Bakanas Бақанас
Sentinel-2 image with the Bakanas' mouth fanning out southwards above in the middle
Mouth location in Kazakhstan
Location
Country	Kazakhstan
Physical characteristics
Source	Chingiztau
• coordinates	48°31′21″N 79°0′38″E / 48.52250°N 79.01056°E / 48.52250; 79.01056
• elevation	808 m (2,651 ft)
Mouth	Balkhash-Alakol Basin
• location	West of Aktogay
• coordinates	47°14′02″N 79°13′21″E / 47.23389°N 79.22250°E / 47.23389; 79.22250
• elevation	384 m (1,260 ft)
Length	240 km (150 mi)
Basin size	25,100 km2 (9,700 sq mi)
Discharge
• average	3.27 m3/s (115 cu ft/s) (near Shubartau)

The Bakanas (Kazakh: Бақанас) is a river in the Abai Region, Kazakhstan.^[1][2] It has a length of 240 km (150 mi) and a drainage basin of 25,100 km² (9,700 sq mi).^[3]

The Bakanas flows near Ayagoz city in its upper course. Barshatas town is located on the left bank of the river.^[4][3]

Course

The Bakanas river originates in the Chingiztau range of the eastern Kazakh Uplands. Its source is in the southwestern slopes, near the Akbaytal mountain pass. It heads roughly southwards, bending southeastwards in its middle course after its confluence with the Dagandeli. Finally it fans out, divides into shallow arms, and its waters disperse in the semidesert sands to the north of the eastern end of the Balkhash lakeshore. Its mouth lies 25 km (16 mi) west of Aktogay town, in the East Kazakhstan Region.^[3] The river is fed mainly by snow, but it usually carries very little water, and only in the spring, beginning in late March or early April and ending in May or June. In some years it dries up in its lower course. Very rarely, in extremely wet years, the Bakanas flows from the right into the Ayaguz River, which has its mouth in Lake Balkhash.^[5][4][6]

Tributaries

The Bakanas freezes between December and March. Its main tributaries are the 203 km (126 mi) long Dagandeli, as well as the Alpeis, Tolen, Kyzylozen, Zhanibek, Balkybek and the 152 km (94 mi) long Koksala.^[4]