Sakmara

a river in the Bashkir ASSR and Orenburg Oblast, RSFSR, a right tributary of the Ural River. The Sakmara is 798 km long and drains an area of 30,200 sq km. It originates on the slopes of the Uraltau Range and flows to the south across a wide mountain valley. Skirting the Zilair Plateau, the Sakmara breaks into a deep gorge and turns to the west. Fed primarily by snow, the river is at high water from April until early June. The mean flow rate measured 55 km from the mouth is 144 cu m per sec. The river freezes in November, and the ice breaks up in April. The main tributaries from the right are the Zilair, Bol’-shoi Ik, and Salmysh. The lower course is navigable. The city of Kuvandyk is located on the Sakmara, and the city of Orenburg is located near the mouth of the Sakmara, on the Ural River.