Desna (river)

Desna
The Desna flows through Chernihiv, Ukraine.
The Dnieper and the Desna rivers' drainage basin. In this map, Belarus is shown in yellow, Russia in green and Ukraine in deep red.
Native name
Location
CountryRussia, Ukraine
CitiesBryansk, Novhorod-Siverskyi, Chernihiv
Physical characteristics
Source 
 • locationSmolensk Heights, Russia
 • coordinates54°35′16″N 33°17′32″E / 54.58778°N 33.29222°E / 54.58778; 33.29222
MouthDesna Delta
 • location
just north of Kyiv, Ukraine
 • coordinates
50°33′02″N 30°32′21″E / 50.55056°N 30.53917°E / 50.55056; 30.53917
Length1,130 km (700 mi)
Basin size88,900 km2 (34,300 sq mi)
Discharge 
 • locationKyiv
 • average360 m3/s (13,000 cu ft/s)
Basin features
ProgressionDnieperDnieper–Bug estuaryBlack Sea
Tributaries 
 • leftSeym, Oster
 • rightSudost
Map

The Desna (Russian: Десна; Ukrainian: Десна) is a river in Russia and Ukraine, a major left-tributary of the Dnieper. Its name means "right hand" in the Old East Slavic language.[citation needed] It has a length of 1,130 km (702 mi), and its drainage basin covers 88,900 km2 (34,324 sq mi).[1]

In Ukraine, the river's width ranges from 60 to 250 metres (200 to 820 ft), with its average depth being 3 m (10 ft). The mean annual discharge at its mouth is 360 m3/s (13,000 cu ft/s).[1] The river freezes over from early December to early April, and is navigable from Novhorod-Siverskyi to its mouth, a length of about 535 km (332 mi).[1]

The water level of the river reached its lowest recorded point in 140 years in June 2020. This water level was 5 m (16 ft) below normal for that time of year.[2]

  1. ^ a b c Десна, Great Soviet Encyclopedia.
  2. ^ "Signs of Drought in European Groundwater". earthobservatory.nasa.gov. 2020-06-25. Retrieved 2021-04-14.