The Atrek (, , ), also known as the Attrack,["Atrek" in the Encyclopædia Britannica, 1878.] Atrak, and Etrek, is a fast-moving river which begins in the mountains of north-eastern Iran () and flows westward, draining into the south-eastern corner of the Caspian Sea in Turkmenistan. Because of the high use of its waters for irrigation, the Atrek only flows into the Caspian when it is in its flood stage.
Geography
The Atrek is long and drains a basin of .
Politics
Beginning at , where its tributary the
Sumbar River joins it, the river forms the border of Iran with
Turkmenistan; this helped keep the area closed throughout the
Cold War years. A 1957 treaty between
Iran and the USSR assigns equal rights to 50% of the water of the frontier parts of the Atrek.
The same treaty also applies to the Aras River, which now forms part of the border between Iran and
Azerbaijan.
Ecology
Even though
concentrate in the area of the Caspian Sea next to the Turkmen coast, they do not currently migrate into the Atrek River owing to its low water level and pollution. Since the Atrek is the only Caspian watershed river of the Turkmen coast, sturgeons no longer reproduce in Turkmenistan.
[ Sturgeons in Turkmenistan ]
See also
