Tym (Sakhalin)

Tym
Location of the mouth of the Tym in Sakhalin Oblast
EtymologyNivkh for "spawning river"
Native nameТымь (Russian)
Location
CountryRussia
StateSakhalin Oblast
Physical characteristics
SourceMount Lopatin, East Sakhalin Mountains
MouthNyysky Bay, Sea of Okhotsk[1]
 • coordinates
51°52′07.62″N 143°10′57.45″E / 51.8687833°N 143.1826250°E / 51.8687833; 143.1826250
Length330 km (210 mi)
Basin size7,850 km2 (3,030 sq mi)
Discharge 
 • average89 m3/s (3,100 cu ft/s)

The Tym (Russian: Тымь) is a river on the island of Sakhalin, Russia, and the second longest river on the island after the Poronay. It is 330 kilometres (210 mi) long, and has a drainage basin of 7,850 square kilometres (3,030 sq mi).[2] The name of the river is translated from Nivkh as "spawning river." The river flows through Tymovsky and Nogliki Districts of Sakhalin Oblast. It begins on the southern slopes of Mount Lopatin in the East Sakhalin Mountains, flows through swampy lowlands in the Tym-Poronaiskaya Valley, and finally flows into Nyisky Bay in the Sea of Okhotsk. The villages of Tymovskoye and Nogliki are located beside the river.

The river is mostly fed by snowmelt. The Tym freezes between November and early December, and the spring break occurs between the end of April and May.[1] The highest level of flow has been observed in the second week of May, and the lowest has been observed in the third week of August. There are about 400 lakes in the river's basin, with a combined area of about 9.5 km².

Map of the Tym watershed.

The largest tributaries of the Tym are listed below, with their length in kilometers given in parentheses:

Right tributaries

  • Pilenga (63)
    • Parkata (60)
  • Imchin (59)
  • Uskov (39)

Left tributaries

  • Nysh (116)
  • Chachma (93)
  • Little Tym (66)
  • Aleksandrovka (48)
  • Red (46)

The river is navigable by rafts and light boats up to 80 km (50 mi) from its mouth. The passage of typhoons can bring significant flooding.[1] The Tym and its tributaries are rich in spawning salmon.[3][4]

Some agriculture is carried out in the Tym valley, producing potatoes and vegetables, as well as raising cattle for meat and dairy products. Although the growing season averages less than 100 days, Soviet scientists optimistically called the river valley "the granary of Sakhalin". To this end, a collective farm called "Krasnaya Tym" ("Red Tym"; coordinates 50°47′11″N 142°40′23″E / 50.78639°N 142.67306°E / 50.78639; 142.67306) was established in Soviet times. Timber is also harvested in the valley.[5][6]

Tym River
  1. ^ a b c Тымь, Great Soviet Encyclopedia
  2. ^ "Река ТЫМЬ in the State Water Register of Russia". textual.ru (in Russian).
  3. ^ Kovtun, A.A. (2000). "Wild and Hatchery Production and Recruitment of Autumn Chum Salmon (Oncorhynchus keta Walbaum) in the Tym River, Sakhalin, 1960-1998" (PDF). North Pacific Anadromous Fish Commission Bulletin (2): 255–261. Retrieved 22 September 2013.
  4. ^ Skopets, Mikhail. "Tym River Impromptu." Fly Fishing Russia. Blog post, 24 March 2012. Retrieved 22 August 2012.
  5. ^ Ivlev, A. M. Soils of Sakhalin. New Delhi: Indian National Scientific Documentation Centre, 1974. Print.
  6. ^ "Regional Cities." SAKHALIN.RU: Sakhalin and the Kuriles. 2004. Retrieved 23 August 2012. (See "Tymovskoye.")