Chu River

Chu River (Чу, Чүй, Шу)
In the Chuy Valley below Tokmok
Countries	Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan
Tributaries
- left	Ala-Archa River, Kara-Balta River, Ysyk-Ata River, Alamudun River, Ak-Suu River
- right	Chong-Kemin River, Kichi-Kemin River
Source	confluence of Joon Aryk and Kochkor River
- elevation	1,802 m (5,912 ft)
- coordinates	42°13′15.60″N 75°44′29″E / 42.2210000°N 75.74139°E / 42.2210000; 75.74139
Mouth	Akjaykyn system of lakes
- elevation	135 m (443 ft)
- coordinates	44°59′N 67°43′E / 44.983°N 67.717°E / 44.983; 67.717Coordinates: 44°59′N 67°43′E / 44.983°N 67.717°E / 44.983; 67.717
Length	1,067 km (663 mi)
Basin	67,500 km2 (26,062 sq mi)

The Chu (Shu or Chui, Chuy) (Kazakh: Шу/Şuw, شۋ; Kyrgyz: Чүй, Çüy, چۉي; Dungan: Чў, Çw; Russian: Чу) is a river in northern Kyrgyzstan and southern Kazakhstan. Of the length of approximately 1 067 kilometres (663 miles), the first 115 kilometres are in Kyrgyzystan, then for 221 kilometres the river is the border between Kyrgyzystan and Kazakhstan, and the last 731 kilometres are in Kazakhstan. It's one of the longest rivers in Kyrgyzstan and in Kazakhstan.

Chuy Region, the northernmost and most populous administrative region of Kyrgyzstan, is named after the river; so are the Chuy Avenue, the main street of Bishkek, and the city of Shu in Kazakhstan's Jambyl Region.

The Chu River is formed by the confluence of rivers Joon Aryk and Kochkor in Kochkor District of Naryn Region. After approaching Lake Issyk Kul within a few kilometers (near Balykchy), without either flowing into the lake or draining it, it turns to the northwest. In the 1950s an old riverbed called Ketmaldy (also Buugan) linked the Chu River and Issyk Kul. During floods part of Chu water would reach the lake, but such outflow has not be seen since construction of the Orto-Tokoy Reservoir. After passing through the narrow Boom Gorge (Russian: Боомское ущелье, Boomskoye ushchelye), the river enters the comparatively flat Chuy Valley, within which the Kyrgyz capital of Bishkek and the Kazakh city of Shu are located. Much of the Chu's water is diverted into a network of canals to irrigate the fertile black soils of the Chuy Valley for farming, both on the Kyrgyz and Kazakh sides of the river.