s mouth.