The Talgar river originates at the confluence of rivers Left Talgar and Right Talgar, which have their sources in a glacier area of the
Trans-Ili Alatau range, part of the
Tian Shan. It flows northwards through a valley with steep slopes. About midway down its course, it descends into a
floodplain. Since 1970 the river has had its mouth on the southern lakeshore of the
Kapchagay Reservoir. The Talgar is seasonally prone to floods. A string of small dams has been built in its last stretch, along with a network of irrigation channels. ==See also==