Mzymta River

Mzymta River
Mzymta from Maidens' Eyewater waterfall
Origin	Greater Caucasus
Mouth	Black Sea
Basin countries	Russia
Length	89 km
Source elevation	2980 m
Avg. discharge	45.6 m³/s (near mouth)
Basin area	885 km²

Mzymta (Russian: Мзы́мта, Adyghe: Мэзмытӏэ, Mezmytha; Ubykh for "frantic") is a river in Western Caucasus, Russia, flowing through Krasnodar Krai and the city of Sochi. Mzymta is the biggest river in Russia emptying into the Black Sea. Length: 89 km; watershed area: 885 km².

Mzymta emptying into the Black Sea

Mzymta from the Akhshtyrskaya cave

Mzymta springs from Caucasus Major, at a height of 2,980 m and flows in a narrow valley through lakes Kardyvach and Little Kardyvach. Mzymta forms several waterfalls, the biggest being Izumrudny (Emerald), 15 m. The banks are covered with beech forests and chestnuts, and also ancient Ubykh gardens with wild pear, walnut and chestnut. In Grecheskoye (Greek) gorge river comes more rapid. River comes through Akhshtyr and Dzykhra gorges, popular tourist attractions. Mzymta falls into the Black Sea near Adler, Sochi with a big talus train, dividing to branches and dodging by the floodplains. Mzymta carries out to sea quantum satis of silt. Mineral springs are also found in the catchment basin. The river has a mixed feeding: spring tides and rain freshets.

Mzymta is a floatable river, and the popular attraction is a rafting. Krasnopolyanskaya hydroelectric power station has a reservoir with a daily streamflow regulation.

Average intensity of flow

• Krasnaya Polyana: 33,2 c. m/s
• Kepsh: 45,6 c. m/s (max 764 c. m/s)

Major inflows

• Pslukh
• Pudziko
• Chvizhepse

Inhabited localities

• Estosadok
• Krasnaya Polyana

Coordinates: 43°24′57″N 39°55′25″E / 43.41583°N 39.92361°E / 43.41583; 39.92361